I don’t have a very active social life like some of my friends
do, and as many of my friends know I am a very good listener. That how it all
started actually, some of my married friends like to think I am their private
marriage counsellor, somehow I did help a few friends with relationship
problems but by using communications skills that I learn from college and
method pick up when I was a peer counsellor at school.
From a few of that success methodology, friends refer me to their
friends and success in that session then
they would refer me to other whom well
to their knowledge in need of help in relationship matters. Does not matter that I am not married and I am
not really a qualified therapist or counsellors in any way. I only have a 3
credit hour course in psychology in my communication course.
Recent event got me to questions myself about what am I doing
for these people. Hence an extraordinary turn of event that I got me introduced
to a doctor. In which I refer one of my so called client to because of some
underlying problem that are not manageable via communication method.
So the doctor asks me to meet him at the hospital where he
is practicing. And because well I got nothing to do that weekend I went to see
him. The first question he ask me was, “
Are you a counsellor?” I answered that my studies are in communication, the
little counselling and psychology training that I have. “Basically friends who
have a friend, whom he or she thinks need to talk about their relationship
would refer them to me, and we will talk and see if we can find the source of
the problem and then they handle it.” I continue.
The doctor continues “do you charge any fee?”
I answered “not really, I am not running a business here, I just talk to them,
plus I am not a certified to actually charge a fee to anyone, I am just helping,
but they do buy the coffee when we are chatting though” I reply
“ I see, because I never had anyone refer to me by a non
medical individual before, but you concern on the problem in letter you wrote
was spot on it seem” he sip his coffee and look at me. “Well my friend ( so
called client) was having some relationship problem, but all my communication
method does not seem to work, plus they were a sweet couple, so I did some reading of any underlying
symptom and he presented with some which I then refer to you.”
The doctor put down his coffee and “why don’t you get
certified?” I answered “ well I am still
studying now, completing my degree in communication, to get certified I need to
enrolled into a psychology study which will cost me like Rm20K to complete” The doctor continue “ so you can’t charge the
people who come to you because you are not certified, but you can’t get
certified because it cost too much, well that seem to be a paradox” I giggled
and continue “my goals is to help, not to do business, issue which is out of my
league I refer to professional like you,”
“It would better if you were certified” say the doctor “why
is that?” I ask. “well because I wanted to refer a few people to you, and if you
were certified then I would just tell them I am referring them to a certified counsellor”
I reply “ erm… well I don’t think that a
good idea doctor, I mean my method are solving communication problem, other
issue I refer to other professionals” “well the people I got in mind are those whom I
think have communication problem but they think it’s medical in nature” my answer was just a nod to the doctor.
“well then I got your number, you got mine, I be sending
people to you, which I think is in your skills set to help and I be calling you
a Pro Bono Consultant then ok” I smiled “
that got a nice ring to it doctor, thank you for helping my friend the other
day and I hope I could consult on you if I run into problem medical in nature?”
“Sure Joven, just give me a ring” the doctor get up, shake my hand and was on
his way.
Just like that, until I can get myself certified, I be “The
Pro Bono Consultant” .. plus a ninja always a ninja~~~ WUUUU~~~~~
The Huggable Ben
