About the client
My first client is someone from a group of people who are close to me here in Switzerland. To protect her anonimity I will call her Shirley. Because of a rare physical condition she is often in a lot of pain. Unfortunately, doctors tell her there is basically nothing they can do about that specific condition. So Shirley is in pain pretty much all the time and has had to quit her job.
Her current problems with anxiety and panic attacks
The always-present pain. The existential fear of having no job and money. A deep feeling of having no control over her own body and her life. The constant worrying about the uncertain future. All these things have taken a large toll on Shirley. And resulted in insomnia and regular panic attacks.
She has been and is seeing a psychologist who helps her with pain-therapy. The psychologist also discusses the anxiety problem with her. But hasn’t been able to improve things on that particular level much so far. So we decided to do a very simple introductory session.
Session start
We started with me telling Shirley briefly about my own experiences with anxiety disorders, panic attacks and insomnia. It made her feel more comfortable opening up about her own issues. She told me she avoids these subjects when she’s with other people, afraid of being judged. When I asked her about the panic attacks, what exactly she experiences in these situations, she was able to describe everything in detail.
How the session went
In the more than two hours we talked, Shirley was very open. She was able to answer all my questions and talk about deep feelings and emotions. And I was able to relate to every single thing she said. I could feel her pain and frustration and recognize the survival mode she’s been in for a while now.
At the end of our session, I thought of a little trick and described it to Shirley. It’s something that she can personally relate to. Hopefully it will help her next time she is having a panic attack.
The client’s feedback
When I asked Shirley how she had experienced the session, she responded very positively. She told me that she had never before been able to talk about her problems like that to someone. She had felt safe and understood. Plus comfortable enough to share her innner most thoughts and fears throughout those two hours. And she felt very good having done so. She will definitively come back for more sessions!
My afterthoughts
That made me so happy! After she left I decided to go for a nice walk in and around the small town I live in and shoot some clips with my cell phone. While walking in the sun I was overwhelmed by a feeling of gratitude and purpose. This first session with Shirley had confirmed what I had already known in my heart: I need to help other people deal with and heal from their anxiety problems! Made a short video from the clips, hope you’ll enjoy it.
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