Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 23 Helping Others Help Themselves (Please continue reading)

To protect both the counselor and the client, the counselor and the client should, in principle, have no contact outside of counseling hours.

If visitors want to schedule a consultation or have any other questions, they can only contact the consultation assistant, who will then forward the information to the counselor.

After hearing Nan Zhuren's question, Shen Bing said, "Teacher Nan, this is definitely the first case you've taken on that I value the most. I just finished a follow-up call, and she hasn't replied to me yet."

"In the past... they have never contacted us on their own initiative."

Shen Bing stated firmly, "Never."

Nan Zhuren nodded, indicating that he understood.

Then another topic came up:
"Our consultation center has its own database, right? How do I access it to view the information?"

Psychological institutions typically share resources, including various questionnaires, courses, and most importantly, case therapy sessions.

When counselors design counseling plans for their clients, they can gain significant help by referring to these internal databases.

Nan Zhuren also wants to use these materials as a reference.

Unexpectedly, Shen Bing looked troubled after hearing this.

"Yes, there is, but..." Shen Bing scratched his head.

The database of newly established consultation centers like Yan Nuo mostly contains generic materials available in other hospitals or institutions, and is not of much value.

The most valuable data in various databases are usually the cases accumulated by the center's consultants, but Yan Nuo is still a newly established company and really doesn't have much "accumulation".

In other words, the database at Yannuo Center now contains mostly worthless items.

“Something is better than nothing, you know, it’s all about applying the same principles.” Nan Zhuren thought for a moment, “Could you help me filter it first? Let’s use the keyword ‘trauma’…”

"By the way, Teacher Nan!"

Shen Bing suddenly interrupted Nan Zhuren's instructions, as he remembered something very important.

"Your supervisor just called you to go find her!"

Nan Zhuren blinked, remembering what had happened.

It seems the supervisor did indeed schedule a meeting with him today.

……

“I saw your application for dormitory benefits. There is currently a vacant three-bedroom suite at the company. Your roommate will take you to see the room after get off work.”

Weng Pingting smiled and said, "It just so happens that your roommate is also your assistant, so he should be very happy."

"Shen Bing?" Nan Zhuren pursed his lips.

In the context of the counseling center's ecosystem, counselors are considered superiors to counseling assistants.

Is living in the same suite as your boss, right across from each other, something for working people to be happy about?
“The apartment is in a great location, right next to the company in the neighborhood. It’s only a ten-minute walk to work, and you only need to pay a symbolic 300 yuan rent per month—what do you think?” Weng Pingting asked.

Nan Zhuren shrugged: "I think this is the prelude to starting formal dialogue. We should wrap this up as soon as possible and get down to business."

Weng Pingting couldn't help but laugh: "Are you trying to seize control of the conversation?"

As she said this, Weng Pingting's expression turned serious.

Only a faint smile remained at the corner of his mouth, neither deliberately maintained nor suppressed.

She began to peruse the information that Nan Zhuren had compiled about the three visitors.

Counselors have a responsibility to organize and archive the information of each client, and supervising counselors also have an obligation to check it. Browsing through the information does not violate confidentiality regulations.

"Let's talk about today's two visitors. I heard you let one go directly, but the other bought the highest-priced package?"

"And the one who left was an eighteen-year-old young man, while the one who bought the set meal was the boss in his thirties?" Weng Pingting's tone rose slightly, clearly quite interested in this situation.

Nan Zhuren shrugged: "There's not much to say about the first visitor. He's even healthier than most people in our office. He's just a young guy who came out of curiosity about psychological counseling and wanted to find someone to have a good chat with."

Nan Zhuren summarized: "One consultation was enough for him."

Weng Pingting, however, spoke with a pointed remark: "I heard that you and Shen Bing seemed to have had a bit of a disagreement? Because you let this visitor go, and didn't even let Shen Bing in to promote the package?"

There are indeed no secrets in the workplace office.

God knows how the higher-ups found out about this situation.

Nan Zhuren explained matter-of-factly: "I don't think it's necessary."

Weng Pingting emphasized: "You need to know that this visitor is in a good financial situation and has the subjective desire for counseling. Even if he doesn't come back for treatment afterward, but just chats with a familiar counselor, he might be happy to buy a package."

After hearing this, Nan Zhuren thought for a moment and asked, "Will the boss be unhappy?"

"meeting."

"And what about you, supervisor?"

Instead of answering directly, Weng Pingting took a roundabout approach: "If, and I mean if—this client does indeed have some psychological problems, such as his career planning being excessively interfered with by his parents, leading to issues like anxiety and depression, what do you plan to do?"

Nan Zhuren thought for a moment: "Let's rule out organic lesions first..."

"No need for such a long explanation, just tell me your consultation and intervention approach!"

Nan Zhuren replied, "If there is depression, first assess the risk of suicide. Then, in the first consultation, provide emotional support, gather information, and if time permits, teach him some ways to alleviate his emotions."

"and then?"

“Then we stopped.” Nan Zhuren shrugged. “Only by collecting information can we know the cause of the problem—for example, whether it is excessive pressure from the family of origin or whether the young person’s cognitive structure is incomplete and they are stuck in a rut. The same manifestation can have different causes, and the intervention approach is completely different.”

Weng Pingting nitpicked, "Isn't it too hasty to teach a visitor how to regulate their emotions on the first visit?"

Nan Zhuren replied, "Every consultation should be treated as if it were the last, ensuring that the visitor gains something. Besides—helping people help themselves, right?"

"Help others help themselves." Weng Pingting repeated, nodding repeatedly. She kept nodding.

"Does this answer please you, supervisor?"

“You can call her ‘Sister Pingting’.”

"Should I worry about my boss's reaction if I do this kind of consulting, Sister Pingting?"

"No need," Weng Pingting said nonchalantly, as if casually shaking off the dust from her clothes.

She gently flipped through the documents in her hand, setting aside the file of the first visitor.

I doubt I'll ever contact that 18-year-old boy who sought psychological counseling again.

Then came the second visitor, a bar owner surnamed Huang who came to consult about relationship problems.

Weng Pingting glanced at it and put it aside, clearly having nothing to say.

However, Nan Zhuren felt it was still necessary to explain his limited work achievements.

So he tried to organize his thoughts and said, "This is the bar owner, he's just giving away money."

"You're lucky that I could tell."

They both laughed.

(End of this chapter)