Saturday, October 20, 2012

sometimes, i guess all they need is just a pair of genuine listening ears.

someone who is non-judgemental, someone who makes them feel listened and accepted.

somewhere they can air their inner thoughts and emotions, somewhere they can comfortably pour their hearts out and let their guards down.

i was having a 90mins session with this 63-year-old patient, Mr Cheong.

after reading through the previous inputs by my colleagues, i kind of made a presumption.

"hmm.. this man isnt easy to deal with."

i began the session with some anxiety within, not knowing if i could manage him.

and indeed, i could sense his strong ambivalence right from the beginning. 

the session went on, where i did perhaps 90% of listening, and only 10% of the talking.
he would get rather loud and worked up occasionally.
and whenever he did that, my heart skipped a beat.

i couldnt assess or intervene much, cuz he was talking, talking, and talking.

nah, perhaps a more appropriate word to use would be - sharing. 

i was glad that he shared that much at length, though more than half the time the session was way off the track.  

but i continued to listen and attend without interrupting.  

the session was coming to an end. 

just when i thought i didnt manage it very well, just when i thought i didnt render him much help.

Mr Cheong looked at me sincerely and said, "Miss Ang, you did a fantastic job today."

he went on to reiterate that he's alone, he has nobody to talk to, and its not easy to find someone he could connect and speak so much with.

he shook my hand and ended with the request to drop him  a call as and when possible to check on how he's doing and all. 

coming from a patient with unpleasant experience of the previous sessions, this is definitely an absolute breakthrough for me.

it struck me to reflect on the significance of "authenticity" which i've learnt from school, a genuine and sincere way of relating to our clients.

at times, this could mean more than any other thing else in a helping relationship.

and its the simple words of appreciation and affirmation that makes our job as social work practitioners incredibly worthwhile.

♥ bits and pieces of my memories.
1:20 PM