Understanding Self Before Understanding Others: Developing Awareness of Personal and Professional Identities

This chapter introduces the importance of relational practices within the veterinary medical profession. Present-day healthcare delivery is built around relationships and is strengthened through connections. In order to provide relationship-centered care, veterinary professionals must make the effort to understand others, namely, our clients and patients. Before we can understand these essential members of the veterinary team, we must first develop awareness with respect to self. This chapter emphasizes how we learn to be more aware, and how we can channel that into transformative learning. Frames of reference and both personal and professional identities will be discussed at length.