From mental support to developmental pedagogy, all are part of the charitable work at the Light House.
Gratitude to You 3.
The Healer of Souls
The Light House Mother's Home not only provides refuge for families who turn to us and find solace here but also offers professional support to address the difficulties of everyday life, whether it's a mother's or a child's problem. From mental support to developmental pedagogy, and the voluntary work of a loving grandmother, all are part of their charitable work at the Light House.
Since the Covid pandemic, perhaps this year has been the toughest for us. It can be said that we are constantly working at full capacity, which is good in a way because the more families we can help, the better, but we would sincerely be glad if there were no families in distress. There is no shortage of professional challenges here, as family caregivers and professional caregivers strive to provide as much assistance as possible to each resident and ensure peace of mind. Our weekdays are supported by a few dedicated volunteer professionals whom we would like to introduce, expressing our gratitude in this way. When they come, they tirelessly do their job, bringing smiles to everyone's faces. We asked them to write a brief introduction about themselves so that we can truly get to know who they are, how they came to the Light House, and what prompted them to help us. In our third article, you can read the introduction of Judit Gréci, a mental health worker. "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life," says Confucius. Helping those in need - whether people or animals - has been a mission of mine since my adolescence. After graduating from nursing school, I worked as a hospital nurse, feeling compelled to contribute to the prevention of diseases and other problems. Therefore, I obtained qualifications as a public health nurse and a health promotion and mental health hygiene specialist. In addition to maternal and child protection, I have worked in various other areas of the healthcare system and in several types of social services. Seven years ago, I "anchored" myself in helping the homeless, deeply touched by the comprehensive assistance needed for reintegration or, at least, to enable clients to live their lives with better quality within the accommodation facility's opportunities. At the age of almost 45, I went back to school - even though the desks were only metaphorically present during most of the training due to the ongoing world pandemic. I continued my studies in a master's program in complex rehabilitation. Unfortunately, along with achieving my goal on the day of the final exam, a negative change occurred in our lives: my partner was diagnosed with advanced-stage malignant cancer. Naturally, my attention turned towards coping with the illness for a relatively long period of time, and my positive attitude, which believes that science, love, and faith almost always help, "rubbed off" on Sanyi too. This happened in January 2022.
By early autumn, significant improvement was already noticeable, and I once again felt a slight sense of lack for moving away from maternal and child protection. I gladly accepted the opportunity to join the team at the Light House Transitional Family Home as a mental health worker under a contract of assignment. The beautiful environment, the loving reception, and the abundance of tools necessary for work set the mood that makes it (also) great to work here. And what role can a mental health professional play in a specialized mother-child home where intensive family care and spiritual care are also provided? Beyond facilitating professional social work and turning to religion as a resource, these much-suffered women and their children need a different type of supportive relationship where unconditional acceptance is the basis of assistance, and there is hardly any accountability. Direct counseling plays a smaller part in our joint work; mostly, we mobilize the resources of those we help, with which they can heal themselves from trauma. The methods are diverse, including problem exploration, supportive conversations based on Rogerian principles, and active listening, as well as skill development, education, play, imagination, and especially storytelling in the case of children. It is important to take competency boundaries seriously, recognize situations such as post-traumatic stress disorder or developmental delay in young children's emotional-social development, where professional help (psychologist, psychiatric care provider, educational support service, general practitioner/pediatrician) needs to be initiated. At the Light House, we collaborate well with family caregivers, spiritual caregivers, and professional caregivers, as well as volunteer educators, which helps residents achieve a higher level of self-awareness, a more positive self-image, greater self-confidence, better parenting skills, and physical-mental well-being, ideally moving them to higher-quality housing. It is essential to recognize the signs that are not part of a harmonious relationship and, if detected, what needs to be done.
Source: The Salvation Army | Light House TFO | Judit Gréci and Ildikó Papp
Date: December 15, 2023
Image source: The Salvation Army | Light House TFO | Communication Department
