When I was recruited to be the house therapist for a teenage unit for young offenders, the care worker said when I called, “shall I book them all in for an hour with you?”
I said “oh no that’s not how I roll at all, how about I bring a Pizza and bring River my therapy dog and get to know you guys”.
He said “I like you already”.
I did take the pizza for many weeks, and sat in the kitchen with the staff and teens.
Over the weeks I went for walks and drives with the kids, and had many therapeutic conversations. They taught me so much about their worlds and what they needed.
What I like about you Mel is you just say it as it is.. “has it been a bit of a shit day.”
“You don’t need to gloss it up or make it better, you help me sit with what’s going on, you know when I have had enough and change the subject and you remind me feelings are normal and to breathe out”
Therapy doesn’t need to always be in a room, and engagement was 95% not bad for kids who are supposedly hard to engage!
Moral of the story is therapy is about conversations and relationships and we can have them anywhere.
I am passionate in supporting clients in a way that fits for them and a have a bit of a reputation for working with those who might not normally come for therapy.