Essays,Poems,Stories

The Elder in Exile Tom Medlar A frustrated and depressed nursing home resident recently described the facility as ‘a place where unwanted elders can be exiled.’ Through our therapy conversation in that session, he came to acknowledge that he did have problems with his memory and his health, and that his facility residence was reasonable, even though unwanted, and was not a rejection by his son. “I know he’s only doing what he thinks is right for me.” Many residents of nursing

Hello, Jane. My name is Tom. Can you hear me? Blink once if yes, or blink twice if no. One blink. Is your name Jane? One blink. Is my name Tom? One blink. Is my name George? Two blinks. Is your name George? Two blinks. In psychotherapy I attend to the specific content of what a client is saying, as well as what may be left out or avoided, what might be hinted at or signaled indirectly. I listen to the tone and pace of a client’s speech, and to gestures and body postures that