A surprise encounter with a client on the road

Posted by Mike Mein on September 02, 2014

My first encounter with a client outside of therapy was a scenario that had played out in my mind many different ways, most seemed to be characterized by feelings of awkwardness and discomfort. I had heard of a lot of strange stories of counselors and field instructors running into their clients and I was not looking forward to it. As a counselor, the ethics state that if I come in contact with a client outside of therapy I cannot smile, wave, or do anything that would indicate a connection to that individual. The initiation of contact or acknowledgement of familiarity has to come from the client. If a conversation were to take place it is also my responsibility to avoid any language that would reveal the nature of our relationship and protect client confidentiality. In other words, it’s a tricky situation that could play out a million different ways and there are a lot of aspects that are out of my control. I think my uneasiness and fear related to the situation is understandable. Luckily, my first experience was a positive one.

On a road trip with my best friend traveling, surfing, and camping up and down the east coast, we decided to stray from the coastal scenery of beaches and flatlands and head inward to the mountains. I was walking into a bustling restaurant/bar in Asheville, NC when I heard the name “Chief’” shouted above the regular rumble of casual conversations and restaurant floor activity – a name I hadn’t been called for years since I left Second Nature (I worked 5 years as a field instructor). I turned around and was practically lifted off my feet by the exciting embrace of an old familiar face; a former client of mine who claimed he spotted my funny tattoos from a mile away. The conversation that followed was a special one. He was in Ashville working as a field instructor at a local wilderness therapy program. Inspired by his experience as a client at Second Nature Entrada, he decided to pass along the stories, teachings, and lessons that impacted his life, onto others. He thanked me for helping him change his life and we both walked away teary eyed and smiling. It was a heartfelt moment I will not likely forget.

Mike Mein is a primary therapist at Second Nature Entrada.