The cycle of care: relationship as a protective factor

Abstract

The phenomenon of burnout in healthcare, especially in medicine, is widely researched from various theoretical perspectives in psychology and psychiatry. This summary aims to address the topic of self-care among healthcare professionals through the lens of Lifestyle Medicine (LM) and psychologist Carl Rogers' Person-Centered Therapy (PCT). The method used was a reflection on the topic based on two published articles: a classic article by Rogers (1957) and a reference article on burnout in medicine (2019). The concept of a “cycle of care” was introduced, where self-care is intertwined with caring for others. In this context, the therapeutic relationship between healthcare professional and patient is interpreted as a protective and healing factor for both. Physicians’ well-being is complex and multifactorial,
involving both individual and collective factors. Focusing on the individual factor, research suggests that physicians are not adept at meeting their own well-being needs. But how can we expect from a patient what the healthcare professional cannot do for themselves? The central contribution of Rogerian theory lies in its understanding of the therapeutic relationship; the therapist’s attitudes are not about care protocols or communication skills but rather a genuine behavior inherent to the therapist—it cannot be simulated, only communicated from an authentic and congruent stance. It is in the therapist’s transparency that the client reflects and
can come to know themselves (Rogers, 1957). In this sense, a parallel is drawn between the praxis of the therapist and that of the healthcare worker. Historically, medicine views burnout,
or even the simple act of seeking help, as a sign of personal weakness or inadequacy for the profession (Stehman et al., 2019), due to the belief that the physician is entirely responsible for health treatment outcomes. By recognizing the humanity of the patient, the physician recognizes their own—it is through practicing self-care that the professional conveys its importance to the patient, reproducing the cycle of care.