In the nuanced exchange between mother and baby—with its exquisite attunement, which we now know creates neurobiological changes in both parties—we see a metaphor for the therapeutic relationship in health care. To the extent that the mother is fully present, the infant is not only regulated in the moment, but also learns to self-regulate. What is the power of the nurse's presence to heal and to increase the patient's participation in healing? And where does a nurse reach for this critical health care tool?
I did not know that I was allowed … to donate my presence, my attention, my regard.
(Charon, 2006, p. 34)
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