'The Wounded Healer' was written in response to the often asked question "What does it mean to be a minister in contemporary society?" Nouwen has divided his study into four chapters: the suffering world, the suffering generation, the suffering man, and the suffering minister. In this book Nouwen shows how it is important to interrelate to achieve a more effective and relevant ministry in our broken culture. In order to help the rest of the suffering, the minister first must recognize his own. He must go beyond his professional role and leave himself open as a fellow human being with the same wounds and suffering.