K, aged 42, faced a pivotal moment when she suffered a stroke, holding a prominent position in a major finance company at the time. Despite the relatively minor residual effects of the stroke, the critical nature of her work, which heavily relied on language skills, posed a substantial threat. Even minor challenges could escalate into significant obstacles, jeopardising her job and demanding quick recovery.
In a bid to return to work, K was granted a one-year trial period by her understanding employers, albeit without pay. Limited financial resources compelled us to expedite our therapeutic approach. Leveraging K’s intelligence and her insightful understanding of her language processing needs became a crucial strategy, tapping into her innate capabilities.
Facilitating the client’s comprehension of their needs is essential for meaningful progress. K’s perceptive insights allowed her to embrace the therapy’s goals actively. She not only identified her processing glitches but also engaged in developing and practising strategies between sessions.
Time played a pivotal role, considering the necessity for both physical and emotional recovery after a stroke or trauma. While therapeutic influence on the pace of recovery is limited, urgency in K’s situation demanded a creative approach. We aimed to carve out time, alleviating pressure and stress, allowing the healing process to unfold seamlessly within the demanding financial environment.
K’s natural communicative and thinking style was swift, requiring a concerted effort to slow down. This adjustment granted K the necessary space for processing, thinking, and communicating successfully, all while supporting the ongoing background healing process.
After a year of intensive therapy, K successfully returned to work as a paid part-time employee. In a heartfelt message a year later, she expressed gratitude, stating, “I am getting there slowly—thank you so much.”