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Have we lost the art of truly seeing our patients? In this profound conversation with Cheryl Puntil, a psychodynamic psychotherapist who recently retired as Chief Nursing Officer at Austin Riggs Center, we explore the unique power nurses bring to therapeutic relationships after her remarkable 43-year career in psychiatric mental health nursing.
Cheryl shares why she chose nursing over other professions, calling it "the best profession ever" for its unique integration of psychology, medicine, and social work perspectives. With passionate conviction, she explains how nurses observe patients in contexts no other providers witness, creating unparalleled opportunities for meaningful connection and healing.
The conversation ventures into fascinating territory as Cheryl describes how psychodynamic principles operate not just in individual therapy but throughout entire organizations. She reveals the concept of "parallel process" – how themes emerging in staff meetings mysteriously appear in patient community meetings, creating unconscious connections throughout therapeutic communities.
Perhaps most compelling is Cheryl's concern about the future of psychodynamic nursing. Despite overwhelming evidence that combined therapy and medication approaches work better than either alone, healthcare systems increasingly devalue nurse psychotherapists who don't prescribe. Meanwhile, educational foundations weaken as non-psychiatric specialists teach mental health content in nursing programs, and many students never experience psychiatric clinical rotations.
The episode concludes with an inspiring tour of Austin Riggs Center's unique approach – an open-setting residential treatment facility where patients lead community meetings, engage in creative programming, and receive intensive psychodynamic psychotherapy four times weekly. This 100-year-old model stands as living proof that relationship-based care produces transformative results.
For anyone concerned about the direction of mental healthcare or seeking to deepen their therapeutic approach, this conversation offers both validation and a roadmap forward. What might our healthcare system look like if we truly valued knowing our patients?

Let’s Connect

Dr Dan Wesemann

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://nursing.uiowa.edu/academics/dnp-programs/psych-mental-health-nurse-practitioner

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-wesemann

Dr Kate Melino

Email: [email protected]

Dr Sean Convoy

Email: [email protected]

Dr Kendra Delany

Email: [email protected]

Dr Melissa Chapman

Email: [email protected]