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Robbyn's Story
My Situation (before coaching)
I am an experienced doctor working in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department of a major hospital. It can be stressful but I enjoy it!
Ten years ago, as a trainee General Practitioner (GP), I had a very traumatic experience when a patient died whilst I was the duty doctor. I was not able to discuss what happened with my trainer or to resolve my concerns at the time. As a result, this incident cast a shadow over my life for the next ten years and precipitated periods of depression. I considered various alternatives like counselling as I knew I needed to find a way to deal with this experience. I had been unable either to do this on my own or to find the right person to help me.
The Challenges I Faced (at that time)
I knew that this experience was a stumbling block that was causing recurrent problems. I needed to work through it and be able to move on again.
The biggest challenge for me was to face the emotions of an event where I felt I had failed. I wanted to face up to it but it made me feel very vulnerable and scared. I feel the problem would have become more deeply engrained, if I had not had Francis to help me.
Why or How Did You Think Coaching Would Help You?
I considered various alternatives like counselling as I knew I needed to find a way to deal with this experience. I had been unable either to do this on my own or to find the right person to help me. I was stuck. I knew I needed to ‘unpack’ this event but I did not know how to.
When I asked Francis to coach me, I felt I was moving forward and beginning a process of resolution.
What Actually Happened and How Did This Help?
Facing my emotions about this event was difficult as they were still very much ‘live’. As the coaching continued I began to feel more confident and changed the way I thought and talked about this event. I also recognised themes or similar patterns of behaviour that I was repeating in different situations.
I realised that I needed to find a way to look at this event from a neutral perspective. Francis and I developed the idea of retelling my story as a play. In this way, I was able to be more detached about the people involved and arrive at a balanced view of the various roles and responsibilities.
What Were the Results? (for you and for your organisation)
Looking back, I realised that I had behaved professionally but that I was not adequately supported at the time. Then, I felt the pain and cried the tears that I had not done when it happened. I was able to forgive myself and others that I felt had let me down. There was a real sense of release from my negative emotions at this point. After this, I was able to talk about the incident without crying again.
The biggest result is that I now feel genuinely confident and happy. Francis has enabled me to move forward.
How Are You Taking This Forward?
I am aware of situations that may be difficult for me and I have developed a five point plan for dealing with these. And, if it does go wrong, I now know I can deal with that too.
What Was Francis Like to Work With?
I felt comfortable and safe talking to Francis. He was professional and persistent and yet was also very patient and understanding. I would happily recommend Francis to others.
What Happened Next?
Copyright 2006 Francis Christie ©
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