Dear colleagues,

The origin and evolution of a word, also known as its etymology, can reveal fascinating insights into its deeper meanings. In some cases, a word's etymology can even provide valuable insights into the meaning of our lives as clinicians and patients. Take the word "doctor," for instance. Its origin can be traced back to the classical Latin word "docere," which means "to teach." To me, this suggests that as practitioners of functional medicine, one of our most important roles is to educate and teach our patients.

In traditional medicine, doctors aren’t really teachers—they aren’t really involved in a give-and-take for the purpose of gaining knowledge and expertise. Rather, many conventional physicians tend to see themselves as an “authority figure”—the patient is expected to listen to the doctor, receive instructions from the doctor, and follow those instructions.

Functional medicine has a very different model. A collaborative model. A model of partnership. A functional doctor trusts the patient and respects the patient’s understanding of their own body and experience. The functional doctor is there to expand and refine the patient’s understanding of what is going on in their body. We teach patients that a “one-size-fits-all” treatment of mental illness is unlikely to work—but a personalized, science-based treatment has a great likelihood of success because it’s informed by objective laboratory testing that provides a clear picture of biochemical individuality.

As a living, vibrant community of docere, we are also teaching each other how to do well and be well, as we journey together to achieve a new functional model for mental health and healing.