By Rania Watts
I am going to share a little story with you and leave my clients real name out for confidentiality purposes. With her permission, I am able to write about this.
Maud was a client of mine when I had just completed my SSW diploma. Just after I had met her when she was 17 years old, Maud shared a tale with me that, as a counsellor, caused every single teal coloured strand in my hair transform to immediate shades of grey.
The counsellor that was assigned to her case was completely oblivious to her needs. She recounted that her first day in hospital after a Tylenol overdose was at the age of 13.
Rewind for a moment: being suicidal at 13 is something that is not unfamiliar in our contemporary world. In fact in our Covid riddled world research “showed recent suicidal ideation was 1.60 and 1.45 times higher in March and July 2020, respectively, than in March and July 2019. Odds of recent suicide attempt were 1.58, 2.34, 1.75 and 1.77 times higher in February, March, April and July 2020 than the same months in 2019, respectively.” (Korioth, T. 2020)
Suicide rates are on the rise. Now that being said… Maud told me that on her first day in the hospital, she was feeling very frightened and alone. The hospital shrink walked into her room, with ‘an air of arrogance’. He basically slammed his books down and the table tray and said ‘what do we have here?’ Maud looked at him and said ‘I don’t think I want to talk to you.’ He completely turned her off.
Not all counsellors will be a good match with their patients – meaning, please do your research to find a counsellor that specializes in whatever you require. Someone who has a good bedside manner, who can make you feel at ease.
Any personal opinions expressed in this blog solely belong to the author Rania Watts and not the Practitioner advertised in this website or social media.
https://www.aappublications.org/news/2020/12/16/pediatricssuicidestudy121620
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-find-a-therapist
https://www.thecut.com/2017/12/a-beginners-guide-to-finding-the-right-therapist.html
allowmiracles.com 