My uncle was a psychologist, and during my young impressionable years, his profession seemed mysterious and intriguing.
His practice was in San Diego, or should I say La Jolla, a trendy upscale village looking out across the Pacific Ocean.
I thought that once a psychologist probed the hidden depths of the mind, they could understand human motivation and happiness and solve all one’s personal problems, I thought.
Such were my sophomoric musings.
One summer I traveled to San Diego to stay with him and his family for about two months.
I met a young woman who worked as a secretary in his office. She had suffered from mental health issues, but had reached a point of healing and relief.
She credited her recovery with spending time in a mental institution run by Catholic sisters.
I wondered what helped her.
“Did you receive psychotherapy?” I asked.
“No.”
“Any kind of special counseling or treatment?”
“No.”
“Well, what helped?”
“The nuns just took care of me … they talked with me.”
I was surprised that what helped her was not any of the sophisticated methods of psychotherapy available. Or some method that could be credited to Carl Rogers, then practicing in his heyday, living in San Diego as an influential psychologist. Or Abraham Maslow, another practitioner in that field. (I don’t remember whether this woman had received psychiatric medication.)
The lesson I took away was that many human problems get taken care of when there are people truly watching out and caring for another’s good. Of course, there are other important factors involved. But we live in a world of isolation, and having close personal relationships goes far in good mental health.
FirstLight Cares
Good home care agencies are aware of this, and one such company is FirstLight Home Care of Deerfield/Lake Forest. Their caregivers are trained to be compassionate and caring, willing to spend time to talk with and get to know their clients.
FirstLight’s workers are chosen for their concern for others, for watching out for problems that beset the elderly. Their caregivers can spot a problem, a troubled emotion, or a looming physical problem and give their personal attention and make a wise choice in taking action.
The next time your rehab patient needs non-medical care, whether at your facility or at home, why not choose FirstLight Home Care? Call or visit FirstLight of Deerfield/Lake Forest at 224-880-6555. Their office is in Libertyville, and they have caregivers in Lake County and northern Cook County.