Posted by Lieutenant Commander Renveer (Executive Officer) in Pre-Sim - Who Counsels the Counselors? - XO’s Office

Posted by Lieutenant Bethany Kovra Gadi (Counselor) in Pre-Sim - Who Counsels the Counselors? - XO’s Office

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Renveer (Executive Officer) in Pre-Sim - Who Counsels the Counselors? - XO’s Office

Now this is interesting, Bethany thought as she reviewed what she had read on her way to Dresden. The current XO had been the CNS. Bethany laughed out loud, to the detriment of the nerves of the young ensign sharing the turbolift with the new CNS. How many head counselors became the XO on the Dresden? Was it an unwritten rule? Would she be next? Oh what about that OTHER piece of repeating history? Oh? Hmmm? That’s a thought for later she smirked devilishly to herself. Wouldn’t that be interesting if that was a rule too? Hmmm…she was going to write back to T’Jal about that.

Stepping off the turbolift, much to the relief of the ensign, Bethany made her way down the corridor to the XO’s office. Since there was currently no other crew qualified to do psych check-ins, the XO would have one more official one, before Bethany took over his job, or his old one anyway. Not bothering to hide the laughter on her face, she rang the chime.
Lt. Gadi, CNS

The door slid open to reveal an executive officer’s office that looked a LOT like a counselor’s office. Lieutenant Commander Renveer sat with one leg crossed over the other at the knee reading a PaDD in his high-backed wing chair, which was situated across from a loveseat and another individual seating option, with a rug bridging the gap between all three pieces of furniture. The typical executive officer’s desk was pushed up against the far wall, ready for use but obviously not the focal point of the room. The walls were adorned with a plethora of abstract paintings that varied in style so severely that it was obvious they had been collected from many unique cultures. In contrast with the vibrant colors splashed across the edges of the office, the room’s furniture was a warm brown color and the lighting had been softened to a gentler yellow than elsewhere on the ship, which originated from standing lamps rather than the ceiling. A couple bookshelves filled the other spaces of the room, but instead of books they housed various trinkets of personal meaning to Renveer, tokens of past missions or reminders of old friends. A potted fern also added a bit of life to the far corner.

Bethany blatantly looked about the office. The man was a counselor at heart. Bethany didn’t really have a problem with that. A good XO was a counselor in some ways to the crew. And the relaxed atmosphere of his office would certainly inspire trust. Of course he had been the CNS previously and a sudden change in his attitude and approachability could put the crew off and cause problems. Bethany was glad to see he had retained his personal approach to the crew. As long as it didn’t stop her from doing her job. Otherwise the XO might as well keep doing double duty.

Renveer rose as the door opened automatically, sticking the PaDD into the crevice of the chair between the cushion and the arm. The trill man was rather unremarkable to look at, having plain features, an average build, and an unexciting personal style, but this lack of adornment made his kind, round face the focal point of his being. That face displayed a smile now, although it did not quite reach his dark eyes, which peered at Bethany as if surveying more than just her physical form.

The laughter that had been on her face on her way to his office was still there as Bethany chuckled as the XO appraised her. “Should I turn a circle for your, Sir?” She was as openly appraising him as he was her. It didn’t bother her. It was a unique position they found themselves in. He had a kind face, as her mother would say, and a quiet confidence of steel about him she could tell already.

The executive officer extended a hand as he took a couple steps forward to meet the Dresden’s new counselor, and shook hers firmly if accepted. “Welcome aboard, Lieutenant,” he said before swinging an outstretched arm out to the loveseat, inviting Bethany to sit. Renveer returned to his chair and settled into it with relaxed posture, his hands folded in his lap as he gave the betazoid his undivided attention. “I appreciate you making the time to see me. I’m quite curious to get to know more about your methods of practice.” There was something more behind those words… suspicion, maybe.

Bethany reached out and shook his hand firmly. No limp fish in her or his hand shake she was happy to note. “Thank you, Cmdr. I’m excited to be here.” And Renveer would be able to tell that was true. She took a seat on the offered loveseat. She watched hi sit in his chair and with a practiced ease seem to relax in it. His body might be but his eyes told a totally different story. Oh this is fun. She smirked openly at him. “Well, Sir, you are the only other psychologist, or counselor for that matter, on board. I have to have my eval completed somehow. And we will be working closely together. The role of counselor is so much more than listening to people in the office and helping them work through problems. A heavy burden of advising the command staff, notably yourself and the CO is part of that responsibility. Not to mention the never ending mountain of crew evals every six months.”

The ex-counselor was guarded, no doubt. His body language was naturally relaxed and unimposing, but the warmth he habitually displayed to other crew members was lacking slightly at this moment. Renveer’s attitude wasn’t malicious, by any means, but almost… nervous. Critical, as if he had some preconceived notions about Bethany that weren’t particularly good. But he was adept at hiding these reservations, at least outwardly.

(Lt. Cmdr. Renveer, XO)

“Curious to get to know more about my methods of practice?” Bethany bit her lip. She wouldn’t laugh, but it was too funny-to a point. “I assume you are concerned that I’m a counselor coming from Intel and I might lean towards torturing them instead?” He could tell she wasn’t too happy if that was his concern. “I would have thought, Sir, that having worked with Cpt. Holloway you would realize there is more to Intel than that. My work, to more directly answer your question, involved debriefing operatives coming in from the field. And more importantly help them work through any personal or emotional issues they may have encountered while in the field. I’m not an interrogator or a field operative. My methods consist of beginning with what I call question and observation. Depending on how someone responds to my questions depends on what we do next. That can range from art therapy to 3rd person holodeck reenactments.” One counselor reading another never ended well. If they were both good at what they did it was easy for each to read the other. It was equally obvious to Renveer that Bethany had come aboard with preconceived notions as well, but they were more open and positive that the XO appeared to have. Equally obvious was that Bethany would not apologize for her work. She was proud of it and she’d go back to it without a second though to Dresden if that was how this posting was going to go. If the XO, former CNS, couldn’t get along with her, then her work was already failed. The crew would take their cues from him and act accordingly.

Lt. Gadi, CNS

OOC: Welcome aboard Jennifer! So excited to be writing with you. I hope you don’t mind a little tension to start things off… but I think that’s to be expected with two counselors aboard! Looking forward to getting to know you and your character better through side sims and the main sim that we’re ramping into as well!

Ben

OOC: Not at all! Tension and friction makes for GREAT stories. There is NO fun if everyone gets along like old friends from the beginning. I’m looking forward to RPing with you, as you said in both side and main sims. Feel free to start any side sims you like, I know I will. Muahahaha
-Jenn

One of Renveer’s slim bronze eyebrows twinged upwards. He resisted the urge to inform Lieutenant Gadi that his experience with Molly was indeed one of the reasons he was skeptical of her theraputic approach, given that the captain’s experiences with intelligence counselors hadn’t exactly been helpful.

A small smile graced one side of Renveer’s mouth. “I didn’t think you were an interrogator, although I suppose you can never be quite sure what intelligence decides to include or exclude from an officer’s official records.”

Bethany raised a brow, mimicking her teacher, as so many other of T’Jal’s pupils did. “You are mistaking Intelligence with section 31. I am NOT section 31.”

Then the smile was gone. A hand moved to rest on the arm of his chair, drumming lightly for a couple seconds. “Perhaps what I’m interested in discussing is less so your methods, and more so your intended goals.” Renveer’s gaze was solid, his expression neutral despite the hint of disdain in his voice as he continued. “In the past, I imagine your objective has been to ensure that intelligence agents are able to reenter the field with the appropriate mental walls to resist whatever traumatic experiences might await them. In my experience, compartmentalization of the kind often taught to and reinforced by the counselors who operate within Intelligence is never an effective long-term strategy for adequate mental health.” He breathed out through his nose steadily, obviously impassioned. “I would like to be assured that you will try to do more than help the Dresden’s crew be ‘fit to serve’. I have seen too many Starfleet officers who have held it together just long enough to get through their tours, and when they retire, the strategies that they were taught aren’t enough anymore. I don’t want you to help the crew perform well as agents, or perform well as Starfleet officers. I want to know that you will help them perform well as whole people.”

“In the past, my goal was to help them work through and heal from personal and emotional difficulties faced in the field. I would be lying if I said I never taught a patient to compartmentalize what had happened to them. Some times that is the best technique for an individual. But it does not mean it is for everyone. Every one of my patients receives my undivided attention and I tailor their sessions, their treatment if you prefer, to what they need. I don’t send people who are mentally unhealthy back into the field. That makes for sloppy work. I don’t do that, and neither does my department. There are operatives who have been intercepted by those not truly part of my department that have faced that. I can’t control that, and again I reiterate I’m not section 31 and I’ve never worked with or for them. I don’t send people who aren’t healthy back out into that kind of danger.” Bethany stopped and rolled her shoulders, her chin lifting stubbornly. “Feel free to check my record, Cmdr. Nothing I’ve done is classified. You’ll see my track record for yourself.”

Renveer frowned and he glanced to the side in genuine confusion. He had no idea what Section 31 was, but he had a feeling that he didn’t want to know. But his joke about her being an interrogator off the record hadn’t seemed to go over very well, so he made a note to leave his bad sense of humor out of the conversation moving forward.

It wasn’t anger, it was conviction. Renveer’s approach to counseling was a personal affair and one that he was proud of. Undoubtedly, he was feeling protective of the crew that he had come to know and care for. Renveer did not have anything against Bethany personally, and he knew as he spoke that he was being a bit unfair to someone he had never met. But it was a conversation that needed to be had, and plainly. Having said his piece, Renveer waited patiently for Lieutenant Gadi to respond, and prepared to stand his ground.

(Lt. Cmdr. Renveer, XO)

“My goal, is to be ship’s counselor. That means making sure every person on this ship is fit for duty, but also a mentally healthy to carry on a normal, or as normal as our missions will allow, life. And you can’t be fit for duty before you have the other. Would you agree, Cmdr?” Bethany was no slouch when it came to her job. She was a hard evaluator and mental health doctor on her patients. Often denying them the right to return to duty because they tried to gloss over their problems. No one left her if they weren’t healthy. Trauma, PTSD, anxiety didn’t always go away, but she had no doubt her patients were living their best lives now. That didn’t always mean they returned to the field. She hated those that twisted what she and her department did. It created problems like this. “My job is to help each member of this crew discover what the problem is and then decide how to best solve that problem. And whether or not they want to continue in their position or go home, safe, happy, and healthy to their families rather than to duty. And then I help them get to where they want to be.”

“I asked for this position, Cmdr. And I bring something very unique with me. My clearance level ensures that Cpt. Holloway never has to worry about who she can talk to. I’m cleared for whatever classified topics she wants to talk about. I had the choice to give up my Intel position to become a ship’s counselor. I choose to keep it, because Cpt. Holloway is a bit of a legend in Intel. Even if she’s not aware of it.” Bethany leaned back in the chair, where she had been leaning forward. “She may never choose to talk with me and confide in me. She has a trust in you. And that’s fine, but when she can’t talk to you, I’ll be here. When the lines between being ship’s XO and the captain’s personal counselor get crossed and you can’t resolve them, I’ll be here to help. That is my goal, Cmdr.”
Lt. Gadi, CNS

As Gadi spoke, Renveer mentally winced every time she said ‘patient’. The distinction in Renveer’s mind between ‘client’ and ‘patient’ was an important one, and perhaps hinted at the differences in philosophical approaches that Renveer had expected. Nethertheless, it sounded as if the counselor had at least reasonable standards of care, although he still held a bit of doubt that Intelligence let good agents go as easily as she described because they had unresolved mental issues. As long as those issues could be shoved aside long enough to complete one or two or three more missions…

Bethany shook her head. “Why do you wince every time I say patient? Would you do so if I was a medical doctor? I took the hypocradic oath too. Just like any other mental health professional. Should I not treat them as patients that I have an oath to care for until they are better? To continue their care if their is no cure, and above all else never cause harm or make them worse? I take that very seriously Cmdr.” Bethany is deadly serious. “The care of my crew is of the utmost priority to me. No matter how big or small.”

Renveer felt a pang of jealousy when Gadi mentioned the captain. He had grown fond of Molly. Of course he would respect any decision Molly made about who to turn to for counseling, but he had to admit that he would be hurt if the new counselor replaced him. But Gadi was right, that she had both the clearance, the emphatic abilities, and the professional separation to be perhaps even a better advisor than him to the captain. He snuffed out the thought, for now.

Renveer took a moment to let the emotions settle. He hadn’t meant to be this overtly confrontational, and yet here he was… rather uncharacteristic of him, really. He sighed, and released a bit of tension with the breath, sinking back a bit into the chair. His voice softened, and his gaze flickered now. “The Dresden is a warship. Built for combat. But most people aren’t built that way. I worry about members of crews like this one. The Dresden can be repaired and rebuilt, but the mind of a Starfleet officer… it can experience traumas that change something fundamental, permanently. Sometimes there is no ‘solution’ or at least no quick fix. I loved being a counselor, but I hate that they have to exist. We’re the Federation, we’re supposed to have peace and prosperity and harmony for all… it’s frustrating that so many good people must experience such horrible things to ensure that for others.”

Bethany nodded. “Ihate it too, but after the Dominion and the Breen it is the reality. Before them, the Borg, before them the Cardassians, and Romulans, before that the Klingons, before that Andorians. And we can keep going.” She sighed heavily. “I was told I nce that it falls on a few to live in the harsh reality so that others came live in the holodeck.”

Refocusing his gaze, Renveer looked to Gadi with a tired expression on his face. “I think the Federation owes this crew more than we can provide. It owes these officers lives free of strife and trauma. But some people see it the other way. That we as citizens owe everything to our government, and that no personal sacrifice is too great. Where do you stand, Lieutenant? What takes priority? The Federation or the officer?”

(Lt. Cmdr. Renveer, XO)

Bethany to snorted in disgust. “Of course the Federation does. And it has Always been the Dresden that faces these things. She has a strong battle weary past. She needs a strong crew. Those that serve deserve the best we can give them when they, not us, decide they are done. The government is there for the will of the people. If it can’t do that then it is up to the people to make the change. Neither,” Bethany looked him in the eye, “the individual. It doesn’t matter if that person was an officer, enlisted, marine, or civilian. They ALL come first. The person behind the uniform comes first.”
Lt. Hadi, CNS