A telehealth patient thanks the Tampa team for making her feel at home
09/20/21 02:25:pm
Rebecca, a former patient at Rogers’ Tampa clinic, had been in outpatient therapy for her eating disorder for a long time before she turned to Rogers for more intensive help.
“I came into Rogers with no hope for the future,” Rebecca says. “I spent all day in bed, and when night came, I prayed tomorrow wouldn’t come.”
“When Rebecca arrived, she had resigned herself to believing that nothing was going to change and she was never going to get better,” says Lucas Strunk, who worked with Rebecca as a behavioral specialist and is now a therapist. “She had intense hopelessness.”
While Rebecca was receiving virtual treatment through Rogers Connect Care, Lucas says he put an extra emphasis on giving her the full Rogers experience.
“Rebecca wasn’t in the clinic, so I couldn’t go down the hall and meet with her face-to-face,” he explains. “It can be challenging to build rapport, so I did frequent check-ins during the day.”
Lucas also found an interesting way to make a personal connection.
“I noticed a drawing in her background from The Nightmare Before Christmas and I asked her about it,” says Lucas. “We talked about how we both liked the movie, and from that moment on, Rebecca went from being very reserved to opening up more.”
Throughout her experience at Rogers, Rebecca says she felt “at home.”
“The staff here is incredible,” she says. “They all truly listen and care while still pushing you to overcome your struggles and be your best.”
According to Rebecca, the compassionate care combined with the individualized treatment plan were key to her success.
“We were able to directly target my anxiety, depression, OCD, and trauma,” she says. “My behavioral specialist did such a great job balancing everything that needed to be attacked in a way that was most beneficial, and I couldn’t have had a better outcome.”
“I feel honored to have spent the time with Rebecca because she had a lot going on in her life,” says Lucas. “It took a leap of faith for her to trust another human being and accept help figuring things out. The approach I take with my patients is to be consistent and firm. My goal is to get them to the point where they feel confident managing their symptoms and they don’t need me anymore.”
Rebecca says with the help of Lucas and the rest of the team, she has found her spark again.
“I am motivated and excited for life like never before,” she says. “I have so many goals and values and new directions to follow. I am truly happy and hopeful, and I am confident in my ability to keep going and live a fulfilling life. My treatment team saved my life, and I can’t thank you all enough. For the rest of my life, I’ll think about my time at Rogers and how grateful I am for the people who believed in me, even when I didn’t always believe in myself.”
Lucas says helping people overcome their mental health challenges is very fulfilling.
“If I’m able to change just one person’s life, I’ve done my job,” he says.
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