ABSTRACT
Family practitioners have a busy and exacting life with many patients who have a wide assortment of problems. Although their training is medical and scientific, many of the problems family practitioners deal with are psychological, or have psychological overtones. In a way, they are explorers in the area of psychological problems. Explorers in varied landscapes need to be navigators, leaders, negotiators, diplomats, mountaineers and fountains of wisdom. Because of the "terrain" in which they work, family doctors need equally varied skills. They find themselves able to use some of the skills of psychologists, counselors, priests, elders, salesmen, and even soothsayers.
