7. I showed respect for patients as persons with the rights to
make as many choices for themselves as their current
capabilities allowed.
_Example_
Discussion of group at coffee revolved around Carolyn's needing a new
pair of shoes. The issues were where these might be gotten (Carolyn has
{117} money), what kind she should get, and who and when someone would
take her for them. It struck me as if Carolyn might not have been
present. I asked Carolyn what kind of shoes she would like. Carolyn
responded that she did not know whether she should buy regular shoes, or
sneakers, or canvas shoes like Marilyn had gotten. She beamed. Since,
she has come up to me several times and discussed the two pairs of
different kinds of shoes she bought and why. Carolyn is a sweet, simple,
retarded, deaf sixty year old whose behavior resembles an eight year
old.
8. I attempted to help patients consider their currently
expressed feelings and behaviors in light of past life
experiences and patterns, like and unlike their current ones.
_Example_
On my arrival after Christmas, Irene expressed anger at me in a laughing
way for having been away. Then she moved from a seat in the corner of
the room to a chair behind me at the coffee table. I moved to allow her
to move up to the table, but she did not. After coffee Irene nonverbally
with eyes and body movements told me to follow her. She led me into a
small beauty parlor room and we both sat down. She closed her eyes. I
said, "You seem to have some feelings about us all having been away."
First she blurted, "I missed you," then in a quieter voice denied this,
"It wasn't important that you weren't here." I said, "It could be
helpful to you to talk about your present missing feelings as you had
some very important losses of people when you were younger." Her eyes
literally popped open and she again blurted, "You mean my parents?" I
said, "Yes and your therapist could help you with this." I then asked if
she ever had the opportunity to talk with anyone about such things. She
replied, "No, well I had a social worker when I was a little girl." I
tried at this point to transfer feelings of the past to the present.
"Oh, for how long? What was she like?" "I don't remember," and Irene
closed her eyes. In a few minutes Irene requested that I set her hair.
She is capable of doing this herself. I set her hair, but discussed the
question of what she was really asking for. I believe she was asking for
concrete attention to test my ability to care for her. I was trying to
say, concretely, by setting her hair, that people could care about her.
9. I encouraged patients' expression to come to understand
better their behavioral messages to enable me to respond
overtly as appropriately and therapeutically as possible.
_Example_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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