During counseling sessions, as Pastoral Counselors, we are always listening for our clients’ source of ultimate hope. Hope is what will help a client get better, and knowing the source of hope helps us navigate to a place of healing.
In the case of a client who has attempted suicide, it is essential to know the source of hope which keeps them grounded.
One client, Beth*, came to Insight Counseling Centers referred by a good friend who saw that she was struggling with depression. Beth had been on medication that seemed to no longer be working. Her history with depression included suicide attempts many years earlier while experiencing post-partum depression after the birth of her first child. Beth felt dehumanized by the rudimentary treatment she received at a medical facility during that time and came to Insight Counseling Centers for a different kind of experience.
Carol, a Marriage and Family Therapist at Insight, began working with Beth, and as a first step, referred her to a psychiatrist to find more effective medication. After some trial and error and discovering an effective medication, Beth stated that she felt normal for the first time in her life. It was then that the full story of her life began to unfold.