The author of the article helps to understand the patient-doctor relation in the light of axiological psychiatry developed by the Polish psychiatrist, Antoni Kępiński (1918–1972). Kępiński was a doctor who, with great dedication and reverence, fulfilled his duties towards patients. First of all, he paid special attention to the uniqueness and specificity of the level of contact between a doctor and a patient and pointed out its friendly character. The article also introduces the sources of the axiological psychiatry developed by (...) Kępiński, which can be found in the philosophy of dialogue. In the light of the Cracow psychiatrist’s work, one can notice that his philosophical anthropology was saturated with the influence of dialogue thought. According to Kępiński, only a specific kind of emotional relationship based on empathy and trust can be the key to complete knowledge of a man fighting with mental illnesses. (shrink)