I “inherited” Noel two years ago from another counselor in the agency that I work with left to start her own practice. Noel’s folder which contains weekly session notes, treatment plans and input from other doctors must have been an inch and half thick. Noel had been a client for the past five years and has seen three different counselors. When Noel was placed in my care, I was not sure where to start.
First of all, Noel dealt with some disabilities such as being deaf in one of her ears and has experienced numerous traumas over the years. The client also had a medical condition where her treatment caused her to have severe depression. When Noel speaks, her voice is loud and somewhat distorted as a result of being deaf in one of her ears. As sessions progressed, she voiced her fear and experiences of abandonment from other people finding it next to impossible to trust others.
Since Noel had seen counselors where I work, I had a basis of what progress had been like for the client and realistic goals that had been set. Some goals for the client were to get a part time job which she accomplished and to go back to school at a community college to earn her associate degree. Noel would meet every goal suggested but still what she struggled with was trusting other people because of her past experiences.
Noel was letting her past experiences determine her future and was not letting in the good that other people genuinely offered. Over time Noel started to let people in again. The process has been incredibly slow, but nonetheless progress. As of now I cannot say Noel has a group of friends and family she confides in, but she has shifted her thinking toward giving people the benefit of the doubt and giving people a chance. Success comes in all sizes.
If you are looking for a therapist near you and a Google search is a great way of finding one. I happen to be a therapist in Charlotte, NC but am licensed to counsel anyone in the state of North Carolina. In Google, try looking for “psychotherapist,” “find therapist,” “therapy near me,” or even “counseling charlotte, nc.” If you feel like you have hit a wall you are not able to get past, call me at (704) 458-6298 or email me at jeffhelms@clearerthoughtspllc.com.
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