title: [Interviewing the patient--an "impossible" task].
abstract: A patient with atypical facial pain (conversion symptom) is presented, who had to suffer for more than 10 years, because physicians were unable to conduct a biopsychosocial interview. The characteristics of hard and soft data are mentioned. The significance of empathy for the data collection is stressed. The relationship between empathy and countertransference feelings is briefly discussed.
authors.affiliation: rolf.adler@tele2.ch
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Adler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001601:Bereavement; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003379:Countertransference; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004645:Empathy; D005156:Facial Neuralgia / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008487:Medical History Taking; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations