Chapter 6: The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog
I had been curious to see where the title of the book had come from, so seeing it come up as the name of the chapter brought me some excitement. I was admittedly surprised to see how brief the story was, however. I suppose I was expecting something else. But regardless, the chapter and stories of the two boys were as interesting as any of our previous readings. One thing in particular that caught my attention and forced me to stop and think was Perry's hospital visit to see Justin. His approach was unique. Perry took the time to consider Justin's perspective and was able to behave in such a way that-- in his opinion-- would not make Justin nervous or anxious. Perry's actions and behaviors were likely much different than those of the doctors and nurses that would show up in Justin's room to observe him. In those very moments, Perry was able to do what so many others had probably failed to do in the past-- begin to build a genuine relationship with Justin and earn his trust.
To me, it was a reminder of the importance of approaching every client differently and remembering to take each of their unique backgrounds and circumstances into consideration when interacting and engaging with them. First impressions truly are everything. And thinking about how our own clients will immediately begin to make assumptions about us in those first few minutes that we begin to converse with them is definitely daunting. This is why it's important to come prepared to sessions and make the best effort to understand where our clients are coming from and why they might do some of the things that they do. Although not everything about our clients can be learned from the first session alone, it is still imperative that we make every attempt to stay one step ahead of our clients and know how to respond and behave in a way that we know will guarantee that our patient-client relationship is strong and healthy. It's also a bit discouraging to think about agencies like CPS who don't really have the luxury of taking the time to fully understand each kid that they work with and connect with them the way that Perry did with Justin.
The progress that was made in the two week period was also astounding to me. I feel like typically, this isn't the case. While working with children at a residential treatment center, seeing the progress that the kids are making right in front of your eyes is one of the best things about the job. But from my experience, it's usually something that can take several weeks and often times months before you're really able to see the changes in their behaviors. It's incredibly rewarding to see these changes, and I can understand why it was so impactful for Perry to read the letter that was sent to him by Justin.
To me, it was a reminder of the importance of approaching every client differently and remembering to take each of their unique backgrounds and circumstances into consideration when interacting and engaging with them. First impressions truly are everything. And thinking about how our own clients will immediately begin to make assumptions about us in those first few minutes that we begin to converse with them is definitely daunting. This is why it's important to come prepared to sessions and make the best effort to understand where our clients are coming from and why they might do some of the things that they do. Although not everything about our clients can be learned from the first session alone, it is still imperative that we make every attempt to stay one step ahead of our clients and know how to respond and behave in a way that we know will guarantee that our patient-client relationship is strong and healthy. It's also a bit discouraging to think about agencies like CPS who don't really have the luxury of taking the time to fully understand each kid that they work with and connect with them the way that Perry did with Justin.
The progress that was made in the two week period was also astounding to me. I feel like typically, this isn't the case. While working with children at a residential treatment center, seeing the progress that the kids are making right in front of your eyes is one of the best things about the job. But from my experience, it's usually something that can take several weeks and often times months before you're really able to see the changes in their behaviors. It's incredibly rewarding to see these changes, and I can understand why it was so impactful for Perry to read the letter that was sent to him by Justin.
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