Welcome back to this new blog series where I imagine fictional / historical characters coming to me for coach-therapy. If you have any suggestions for future posts, I’d love to hear from you – eve@selfcarecoaching.net

Jake: OK, Doc. We’re not in your office. You don’t need to use words like trigger or denial

Psychiatrist: I didn’t say denial. Are you?

Jake: No, I am not. And before you say anything, I don’t want to sleep with my mom, either

Psychiatrist: Now why would you bring that up, unprompted?

Jake: YOU prompted it!

Boyle: Jake, there’s a body over here

Jake: Oh thank God [turning to psychiatrist] I mean, oh no! Death! I don’t want to sleep with my mom, OK?

Hi Jake,

It’s good to see you. Although, I’m a bit surprised to see you. You’ve always sounded so anti therapy when Boyle and Terry talk about how it’s helped them.

First of all, I want to remind you that this time and space is yours. Yes, in the first session, I ask a lot of questions to get a snap shot of how you’re feeling about certain aspects of your past, present and future but it’s your choice whether you answer anything or not.

And I’m not an analyst. Or a mind reader. I’m not here to trip you up or try to catch you out.

I’m here to listen.

To offer you a safe space to explore whatever feelings you’re ready to explore.

And to share self care tools with you so you can continue enjoying success as a detective and having fun in your life.

Online Trauma therapy isn’t about taking away the strategies that have helped you survive. It’s about helping you understand what’s happening and has happened and how to work with your body and mind to heal. Post traumatic stress can become post traumatic growth.

You’ve been through a lot. Yes, it’s part of the job but trauma responses are simply part of being human and faced with life threatening situations – in your case, more regularly than many.

I’m not here to take away the humour Boyle says is a defense mechanism – all our defense mechanisms and strategies have helped keep us safe, to adapt, to survive.

It’s a huge step that you’ve taken, talking to me today.

I look forward to our initial session next week and, as well as it being your space to talk, if you’re interested, we can use bodywork (trauma sensitive yoga interventions) and energy work (EFT for trauma), too.

There are lots of creative approaches we can take, too, from visualisation to other ways of working, helping you connect with your unconscious mind – you use that creativity in your detective work and can become a detective into what’s going to help you most.

And as with anything I suggest, it’s entirely up to you. It’s collaborative.

Apart from the first session, where I ask more questions than I’ll usually ask in order to get that detailed history and we think about the options about the best way forward, each session is your time and space to focus on whatever you want.

This is about adding to your self care tool kit and reminding you of all the resources you already have.