Counselling department briefing

Posted on Wed Mar 1st, 2023 @ 10:53am by Lieutenant Tate Sullivan Ph.D. & Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Lieutenant Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen [Taylor] & Deanna Kelea

Mission: Season 6 : Episode 1: Circinus
Location: Planetside
Timeline: September 8,2397, 1200 hrs.
1767 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

{ON}

With the camp set up Planetside, Alicia had decided to call a meeting of the Counselling department, including her own mother as she was the Academy instructor for the Counselling cadets, and right now they needed all the help they could get.

With Savar, Tate and Deanna already present, Alicia offered a warm smile. “Thank you all for coming I know we’re all being kept busy at this difficult time, but I wanted to check in with all of you. We need to put our heads together and come up with a strategy to help as many of our crew as we can.”

Savar looked to Tate and Deanna before he addressed Alicia. "We need additional hands to assist us, Alicia. Perhaps we can use Deanna's counseling cadets to help us in managing the number of cases we have. Perhaps come up with a ranking system to prioritize the cases."

Alicia nodded. “I did bring it up about us needing extra help at the staff briefing, Captain Taylor agreed to us using the Counselling cadets to help.” She looked at her mother. “Do you think the cadets can cope with that?”

Deanna nodded. “I think so, Yes. They’ve done very well through all this. The experience working in the field will do them good. I’ll be there with them the whole time, and I’ll do what I can to help you as well.

Alicia nodded. “Thank you mum I appreciate that. I want to speak with Commodore Lalor-Richardson, see how she’s coping.”

Tate had mixed feelings about using the cadets to supplement their counseling staff. On the one hand, she knew this was what they had been training for and it didn't make sense to hold back and deny them the experience when they would soon be practitioners of their own, but on the other, she knew tending to people given this level of trauma was intense for even the most experienced therapists, let alone therapists who are still learning how to provide care and manage the ethical responsibilities of the work at the same time. She sighed internally. There were no perfect solutions. There rarely were. "I'd be happy to make myself available to provide clinical supervision for the cadets as needed if you could use an extra pair of hands, so to speak. Naturally, I'll make myself of use anywhere there's a need, but I'm particularly concerned about the children. My understanding is any number of them witnessed the chaos of what happened along with the deaths and injuries of loved ones."

Alicia nodded. “That’s true, why don’t you concentrate on the children that need help. The cadets can assist where needs be under the supervision of each of us. We’re going to be stretched thin, but I have requested the help of any able bodied crew who have counselling experience. Hopefully it’ll be enough.”

Tate nodded. It was never easy to address shipwide trauma, but this wasn't the first time they had been confronted with this particular challenge. "I expect we'll need to work with people individually initially, but for those that are willing and appropriate, we could institute some trauma groups. It would be a way to address more peoples needs at once, but also help people feel less alone with their feelings. It could be useful in creating cohesion again as well."

Alicia nodded. “Brilliant Tate, I may not have said this much to any of you but I feel privileged to work with not just family...” she looked at Savar and her mother. “But also the professionals you all are in your daily duties. It’s time like this we shine.”

Tate smiled back at Alicia. Even though they were facing difficult circumstances, she admired her optimism and that she never was the kind of person to throw her weight around. Sullivan knew she had been through a lot personally and professionally and at times felt guilty she hadn't done more to check in with her. Of course, knowing she had Savar, perhaps she had made the assumption she didn't need to. Something else came to mind and she offered, "We're a team and as long as we stick together, there isn't anything we haven't been able to survive. Still, I think it will be important to get together periodically and attend to our own self care. It's not very often we how come so close to losing the very pleading beneath our feet."

Alicia nodded. “That’s very true, as Counsellor’s we need to talk about our own experiences, to share our burdens with each other.” She offered a smile. “Anyway I think I’ve held everyone up long enough, thank you all for coming.”

Deanna smiled and nodded, standing up she offered her daughter a brief hug before nodding to Savar and Tate and heading on her way.

Alicia chewed on her lip before looking to Tate. “Tate would you stay for a moment please?” She stood and walked over to Savar. “I’ll see you later Imzadi, would you check in on Connor and N’Vea for me please?”

Savar looked between Alicia and Tate before turning his attention to Alicia, "Of course Alicia, I will be glad to check on them and give them your love as well," Savar replied serenely. He then turned to Tate, "Tate, until later."

"See you soon," Tate replied with a smile to Savar.

When it was just the two of them, Tate turned to Alicia. "Everything ok?"

Alicia sighed. “To be honest I don’t know, I’ve been so busy helping others I haven’t really stopped to think about how I feel. We’re more or less stranded out here Tate! I’m busy reassuring everyone else when I’m not feeling it myself.”

"I know what you mean," Tate was surprised to hear herself answer with a sigh. "I keep vacillating between being grateful we survived and feeling shocked at how our home, the very ground under our feet was ripped from us so easily. We're here now, but it almost already feels like our shipboard life was the dream. I keep thinking about the Academy when we were told and shown over and over how tenuous life is in space, and you think you understand it, but you and I both know, the psychological reality is that people can't live in that state of fear all the time or we'd never actually live. I know that's what we'll need to help the rest of the crew be reminded of, but right now, all I can think about is how this is affecting the children who already are navigating so many emotions. If we're this shaken up, can you imagine how they feel?"

Alicia nodded. “I’m just glad Connor and N’Vea aren’t old enough to understand what’s going on, I’m am glad that the children here have you to talk to.” She offered a warm smile. “I talk to Savar, he’s always there to reassure me, but I still feel... lost! Our home is up there in tatters, even if the ship is repaired enough for us to go back a lot of our quarters are open to space, all those memories they contained are gone!”

Alicia's remarks sparked an idea. "Not gone per se," Tate replied, "just up here," she said, pointing to her head. "Maybe we can start by asking the children to tell us about the things they like about the ship and their quarters specifically. They can then draw them or write about them as a way to keep those things still with them. I don't want to rush the healing process by trying to get them to think about what they still have when they haven't processed who and what they've lost, but it occurs to me before they can feel comfortable discussing the trauma they've endured, they will need to feel some semblance of safety and familiarity first. If we can create spaces similar to what they have had, or as close to it as possible anyway, that might ease some of their distress. Our kids tend to be more imaginative than most, so perhaps with a bit of encouragement from us, they can be off and running." She shook her head. "Frankly, I don't know why it didn't occur to me sooner. Adults might not be as imaginative as kids, but keeping a routine here for the duration is going to be just as important."

Tate paused, realizing she had spoken a lot and hadn't given Alicia a chance to respond. Sullivan attributed it to the adrenaline. "Sorry, I'm a bit more in my head than usual. What do you think?"

Alicia smiled the biggest smile yet. “I think I’m lucky to have you as part of this department, and as a friend. That’s a brilliant idea! Feel free to set up an area where you can work with the children, I’m sure their parents will appreciate all the help they can get. There’s no knowing how long we’ll be here, so familiar sights will help a great deal."

Tate placed a hand on Alicia's shoulder and offered sincerely, "We are all lucky to have you. It hasn't been lost on me how much you thank and compliment others, never throwing your weight around or barking orders. Not yet running the department myself has been difficult for my ego at times, I'll admit, but you've never left me feeling less than, and I haven't taken enough time to thank you for that, so thank you, Alicia. I know I'm a work-a-holic who could be a bit looser and more social than I am, but please know I'm here for you and your family. Whatever you need, whether professional or personal, I'm here."

Alicia smiled and nodded. “Thank you Tate, I appreciate that more than you know. As for not running the department, consider yourself head of Paediatric Counselling, I know it’s not really a promotion as such but it’s something. I’ll make it more official in my log. None of us are noted for our speciality fields, it’s time that changed.”

Tate was genuinely beaming. She loved her work and to earn such recognition meant a lot to her. "Thank you. It's the perfect complement to my trauma specialty. With anyone but you, I know I'd sound crazy for celebrating being given more work," she added with a laugh. "Guess I better get to it."