Simply the Best: Nurture

My 3 best things about being a mental health SLT this week appear to have a nurturing theme – conversations that nurture understanding, nurturing the learning of others, and nurturing skills and self-reliance…

1. Talk to Me – When a client walks in to clinic distressed and is able to walk out calmer and with a sense of direction and achievement I know what I do is worthwhile. There are times when we need to talk through our difficulties in order to sort things out and to feel better but this is much more difficult if you also have a communication difficulty. When you cannot find the words to express how you feel or explain why you are feeling that way, others find it that much harder to help you find the right solution. When you cannot organise information in a meaningful way you can feel that others are not listening to you or even find that you get yourself even more confused than before. John* arrived for his appointment this week in a very flustered state. He had been feeling overwhelmed in recent weeks and this was impacting on his ability to discuss his worries with his family and friends. By creating a structure around the conversation and providing appropriate feedback, John was able to organise his thoughts and we were able to work through his problems, and he left his appointment much happier and calmer than before.

2. Look to the Future – As part of my job I am involved in the clinical education of student Speech and Language Therapists from Queen Margaret University. My current student is approaching the end of her placement and it makes me so happy to watch her confidence grow and her skills develop. This is one of the very few adult mental health placements available in Scotland currently and it is wonderful to be involved in developing clinical interest and skills for this client group in our emerging workforce.

3. First Steps – Our new group for clients who have recently been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome started this week. The purpose of the group is to provide information about Asperger Syndrome; helping these individuals to have better understanding about the ways in which they communicate, think and act differently from others, to develop coping strategies, and to establish relationships and gain support from peers who are “the same as me”. First sessions are difficult for everyone – especially people with Asperger Syndrome – but by creating an Asperger friendly environment and pacing information and demands correctly our group was a great success.

John* is a pseudonym to protect client confidentiality