The healing of persons (médecine de la personne): reflections on Paul Tournier's contribution to person-centred medicine

Abstract

The development of Paul Tournier's médecine de la personne as a relational body/mind/spirit approach to healthcare provision is outlined in this paper. His holistic understanding of the nature of the person may assist psychiatrists, and other health professionals, to reintegrate the psychosocial/transcultural and neurosciences, and to develop the healing relationship with patients that is central to person-centred medicine.