Intimacy, Vulnerability, and the Imperfect Art of Patient-Centered Self-Disclosure

During the vulnerable, painful time around my diagnosis with a chronic illness, my physician shared with me a story from her own life. Her act of self-disclosure was profoundly impactful, reminding me that the gulf between myself and other people was not as vast as it felt. In this essay, I share my story and the conclusions I've drawn from it in the years since, using my tools as a philosopher and bioethicist. I explore what "patient-centered self-disclosure" might look like. I hope that these reflections might deepen our understanding of the intimacy and vulnerability of receiving medical care, and of the power of physician self-disclosure.