Night and Day Difference

The one thing I love about my job is discharging a patient. Don’t get me wrong, I love working with them and I have developed a strong rapport with many families but when I write that discharge note it once again validates why I chose the profession I did. The best thing is when I talk to the parents at the beginning of a session and they are excited because the “homework” I gave them worked in a particular situation. Or, they are frustrated because nothing seems to be working. As a therapist, it helps tremendously when parents provide examples of what happened (where were they, who was around, etc.), what they did to help the situation and what the result was. One of the challenges is “curing” children. After a couple of weeks, some parents want to know when their kids will be discharged. Every kid is different, many things contribute to how fast someone makes progress. Are they strong-willed, stubborn, or easy-going and pleaser? It does make a difference! As therapists, we want your kid to succeed and to be the best they can be and help them find ways to cope if they are having a hard day but we cannot “cure” someone in 45 minutes. We need your help all the other 5 or 6 days of the week they are not in therapy to implement the “homework” we provide so they can make faster progress. We can tell a big difference in not only the carryover but the confidence in the child.