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

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Assistant Counsellor) in Side Sim: In the Counselling Suite
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(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

Séan nodded in agreement. “It was very similar in that regard at Starfleet Medical. With a whole bevy of counselors and psychiatrists salivating at the chance to get anyone into a session, well there certainly was plenty of people to talk to. I’ve heard of some people relying on holodeck programs for their counselling needs but that always struck me as being… too artificial, I guess. I suppose it could do in a pinch but I wouldn’t rely on it for any long term treatment plan.”

CNS Iven

“I think it depends on the situation, but for the most part I would agree.” She sipped on her coffee. “What do you think will be your biggest challenge on the Athena?” Janna asked, crossing her legs at the knee and leaning back in her chair a bit more.

~Janna Kingston, ACNS

Séan put a hand to his chin as he contemplated the question. “Short term or long term? I’m not sure that I’ll have any big challenges in the long term as time will allow me to adapt and fit in. It will also take time to earn the trust of my patients and some I may never be able to. And that’s the biggest challenge in the short term, there just isn’t enough time to to earn everyone’s trust and be as effective a counsellor. I’ll do my best of course and just hope that it’s enough. Our case loads sound awfully daunting right now.”

CNS Iven