Mission: To help others learn and grow emotionally and spiritually in order to live better lives.
A systemic problem rears its ugly head.
When I began practicing as a freshly-minted psychiatrist straight out of training in a community-based clinic in western Philadelphia during the summer of 2017, I was not adequately prepared for the harsh realities of operating by myself within the modern-day American mental healthcare system. Suddenly gone were the days where I could find refuge in learning about the history and theories of various treatment approaches or forming the ideals for what my own practice would be.
From the onset, I struggled to take a comprehensive approach to my patients beyond simply using algorithms to match the patterns of symptoms they had to the medications they should be prescribed. People’s views of themselves and others, their relationships, their past conflicts or traumas, their nutritional habits, or their level of physical engagement with their environments was no longer the priority; there was simply not enough time, resources, nor financially-motivated interest within the system. The primary expectation followed an “assembly-line” model - where I saw as many people as possible, for as short of a period of time as possible, and by prescribing as much as possible to “fix” the problems presenting before me.
In the end, I found myself fighting the same losing battles, day in and day out, in the front-line trenches of a war where the overwhelming majority of my patients presented with fundamental misconceptions and a lack of understanding about their mental health, something that was both underlying and undermining their paths forward. It was - and still is - a problem often fueled by industries driven by profit motives as well as society’s “quick fix, want it now” culture, requiring the frequent repetition of the same basic educational points all the time. The end result is a form of healthcare purgatory, where the best the doctor can offer is usually disease “management” or “maintenance” rather than prevention or cure.
From the onset, I struggled to take a comprehensive approach to my patients beyond simply using algorithms to match the patterns of symptoms they had to the medications they should be prescribed. People’s views of themselves and others, their relationships, their past conflicts or traumas, their nutritional habits, or their level of physical engagement with their environments was no longer the priority; there was simply not enough time, resources, nor financially-motivated interest within the system. The primary expectation followed an “assembly-line” model - where I saw as many people as possible, for as short of a period of time as possible, and by prescribing as much as possible to “fix” the problems presenting before me.
In the end, I found myself fighting the same losing battles, day in and day out, in the front-line trenches of a war where the overwhelming majority of my patients presented with fundamental misconceptions and a lack of understanding about their mental health, something that was both underlying and undermining their paths forward. It was - and still is - a problem often fueled by industries driven by profit motives as well as society’s “quick fix, want it now” culture, requiring the frequent repetition of the same basic educational points all the time. The end result is a form of healthcare purgatory, where the best the doctor can offer is usually disease “management” or “maintenance” rather than prevention or cure.
As a result, this conventional trend toward overemphasis on superficial interventions or ongoing band-aid solutions in lieu of these other areas of focus has driven me to fulfill a greater need: public and professional education in the realms of mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. That’s where The Inner Study comes in. It seeks to provide a place for the general public to expand its understanding of the often overlooked factors that affect our emotional and spiritual growth in addition to our more socially-recognized areas of physical or intellectual development. Ultimately, whether you are just stopping by or find yourself working with me, my hope is that this site helps facilitate a greater understanding of yourself and how to live your life well.
Wait, you also mentioned "spirituality."
What's the deal?
To understand the reference to this term as I am defining it here, we can go back to exploring the origins of the word. The word “spirit” comes from the Latin root spīritus, meaning breath, or spīrāre, meaning to breathe. As a result, what I am referring to when I mention “spirituality” is that which gives one breath or, in other words, gives one life (i.e. matters of spirituality signify that which pertains to the essence of living).
Likewise, when we talk about someone getting “inspiration,” we are drawing from the same Latin root and concept; something which inspires us breathes life into us. Therefore, spirituality is simply referring to that inner essence which drives or motivates us all to live. Moreover, because of its fundamental importance to the process of human development, the act of learning and growing emotionally opens the door to living a more fulfilling and fruitful life, thereby enabling us to learn and grow spiritually as well.
It is important to note that spirituality is often conflated with religiousness, but the distinction here between the two is important. While religion can provide the source of spirituality to an individual in terms of being the driving force behind his or her life, one does not need to be religious in order to develop and grow his or her own inner essence and force for living well.
Likewise, when we talk about someone getting “inspiration,” we are drawing from the same Latin root and concept; something which inspires us breathes life into us. Therefore, spirituality is simply referring to that inner essence which drives or motivates us all to live. Moreover, because of its fundamental importance to the process of human development, the act of learning and growing emotionally opens the door to living a more fulfilling and fruitful life, thereby enabling us to learn and grow spiritually as well.
It is important to note that spirituality is often conflated with religiousness, but the distinction here between the two is important. While religion can provide the source of spirituality to an individual in terms of being the driving force behind his or her life, one does not need to be religious in order to develop and grow his or her own inner essence and force for living well.