If there is one thing that I stress to my patients above all others, it’s the ability to loosen our grip in thinking we know everything and have all the answers. We’re human, so it’s not possible or even realistic to expect that every belief we hold is accurate. We may not have all the facts or understand all the circumstances. 

I encourage the people I work with to put on their detective caps and determine if what they are thinking is true. This includes their unhelpful thinking about themselves, other people, and the world. It also includes how they interpret situations. I try to model open-mindedness, gathering data, looking at perspectives from different angles, and weighing the information fairly.

I asked Damion Grasso, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut, how he practices being open-minded in both his professional and personal life. He told me that in working with trauma-exposed youth and families, “Open-mindedness is essential. It helps me set aside assumptions, stay aware of my own biases, and create a therapeutic space where young people and caregivers feel heard, respected, and actively involved in the process of change.”