Psychiatrist-wife-mother: some aspects of role integration

Throughout her professional life the woman who chooses to combine the roles of psychiatrist, wife, and mother may find them not only compatible but complementary. If she can adopt a philosophy of life that permits her to function in these roles, and if those around her support her activities, she can perform with relative ease and proficiency. Her lifestyle must of necessity differ from that of her male colleagues, but differing lifestyles among members of a profession vitalize the field. A broad perspective is desirable, especially in a profession that deals with the emotional and mental lives of people. Married women and mothers afford such a broadened perspective to the field of psychiatry.