…Paid Relationships

Juicy title, no? I suspect there’ll be some ruffled feathers. I only ask that you consider the perspective.

Talking about pills and prisons brings up ideas of pain, misery, unsavory situations, and perhaps tawdry relationships. Not where I’m headed. I’m headed towards prevention and reduction of pills and prison. And building a case for a far more serious look at education and learning, as you can imagine. All the while taking better care of the people with whom we have paid relationships who help us heal.

We need clinicians, therapists, and counselors. We need many more than we have. Than we’ll ever have. They are the ones--along with faith leaders--are charged with helping us heal from events in our lives more likely to end us up on pills or in prison. Traumatic events can do that. They DO do that.

The problem is, that even if we have the cash, the coverage, and the chance, there’ll never be enough of these skilled helpers to help us all. Charged with the work of helping us put right the brokenness, damage, and injury done by traumatic events.

The numbers don’t lie. One of the ways we can help clinicians expand their capacity is through responsible personal and professional growth. We can do that through the addition of learning, which doesn’t require a diagnosis, and which can help reduce the time, trauma, and costs of healing for all. Ask me how.