CARE PARTNER

 

The ''CARE PARTNER''

 

---During my time spent working in the ''helping'' profession, I was asked, ''What part of my story are clients interested in hearing?'' This question was seriously posed by one of the psychiatrists who sincerely wanted to know. My answer was not well thought out, at the time, and I wish to convey the following.

---Clients or Residents are not interested in your story unless it has some bearing on there own situation. By this, I mean, they want to know if the person in front of them (psychiatrist, ''CARE PARTNER'' or whathaveyou) is able to know what they, themselves (the resident/patient,) are going through. Will they be understood? So, the provider tells his story and communicates to the resident the amount that he knows of himself and of ''life in general,'' and the relationship between the two. .                                                                                                                

---The ''care partner'' brings his own understanding, from his arsenal made up of ''where he's been, his story, which leads to the 'care partners' own level of self-knowledge and his/her ability to communicate this.'' It must be remembered that each ''resident-care partner'' relationship has its own unique differences, so what works with one resident may or may not work with another.

---What always works is increasing the self-knowledge of the resident. We want to increase his ''arsenal,'' also. We can help him with his self-knowledge and how he sees ''life in general.'' We help with his communication skills and help him articulate how he sees his relationship to this ''vision'' of himself and his ''new'' situation.  We try to increase his relationship to his ''creative-self'' and his ''sense of oneness'' with all things and people, trying to increase his/her relationship with ''life in general'' and ''existence,'' Itself.

---We want to be sure we are not just passing along our own set of hang-ups and neuroses. So, when I say ''life in general,'' be very sure that your own ''vision'' is not tainted. That you see things and understand things ''clearly'' and you are basically happy and bring a sense of well-being to the table. Be honest with yourself and be responsible. Half-truths and misconceptions are not what the ''resident'' needs a whole lot more of. In fact, these very things, probably, have a lot to do with the reason why this person is seated before you. It surely has much to do with his ''Frustration.'' Be Well.

 

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN MARCH, 2006.