540-373-2320 | info@fcsagency.org
| 305 Hanson Avenue, Suite 140, Fredericksburg, Virginia
22401
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A Client's Story
Fredericksburg
Counseling
Services, Incorporated Mental
Health
Support helped an Individual
reach her goal:
To
graduate
with her PhD
and to have a math paper published
in
a math
journal
About 14 months ago a middle age woman, Mary (not her real name) began counseling. Mary came in because of depression, very low self esteem, presented as a high functioning autistic (Asperger’s syndrome), poor hygiene, an inability to be in crowds.
On the days of Mary’s appointments, if there were two or three people in the waiting room, she would let us know she was here and sit outside our office on a bench. She was very uncomfortable in even that small of a crowd. As is normal for autistic persons, her general hygiene was poor. Mary knew she had body odor and would apologize for it, but not shower before her appointments. Her appearance was a bit sloppy and her hair looked uncombed. The way Mary talked and appeared she was very depressed.
I recall front desk volunteers comment that Mary made them feel badly, because she was so depressed and looked like she had nothing happy in her life. Your heart could not help but go out to her.
Happily, over time, Mary began to improve. Linda, her counselor, would give Mary homework intended to help Mary start making behavioral changes in her life. But they were taking baby steps. Linda also learned that Mary was in graduate school completing her PhD in Math. Often, high functioning autistic individuals excel in a field such as math.
Often persons with autism need a great deal of prompting to do every day chores. Daily charts, with the tasks for the day and times when they need to be done, are developed and the person posts this on the refrigerator. High functioning autistic people need a much-regulated life, which is why math can be a educational track. With the help of counseling, Mary’s self-esteem gradually grew, as did her taking care of herself. The depression was gradually lifting through hard self-work and self-reflection.
The happiest part of this story is that Mary is completing her doctorate and has recently learned that a paper she wrote has been accepted for publication in a Professional Math Journal! She is very happy about this. At her last appointment, Linda learned that Mary is going to be an adjunct math professor at a university in Northern Virginia.
Mary is now doing great and is conquering the world one day at a time. She is still working on being in groups. However, that goal will happen in time, too.
About 14 months ago a middle age woman, Mary (not her real name) began counseling. Mary came in because of depression, very low self esteem, presented as a high functioning autistic (Asperger’s syndrome), poor hygiene, an inability to be in crowds.
On the days of Mary’s appointments, if there were two or three people in the waiting room, she would let us know she was here and sit outside our office on a bench. She was very uncomfortable in even that small of a crowd. As is normal for autistic persons, her general hygiene was poor. Mary knew she had body odor and would apologize for it, but not shower before her appointments. Her appearance was a bit sloppy and her hair looked uncombed. The way Mary talked and appeared she was very depressed.
I recall front desk volunteers comment that Mary made them feel badly, because she was so depressed and looked like she had nothing happy in her life. Your heart could not help but go out to her.
Happily, over time, Mary began to improve. Linda, her counselor, would give Mary homework intended to help Mary start making behavioral changes in her life. But they were taking baby steps. Linda also learned that Mary was in graduate school completing her PhD in Math. Often, high functioning autistic individuals excel in a field such as math.
Often persons with autism need a great deal of prompting to do every day chores. Daily charts, with the tasks for the day and times when they need to be done, are developed and the person posts this on the refrigerator. High functioning autistic people need a much-regulated life, which is why math can be a educational track. With the help of counseling, Mary’s self-esteem gradually grew, as did her taking care of herself. The depression was gradually lifting through hard self-work and self-reflection.
The happiest part of this story is that Mary is completing her doctorate and has recently learned that a paper she wrote has been accepted for publication in a Professional Math Journal! She is very happy about this. At her last appointment, Linda learned that Mary is going to be an adjunct math professor at a university in Northern Virginia.
Mary is now doing great and is conquering the world one day at a time. She is still working on being in groups. However, that goal will happen in time, too.