Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Séan Iven (CNS) in Side Sim: In the Counselling Suite

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Assistant Counsellor) in Side Sim: In the Counselling Suite

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Séan Iven (CNS) in Side Sim: In the Counselling Suite

(snip)

“The moment a patient has a breakthrough no matter how small it seems.” Séan replied with no hesitation. “Whether they come realize something about themselves, put down a burden they’ve been carrying for years, finally allow themselves to mourn a loss, or share a small victory over a hang-up, obstacle, or fear that’s been impeding them. Those are the moments that make all of the frustration, the snappy remarks, the long hours and the emotional exhaustion worth it.” He smiled softly and spoke a bit quieter. “When I’ve hit a roadblock with a patient and it seems like I’m going to break down before they can take just that next step… I remind myself that the result is worth all of the hardship, the heartache, and whatever it takes to be of help.”

CNS Iven

Janna nodded. “It’s a rewarding profession for sure. But as you say, it can take a toll. What do you do to regroup during the harder times?” Everyone had different coping mechanisms, and therapists were no less prone to picking unhealthy ones, but they ultimately had more tools in their toolkit that the average person ad therefore at intellectually knew how to handle their own crises.

~Janna Kingston, ACNS

“I try to meditate at times, when that fails I resort to physical exertion until I’m so exhausted I sleep like the dead. Usually that’s at a gym doing weights, hitting a bag, sparring sometimes, and very infrequently in the arms of a lover. The mind is very hard to silence at times.” Séan smiled a little ruefully. “I try my best to balance my professional and personal life while making sure to adjust my mindset after reflecting on my beliefs. If I’m overworked and irritated but believe that the person I’m dealing with doesn’t deserve to receive the brunt of that then I need to reset my approach.”

CNS Iven

Janna smiled. “And the great thing about this ships and its set-up is that you’re not the only counsellor here. We are a team and we don’t have to do our own regular sessions with someone over subspace elsewhere.” Janna always appreciated that the mandatory therapy that therapists did was simplified on the class of ship simply but numbers.

~Janna Kingston, ACNS