The ‘Feel Good’ Board- WDYS

Kyle Glenn- Unsplash

This was her fourth shrink. Or companion, as the lady liked to be called. Yeah right! Some came to the psychiatrists to deterge their soul, some to seek guidance to recover from trauma, some to make sense of their thoughts. Her first had been judgemental; the second one too professional, coming off as cold and brusque. By the third ‘doctor’, she had realised that she didn’t need one.

Ayona had developed her own coping mechanisms. Drinking when the memories threatened to overwhelm her, punching her denigrators and kicking her way out of troubles. The only issue was that these coping mechanisms had to bow down before the law.

Dr. Mahena seemed kind and forthright, but this was just their second session. She would withhold judgement until the third.

“Ayona, why is it necessary to reach that knife in your dreams?” Dr. Mahena repeated her question softly. She never forced her clients to answer, just placed questions and facts before them, letting them answers and reach to conclusions on their own. Her motto: a smidgen of empathy and soupcon of patience.

“It’s a nice office you’ve got here,” Ayona commented, getting up from her couch. It was designed to show natural light and open spaces yet convey a sense of structure and formality.

“What’s that?” She pointed to a wall mounted board behind the couch, stuck with colourful notes. “That’s the ‘Feel Good’ board. My fellow companions write their positive feelings, their hopes and motivations… or even a good thought.”

“It’s all love notes…” “Well, it is a strong and popular positive emotion. But not all of them are about love,” the doctor chuckled, tapping a note with the word ‘Inspire’.

“Maybe I’ll write something someday if I make it through our sessions,” Ayona shrugged, moving away from the board. “Surviving can’t be your only goal,” came a mild reply as the doctor resumed her seat. “You endured them, no matter how difficult it got towards the end. But now, perhaps it’s time for some healing. Maybe it’s time to start living again.”

---

Written for Sadje’s What Do You See #43. Does this picture inspire you to write something? Write an original story, poem or a caption.

Other prompts: #FOWC– Design; #RDP– Surviving; The Daily Spur– Kind; 3TC– Drink, Punch & Kick; #YDWP– Deterge; Word of the Day– Soupcon

© 2020, Cozy Quiet Corner.