Brandon Gimbel, M.D.: Staying With What Hurts
“Guilt cannot undo damage; it can only name it.”
Chapter Summary:
In Staying With What Hurts, psychiatrist Brandon Gimbel, M.D., reflects on the painful and often overlooked work of healing—not through insight or quick solutions, but through presence, acceptance, and honesty. Sharing the story of a father grappling with grief, anger, and unmet expectations, Dr. Gimbel shows how therapy becomes a place not for fixing others, but for facing oneself. With clarity and humility, he describes how healing often begins not with progress, but with staying—with what hurts, what we’ve avoided, and what we’ve caused. This chapter opens the collection, inviting readers into the slow, necessary work of real care.
About Dr. Gimbel:
Brandon Gimbel, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and founder of North Star Behavioral Health. He teaches psychiatry residents at Rush University Medical Center and writes about the human side of psychiatric work.