week 32, post 2: Community Based Counseling

"Warren, this is ______. I'm at the doctor's office in ________. He's running behind and I can't make it back to ______________ in time for my appointment." Warren: "Well, I have to be back at the church in Houma by 6. You're close to there now. So we're going to pass each other coming and going." C: We can meet at the Mac Donald's in _______________. Can we do that?" W: "I'm okay with that if you are."

So we met at the MacDonald's, a less than ideal location, but we had a pretty good session nonetheless. We blocked out the distractions and followed up on some issues we'd opened up over the last several sessions.

By Freudian/medical theory, operating under such conditions is simply unacceptable -- not done! Well, Freud's theory is flawed, and we're doing the best we can with what we can. Actually, "community-based counseling" is now cutting-edge theory and practice. Seeing the clients in context, integrating counseling with medical care, education and casework, is where it's at nowadays. This client is motivated -- that's the most telling factor of all. She works hard in our sessions. Even with distractions, we get to here-and-now impasses, the therapeutic moment, and she sticks with it and progress is made.

It would be better -- I think -- if I could see clients in a nice, safe, quiet, well-appointed office with a nice receptionist, etc. That's what I always wanted, at least. But maybe I'm just old now. Maybe what I'm doing is really the most productive -- cutting edge, even.

I'm not proud of me. But I sure can be proud of some of my clients. They're hard at work. And they're growing.

Congratulations are in order to another hard worker -- Floyd Landis, who won this year's Tour de France with a stunning come-from-behind victory when defeat was all but certain. Well done, Floyd.

Peace, Warren.