Psychology & Counseling, Health Care Delivery, Doctor-Patient Relations, Family Practice, Counseling, Family & General Practice, Physician & Patient, Psychotherapy 

This book is about doctor-patient relationship and certain counselling skills intrinsic to the medical consultation or clinical transaction. Together with other clinical skills, intrinsic counseling skills are needed to achieve clinical goals, satisfactory to both patient and doctor and appropriate to the clinical transaction and to the wider systems of healthcare.
Clinical transactions can be intellectually, emotionally and sometimes physically demanding. Success depends on the physician and the patient adequately fulfilling the obligations and responsibilities of their respective roles. Evidence shows that success also depends on doctors and patients forming a personal relationship with good communication, adequate mutual trust and the ability of doctors to empathize sufficiently with patients and their predicaments.

This book is recommended reading for doctors and medical students, post registration vocational trainees and medical educators within medical schools.