Posted Sept. 7, 2022, 3:17 p.m. by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) (Lindsay B)
Posted by Lieutenant Commander Faye Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Counselling Suite- CIO’s Appointment
Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in Counselling Suite- CIO’s Appointment
Posted by Lieutenant Commander Faye Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Counselling Suite- CIO’s Appointment
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻(snips)
Inhaling deeply, Faye gazed into Kingston’s vibrant green eyes. “Well, The Manhattan was my home, the place I came into my own, and created family, made friends that are really important to me, and of course it’s where I met my husband. The ship became a safe place, something I’ve not really been used to. Now I’ve left that all behind to start over again. For the best possible reason, but the reality is that it’s a whole lot of changes all at once, and…” She paused trying to make sure she used the right words. “I worry that I’ll slip. That I’ll become so overwhelmed I’ll be symptomatic again, or worse, spiral. I don’t want that for Daggum, and I don’t want that for myself either. Wouldn’t exactly be a lovely start to our married life, ya know?”
~Faye Calloway, CIO
Kingston nodded slowly. “A valid concern to have. You have three major life stressors- getting married, changing jobs, and moving- all at the same time, relatively speaking. That’s going to be hard for anyone, but for someone with your challenges and history, I agree that we need to be mindful how we proceed. But before we get into all of that, I want to share my philosophy with you, Faye. I am one of those therapists who don’t usually dig unless I see or hear something that I feel duty bound to explore. That being said, the work you and I will do together will be different than the usual. It will be more directional and intentional, focused on making sure you have the tools you need and know how best to use them in which circumstance as your needs change over time. Are you familiar with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy?”
~Janna Kingston, CNS
Faye nodded. “I’ve had therapists use the framework before, though obviously group therapy was never really an option. I do journal regularly and I don’t mind sharing what I’ve written in sessions.” Kingston was being open and getting ahead of any concerns and Calloway was appreciative of the approach.
~Faye Calloway, CIO
Janna nodded. “Good. I would like to continue with that then. My philosophy is that we already have everything we need and my job is to help uncover where some of those skills and perspectives might be hidden. Sometimes they are found in discussing events that have happened and digging deep, and other times we’ll focus on what’s next, on where we want to go in our life. With your history of trauma, plus the physiological complications that accompany it, I want to make sure that there are no ticking time bombs sitting around. We’ll diffuse any we find and keep an open dialogue.”
“I want to be clear here Faye: you did the work. You worked through some difficult things and your file tells me about your perseverance and dedication. You have taken incredible strides at fully living your life and moving past a state of survival. I want us to celebrate that,” she said, leaning forward, her eyes alight. “And whatever it is you want to achieve, I am simply here to help you find the tools you need to get there. And if along the way, there are stumbles, I will be there to support you in whatever way you need. But I warn you, I have in the past used what I describe as tricky therapist techniques. I never use them maliciously but they always have a purpose, and are because I believe them necessary. All I need for you is to trust the process, trust me. And yes, I realize that will mean that we need time to build that trust, but it will only be successful if we work together.”
~Janna Kingston, CNS
Faye nodded slowly. “I’m used to working through stuff but honestly I’ve not had a single therapist long term. But I am in a different place in my life. In transferring to the Athena to be with my husband, there’s a long-term timeline now. I’ve never had that before.”
~Faye Calloway, CIO
“Okay,” Janna said, glad for Faye’s openness. They were treading into yet another bit of new territory and that meant that perhaps she’d have to tread cautiously in some places or step back and help Faye see the bigger picture of her own life more clearly when they stuck in the mire or one issue or another.
“So you come here with some worries amidst a lot of changes, but what are you hopeful for? What grounds you in a positive frame of mind?”
~Janna Kingston, CNS
© 1991-2024 STF. Terms of Service
Version 1.15.11
RSS Feed