The Psychologist Is In
The Psychologist Is In
Psychologist (Psy): “Come in, take a seat”
Patient (Pat): “Thanks”
Psy: “I see from your notes that you have had a stroke?”
Pat: “Yes”
Psy: “So why are you here?”
Pat: “Someone at the gym suggested it.”
Psy: “Why?”
Pat: “I don’t fit in well in the therapy group. They think I am not very bright.”
Psy: “Does this worry you?”
Pat: “Not much. There is another bloke who makes a point of only talking to his physio.”
Psy: “He must have a hard time?”
Pat: “No. He seems better educated than the rest of us and can argue anyone into the ground.”
Psy: “He must have few friends.”
Pat: “I took my courage in both hands and asked for his help. I was amazed when he said “What for?” So I charged on into his favourite territory. “How can I get the head physio to look after me?” I braced myself for a blast and was amazed by his reply. “You already know, ask for help, and carry on from there.”
Psy: “Did it work?”
Pat: “Yes. The head physio found me a senior replacement when she was required by her No. 1 patient.”
Psy: “You seem to be ok now.”
Pat: “Then something happened that made me a permanent outcast. One of the leaders of our group said that on Saturday afternoon when there was no therapy he had organised a film showing in the staff lounge and finished with “Sorry Ted no room for you”, complete with guffaws from the mob.”
Psy: “Why did your friend do that?”
Pat: “I did not regard him as a friend yet.”
Psy: “Did he look miserable at not getting an individual invite?”
Pat: “He always looked miserable. He stood up, handed me the magazine he was reading, said to me, “Look after this Ted. I need your help.” If he had written this I would have framed it. Anyway, he watched the departing group without another word.”
Psy: “What happened next?”
Pat: “We went into a room of the gym where the OT people were setting up electronic games for stroke patients. We spent a happy and beneficial 2 hours and never mentioned it. There is no need to gloat if you have won, as my mentor advised – just keep smiling. Someone told me that in a black versus white choice my mentor (I am now comfortable, privately, to use that description) would choose the blue option.”
Psy: “I think your mentor needs my services more than you do. Please pay the receptionist on your way out Ted.