187. Diane Solomon, PhD: When Healthcare Becomes the Source of Trauma
Medicine is supposed to heal. But for many patients, and for the clinicians who care for them, it can also be the source of deep and lasting harm. In this episode, Drs. Erin Hurley and Joanne Sotelo sit down with Diane Solomon, PhD, a retired psychiatric nurse practitioner and nurse-midwife, to explore how medical encounters themselves can become traumatic, and what it takes to change that.
Together, they trace how experiences like objectification in teaching hospitals and the relentless pressure to prioritize speed over patient autonomy shape both the people receiving care and the people delivering it. They explore adverse childhood experiences, the connection between early trauma and adult health behaviors, and how many healthcare professionals enter medicine carrying wounds they were never given language for.
The conversation also gets practical: how honest apology and repair change outcomes, why boundaries aren't selfish, and what it looks like for women in medicine to strategically change the culture from within.
Key Takeaways To Listen For
- Medical encounters cause real harm when patients are objectified, exposed, or dismissed, and that harm doesn't disappear just because it's never acknowledged
- System pressure pushes clinicians to prioritize speed and outcomes over patient autonomy, often without anyone naming it out loud
- Many clinicians carry significant adverse childhood experiences into medicine, which can drive both their calling and their risk of exhaustion
- Boundaries, saying no, and genuine rest are essential for women in medicine, not indulgences
- Honest apology and validation after harm can be deeply healing and meaningfully reduce both conflict and litigation
"I think women need to understand that it is not selfish to take care of themselves first." — Diane Solomon, PhD
About Diane Solomon, PhD: Diane N. Solomon, PhD, is a retired psychiatric nurse practitioner and nurse-midwife, nurse scholar, and writer who has spent decades at the intersection of clinical care, trauma, and narrative medicine. She earned her MSN in Nurse-Midwifery from Yale University and her PhD in Nursing from Oregon Health & Science University, with advanced training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy.
Diane completed more than two decades of clinical experience in adult psychiatry and maternal mental health, alongside faculty roles at OHSU. She writes the "Narrative Nurse Practitioner" column in Psychology Today and is widely published on end-of-life care, mental health, and the lived experience of illness. She's an award-winning writer and a consistent voice for compassionate, patient-centered care.
Connect with Diane Solomon:
Website: https://www.dianensolomon.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-n-solomon-phd-7776a6166/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555018240030
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdianesolomon/
X: https://x.com/DianeSolomonOR
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