My rule is firm: when you see a client on the street, follow their lead. Disclosing that they know you and vice versa is at their discretion. If they say hello, mimic that. If they nod, quietly mimic that. With that rule, I found myself at my farmer’s market reaching for the discounted spinach, when a hand reached over my shoulder. I turned to see a young lady, from one of my old groups. She didn’t acknowledge me and I grabbed what I needed and started to walk off when I heard her say, “Hey doc, you could always turn nothing into something.” I glanced into my basket, eyed the bargain bin items, and envisioned comfort food. Bon Appétit.
- 1 cup of lentils
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots, peeled
- Small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lid full Herb’n Farm Herb and Jerk
- 1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, with juices
- 6 c. broth
- 4 c. baby spinach
- Half of bunch of basil
- pinch of a Scotch bonnet pepper
- 6 slabs of bacon
- salt & pepper
Preparation: Fry the bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, four to five minutes. In a food processor pulse onion, garlic, carrots, scotch bonnet red, and basil. Add to Dutch oven with oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about five minutes. Add the diced tomatoes (with their juices), chicken broth, lentils, Herb’n Farm Herb and Jerk, basil leaves, salt, and pepper , and bring to a boil. Cover partially, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the lentils are tender, 45-50 minutes. Fish out bay leaves and discard. Add spinach and let wilt for two to three minutes.
Real Life of an MSW 
hey doc – I love when we turn nada into something = ha – awesome – and I also love marked down spinach – yeah babay – cool that up and get going –
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I have to say her compliment made my day. It also shows she paid attention through all my food lectures and learned that eating healthy does not have to be expensive. 🙂
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ahhh – how cool that you make food connections (not to sound trite – but in my experience not all professionals see that connection to wellness)
but I think the way they also felt able to drop that comment your way shows a rapport that was developed – intimate and yet still professional – and it made me smile to read
(but if I did not see the sticker for myself I might have really found the spinach for .79 cents hard to believe – just kidding)
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Virginia Woolf, said it best “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – I also felt a rapport was built between the client and I. This interaction reinforced for me I am doing a great job as one of cornerstones of good therapist is listening and providing clients with life long tools and wellness is a tool we should all have…
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I once sat in the next underground carriage to a client. I hadn’t seen him. Later, he asked if I’d got in the other carriage on purpose
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Clients are interesting 🙂 . I always do my best to share my rules with them up front so that we don’t have miscommunication later, but somehow the miscommunications still happen 😉
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🙂
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