Her child wasn’t disturbed, nor was he aggressive or sensory ( lacking social boundaries). J was bright. Really bright. Sometimes higher iq’s come with some behavior issues. He was getting bored in class and needed more stimulation. Period. When this eval took place, J was 2.

Mom took him out and put him in a different environment with a loving teacher. The teacher took the reports, took one look at J- and dumped the reports in the garbage.

If you looked at past recommendations of J’s teachers. They said he was disturbed, aggressive, sensory and knew no boundaries. The mom took this with a grain of salt. Then she took him for his own independent evaluation to find out further information in terms of school placement.

“Let’s give him a chance to adjust.”

2 years later, J is thriving, aware of social boundaries and has little behavior issues. Mom has relaxed and has learned to be focused and set limits. The teacher stated that she never judged anyone who walked into her classroom. She gives everyone a chance. Through that lens- the power of believing in the strengths of the children, the teacher has done some phenomenal work.

Whew. What can be learned?

The power of belief can transform anyone. This can be applied to anyone who walks in the office door.  When our clients walk in the door, we have to believe in them. Maybe we’re the only ones that do believe in them. It’s a powerful message that always comes through.

So, what about the clients that seem hopeless? The ones we feel we made little progress with? There was little one could do for M. A holocaust survivor with severe Alzheimers. I used to simply stroke her arm and use reflective listening as she cried about the Nazis coming to get her for stealing a piece of bread. Her living room was the prison where she was taken to. When she was hospitalized for the last time, and I knew she was dying, it was hard. However, I also felt no one could take away the few seconds of piece she must have felt while I saw her.

Our beliefs in clients may be the only belief they have. Our belief in our own abilities is important as well. Noone can take away the time ( even one session) and the belief we have in our clients. And, if the client doesn’t come back- that belief may encourage the client to pursue treatment again.

Powerful stuff. Our belief in ourselves, and our clients can transform lives.