A gunshot victim is rushed to the hospital, having sustained a single direct hit to the chest. The EMT’s were able to stabilize the patient, but he’s in need of immediate medical attention. He’s received by an oncologist who quickly subjects the man to a battery of lab tests and scans to determine whether he has cancer. Finding what the doctor believes to be a spot on his lungs, the patient is immediately prepped for surgery to excise the cancer.
He dies on the table from the gunshot wound.
Given the same startling scenario, the gunshot victim is instead received by an ER doctor who rushes the man into surgery to address the chest wound. Fixated on the task-at-hand, the surgeon misses the presence of lung cancer and discharges the patient once he has recovered from surgery.
He dies eight months later from the undetected cancer.
As hyperbolic as these scenarios may seem, they paint an illustration of what can happen in the counseling room. Stemming from a desire to help men and women in their struggles, we can often overlook their immediate or extended need. One example may be a married couple who comes to you shortly after an
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