Posted by Captain Molly Holloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Counselor’s Office – Molly Holloway

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Katie Nunn (Counselor) in Counselor’s Office – Molly Holloway

Posted by Captain Molly Holloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Counselor’s Office – Molly Holloway

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“I’m not a medical doctor, so we would need to loop a member of the medical staff in to handle medication,” she responded, her tone the most business-like it had been in their entire conversation. “I have an idea of one who would keep everything confidential and provide an excellent resource,” she added, thinking of Ensign Bailey. “Hypnosis allows you to enter a relaxed state of being where we can work through your experiences and endeavor to reframe them in a more positive light.” She kicked herself as she heard a nearly textbook definition come out of her mouth. Here Holloway was finally starting to relax in her presence and she was turning into a robot. She took another deep breath and forced her friendly, soothing smile to return to her face.

Lt Cmdr Nunn, CNS

“If I may…” Molly said. “I’d like to request someone personally… unless of course, you don’t think they are fit. Doctor Bailey oversaw my stay in sickbay after the Holodeck incident… I would like it if she could be the one overseeing this…”

“I’m sorry, Commander…” Holloway finally spoke. “I’ve been, for lack of a better word, a paranoid person my whole life. Starfleet Intel didn’t make it better. Lack of control terrifies me… It always has. How can hypnosis help me? If… if you’ll excuse my ignorance… I don’t want to go around clucking like a chicken or something… How can hypnosis help me relax when it means having no control over my own actions?”

Capt. Holloway, CIO

Katie’s face broke out into a genuine smile at Holloway’s request for Bailey.

“We’re thinking on the same page, Captain, as Ensign Bailey was exactly who I was going to recommend,” she commented before digesting the rest of Holloway’s queries. She patiently continued, “while some certainly find the idea of having no control to be disconcerting, the literature I’ve read and the training I’ve received suggest that the state of mind that hypnosis creates allows even those with intelligence backgrounds to better comprehend and digest sources of stress. If you would prefer to follow a different treatment protocol given your professional history, I’m happy to go over those in the near future, but you were concerned that there was no path forward and I’m merely providing one of many paths.” Some might be surprised to find that a counselor could have a strong backbone, but Holloway had found Katie’s.

Lt Cmdr Nunn, CNS

“I never meant to suggest otherwise, Commander.” Molly said. A dry hint in her tone. “I trust your judgement when it comes to psychology matters.” Holloway tried to block the thoughts intruding in her head telling her that she would had been better off as she was, mentally cursing Calvin for making the appointment. “When do you suggest we start, and how long will it take?”

Capt. Holloway, CIO

Katie gave Holloway a friendly smile, hoping to indicate that she wasn’t at all insulted. If she was going to get her rankles up every time a patient was the least bit resistant, she would have flunked out of counseling before making it out of her training program. “I’d suggest that we start as soon as possible, Captain, but after you’ve gotten a couple of good nights of sleep” she responded, keeping a slight twinge of firmness in her voice, feeling that it might assist in ensuring a somewhat reluctant participant’s participation. “Unfortunately, I can’t tell you precisely how long it will take, but progress will be made and we will evaluate and re-evaluate every step of the way. Perhaps, if you have some time now, you could go see if Ensign Bailey is available?”

Lt Cmdr Nunn, CNS