Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Hand (for Rich)


It*s amazing to me how certain things come back.  Yesterday I found myself sitting with a client and holding up my hand to demonstrate how to give sandwich feedback, a la Rich Butman, my psychopathology professor at Wheaton (thank you, Rich!).  It*s been almost two years now since I took that class.  I will always remember The Hand.  Now I use it myself.

Yesterday I held up my hand
Fingers spread
Demonstrated to a client
How to give feedback
That might conceivably be heard.
I showed how to sandwich the edges of concern
With the strength that surrounds them.
I held up my hand.
The client
Sometimes easily distracted
Commented on my strong life line:
The lines on your hand
Look like a tree.

Yesterday I held up my right hand
With the tree on the palm.
I showed the thumb, middle finger and pinkie
As strength,
The pointer and ring finger
In need of help,
But still held up on all sides
With strength.

Yesterday I demonstrated
The Hand
The metaphor which is most always
Available.

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