Before google put one in everybody’s pocket, having a relevant and accurate map to help you when you were lost was a big deal.
We’ve mostly forgotten what that was like, but consider how quickly the freak out comes on when you don’t have cell service and need to know how to get somewhere.
A map helps us navigate places we’ve never been or don’t know well enough to travel on our own; they’re drawn by people who have been there before, made mistakes, and eventually found their way.
A map is also simpler than the real world, and that’s its value. It doesn’t get better with more information beyond a certain point, because relevant focus is key.
It’s like that with treatment too. We need to find out what things need to make it on your map to get you where you want to be. Every detail doesn’t need to be there, but we need to have an appreciation for details when they do have a place.
Maybe the way you move and control your body puts certain tissues under stress all the time. We need new maps for those movements.
Maybe the way your body responds to and processes stress/life events is hard on you. We need new maps for how that terrain is negotiated.
I’m not the world’s expert in one small corner of healthcare that I own down to every little detail — my value is in seeing connections between parts of your experience and opportunities to change them that may have missed, and then drawing you a map.
You don’t want some hyper fixated singular expert drawing your map. They don’t know enough about how the landscape fits together. You want someone who deeply understands the living relationship between parts helping you find your way.
So that’s at the core of our work together — I help you make a map and we work together to make sure it actually overlays on your life in a meaningful way.
