At the close of session one, the group therapist said, “Your task for the week is to construct a model that represents your state of mind.
Before you leave, I would like you to follow me out into the backyard to meet my creation: a long-necked reptile from the Triassic period, marooned on dry land and permanently chewing on junk to stop it chasing its tail.
Not only is this a good description of me when I worked for the National Health Service, but it demonstrates that the best psychotherapists are those who’ve personally experienced inner turmoil and identity problems.”
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Friday Fictioneers: 100 word stories
Photo Prompt: image © Douglas M. MacIlroy
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Sarah Potter Writes 
Wow !
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🙂
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Powerful & succinct~
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Thank you, Cindy 🙂 I do so enjoy the challenge of being succinct.
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Even if the narrator does say so him/her self.
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Of course. Such a wonderfully insightful fellow (yes, I thought of him as a man!)
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Robotic reptiles excel at breaking through that Fourth Wall.
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LOL, that just about sums it up. Having just read your excellent take on this prompt, Dave, I can see you have robots on your mind today!
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Really good Sarah.
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Thank you, Louise 🙂
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A powerful story. Great take on the prompt. 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Love this!
I can’t imagine what MY creation would look like! Indeed, I do agree the best therapists/coaches, etc, are the ones who’ve lived and survived! (I’d be a fabulous coach! 😉 )
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Come on, Dale. Try to imagine YOUR creation. You’ve got me intrigued!
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Are you talking from experience here Sarah?! Certainly sounds like a good description of some types of jobs!
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I certainly observed people chasing their tails when they worked for the NHS, and the more they did this, the less productive they became. We once had a time and motion study carried out in the hospital when I was a second-year student nurse. Interestingly, some ward sisters had complained that I was slow doing my work. Butt they were in for a shock with the results of the study because ultimately I was quicker than the other staff due to getting things right the first time, rather than having to redo jobs done in too much of a hurry!
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I’d love to make my inner creature! Great take on the photo.
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I think my inner creature would be a combination of a tortoise and a bird in flight. What do you reckon yours would be?
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Oooh… I like that one! Still thinking on mine…
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I’m not a therapist, but I have worked for the NHS and know the feeling, ha! Wow Sarah, this is a fabulous flash, and that photo…talk about inner turmoil and identity problems… xxx
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The main problem I encountered while working for the NHS was change for the sake of it but not necessarily for the best, or it would have been for the best if backed up by proper funding. Successive governments have done and still are doing the same thing with education.
Yes, Sherri, I don’t often get political on my blog, but feel strongly about both health and education. xxxx
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Totally agree Sarah xxxx
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Dear Sarah,
Having received my “psych degree” from the couch, I relate to this piece so well. I do believe the some of best therapists are those who can relate to their patients’ struggles.
When I was in therapy I did a lot of artwork to illustrate my feelings. It was a great way to get those emotions out in the open.
There’s a lot of backstory between the lines of your flash fiction.
Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle
Although never on the couch for therapy, I came to work in psychiatry following an extremely bumpy ride in my own life, both on the emotional and physical front, so, yes, I’d like to think that this made me a far more empathetic nurse than those who came to work in the field straight from school and from an uncomplicated background.
Thank you for sharing about your experience. As part of my training, I spent a couple of months in the Art Therapy Department and was very impressed with the positive results of the work they did there.
All best wishes
Sarah
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No doubt that’s all true, but I still don’t think I’d want our pictured friend for a therapist. If she puts the bite on me for an unpaid bill, I’m not sure all the therapy in the world would help me!
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In other words, the therapist is no longer chasing his own tail (or her tail, whichever you like!), but instead chasing up defaulting clients and causing them more stress so they need more treatment, so he can chase them further!
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Definitely a sculpture made by someone Jung at heart.
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Lol, absolutely so!
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This is so well written.. and I guess you’re right.. the best therapists should have felt it themselves..
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Thank you, Björn. …And then having felt it themselves, there’s the question of how much they self-disclose, as too much can be therapeutically counter-productive if not dangerous.
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Physician heal thyself.
Good piece.
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Thank you, Mick. I think there are quite a few physicians out there who don’t succeed on that front!
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What a fascinating idea. I’m starting to imagine all kinds of sculptures for my job. And I think tail-chasing would be a common feature in many workplaces.
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Love to hear what you’re imagining, Margaret. And I agree, tail-chasing is a common feature in many workplaces, especially with all the additional bureaucracy that rules okay these days!
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