Ever Have One of Those Days?

ninety percent of the time I am on. I mean ON! I connect up with people, get intimate with them in sessions (emotionally - get your head out of the gutter), and generally get tears flowing, them having AH HA moments and such. Well today was a bunch of arm folding, mistrust, and a feeling like the clients felt like I was hasseling them.

Hey, let's face it. THis is real life. Some days it's peanuts, some days it shells. I can't expect everyday to be thunder and lightening flying, God rushing in, and miracle after miracle taking place - as it seems to happen (in my own mind of course). Still, when clients aren't motivated in having simple conversations and are THAT paranoid, I need to back off.

One client was so rigid I excused myself and left them almost in mid sentence. Why push when someone is so resistent? I don't need to work harder than them. So I let the Nurse and the Psychiatrist grab the rest of the information that was needed. I know when I am not welcome. The funny thing, the client in the end thanked me. Can you imagine that?

But hey, therapy is a give and take scenario. Both parties have to involve themselves in order to have some success. Sometimes the rewards are great - almost inspiring! Other times they plop on the floor and need to be swept up. Do you think I want to engage myself in every person who enters my room? Well actually my percentage rate is very high, because I give a damn. I felt frustrated today when I left the interview room because I truly wanted to help this person who was just released from a psychiatric hospital and still seemed a bit (alright a lot) unstable. But again, I know the limits to the counseling arena.

Then came the next client and it was almost a repeat. They too were guarded, didn't want to talk about their past, or talk about their past traumatic experiences. The best interview of the day was with a psychotic Spanish Speaker who grinned a lot and thanked me for the help.

Oh well, it could have been worse. One good thing, days like this helps me appreciate the times that are really special.

It is over eight years here and we, as an organization have serviced over 16,500 people with mental illness. That is amazing! I have literally seen thousands of people and trust me a day like this is very rare for me. If it continues to be the same, perhaps I too need to go through counseling. I don't want my connection with God to get permanently closed.

May you all have great mental wellbeing.