Trisha Torrey

Science, Darwin, and Advocacy Ethics

5 minutes of reading / 4 Comments / By Trisha Torrey / September 15, 2020

“Back in the day” there was a piece of advice that admonished us to remember that if you went on a first date, or when you invited the boss to dinner, or while you were at work, or during similar scenarios where you needed to be aware of the sensitivities of the company you kept, you should make sure you avoided conversations about religion and politics. The reason to avoid those conversations with folks was clear: you always wanted to be sure you didn’t offend someone else at the beginning of a friendship or relationship or ongoing with people you […]

Science, Darwin, and Advocacy Ethics Continue Reading

When It’s Time to Use IDK

4 minutes of reading / 1 Comment / By Trisha Torrey / September 10, 2020

No one can ever be expected to know everything about everything at the moment they need to know it. Yet, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about medical providers – and too many health advocates, too – it is that there is a major reluctance to say “I don’t know.” It’s as if the fact that they don’t know something reflects on their ability to be useful. As if they are “less” because the answer isn’t right there in the front of their brains and rolling off their tongues. I just don’t think that’s right, or fair, or kosher. Whether

When It’s Time to Use IDK Continue Reading

Confessions of a Failure

5 minutes of reading / 4 Comments / By Trisha Torrey / August 10, 2020

Think of the successful business people you know or know of. They probably run different kinds of businesses, even non-profits. Their businesses are different sizes, too – from solopreneurs to multi-national conglomerates. They represent different sectors of business from manufacturing and selling products to offering personal services – and everything in between. What is the first thing most of them have in common? Most of them, at one time or another, have failed. Some of their failures were highly visible – and well publicized. Some of their failures are never to be spoken of (meaning we have no idea what

Confessions of a Failure Continue Reading

Turkish Lore and Sir Francis Bacon Suggest a New Approach to Workshops and Bootcamps

3 minutes of reading / Leave a Comment / By Trisha Torrey / July 22, 2020

It’s been a conundrum, now solved. It’s been a wish, now solved. It’s been a challenge, which has now been solved, and solved with a solution that will continue to grow the profession of advocacy (hopefully) far into the future! Announcing…

Turkish Lore and Sir Francis Bacon Suggest a New Approach to Workshops and Bootcamps Continue Reading

Beware Those Wolves in Sheeps’ Clothing

6 minutes of reading / 5 Comments / By Trisha Torrey / July 6, 2020

This post was originally published in July 2013, and was updated in July 2020. Two unrelated stories have crossed my path, but their bottom lines are the same. It’s too easy to be fooled. Story #1: … is based on a scathing article from the Wall Street Journal about the amount of money medical device companies pay to the doctors who use their products. The story is mostly focused on investigations from the Justice Department starting with one doctor who lived and worked in California, Dr. Aria Sabit, who insisted on using certain spinal implant products because he owns part

Beware Those Wolves in Sheeps’ Clothing Continue Reading

“I’ve done advocacy for friends and loved ones all my life. Now I just want to get paid for it!”

5 minutes of reading / 2 Comments / By Trisha Torrey / June 15, 2020

I wish I had a nickel for every time someone told me “I want to join the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates because I’m good at advocacy, I’ve done it for years for friends and family, and now I just want figure out how to get paid for it.” Honestly> Sometimes those words make me want to scream, because I know they will never make that leap. The problem is, no matter how simple the answer, no matter how many opportunities they have – the majority of people who can make that statement will never be paid for independent advocacy

“I’ve done advocacy for friends and loved ones all my life. Now I just want to get paid for it!” Continue Reading

Bogus Claims Will Come Back to Bite You

4 minutes of reading / 1 Comment / By Trisha Torrey / May 15, 2020

(This post is being published in May 2020 – in the midst of the pandemic – when many advocates are working from home, and hopefully taking time to update and improve their business practices. I hope the message here rings true for those of you – the few of you – who need it, and that necessary changes will be made accordingly.) ….. True confessions here! I met my husband on Match.com. We met and married in 2006. Today we continue to live our happily ever after. Prior to meeting him, I dated a handful of other (so-called) gentlemen I

Bogus Claims Will Come Back to Bite You Continue Reading

Search APHA Blog