Meeting a Stranger

In my previous role, I provided guidance to individuals seeking a residential level of treatment. Typically, all of our interactions took place over the phone or email. This story, however, is about an exception.

Last week I got to do something that I have not gotten to do before in this role. I met one of my clients face to face. It was one of the most joyful experiences I’ve had in a long time. This individual reached out to me months ago, seeking treatment to address profound trauma they had endured while performing military service. This case had taken much longer to resolve than most, due to the inordinate number of hoops we had to jump through. Still, this client stuck it out and pushed for their own care for months. I told them several times, “if you keep pushing, I’ll keep pushing”. And push we did. In the context of the overall recovery journey, the process of going from home to treatment is such a small part. But it can be an incredibly daunting one. To see a client whom I worked with happy and thriving in treatment was a true pleasure.

I wonder what the clients and families I work with must think of me. We often develop such rich relationships. I walk with them through the insurance maze, help them understand the different levels of care, and prepare them for an experience they never thought they’d have. In many cases, once a client has entered treatment, I won’t hear from them again. I’m left to hope that they will make the most out of their treatment. To wonder if they will apply what they learned to their lives post discharge. I hope they know they can always call me again if they need to. I hope they know that I am not just a voice on the other end of the line.

Over the course of the next several weeks, my client will be challenged to open up their trauma wound. To embrace a vulnerability which has been protected fervently. To trust strangers. It will be challenging and painful. This is work that requires strength, and I can’t always tell how different clients of mine will react. I know how this one will, though. No matter what, they’ll keep pushing.