When Dr. Paul Garfinkel started his career in psychiatry in the 1970s, psychoanalysis dominated the profession. Then the pendulum swung the other way. Psychoanalysis was discredited and drugs became the treatment of choice for mental illness. Throughout his career, Garfinkel has struggled to find a balance between these two poles, between compassion and human touch on one hand and the rigour of science and the prescribed drugs that have revolutionized psychiatry on the other. Though it was sometimes not popular, he held steadfast to his belief that medicines combined with psychotherapy are often better than either one alone.

In this deeply personal memoir Garfinkel writes about his journey through a 40-year career and life devoted the to the understanding, care, and advocacy of the mentally ill. He takes us through the many stages in his life, from his humble beginnings in Winnipeg as the son of Jewish immigrants, through to medical school, his internship at Toronto Western Hospital, his rise to leadership positions at many institutions and eventually as the first CEO of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

Paul Garfinkel, MD, is currently a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and staff psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). He has been chief of psychiatry at Toronto General Hospital, the University of Toronto, and the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry. In 1997, he was appointed chief executive officer of CAMH and held this position until 2009. Garfinkel is the author and editor of nine books on eating disorders.

Paul Garfinkel's profile page