Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 600 Bai Qinghua and Weng Pingting: A Familiar Flavor of Radicalism

This was accompanied by Li Lingling stroking the blanket.

The rough yet soft fabric conveyed the most authentic tactile sensation, while simultaneously evoking Li Lingling's memories.

This faint touch seemed to build a bridge, bringing back the "steadiness" in Li Lingling's hands that she used to have.

After a moment, Li Lingling nodded and said, "It seems... a little bit."

Nan Zhuren pressed further, "Is it that 'stable' feeling? Can you describe it?"

Li Lingling was silent for a while, organizing her thoughts.

After a long pause, she replied, "It's just... I don't really know, it's just a feeling that I can do it. Anyway... it's a completely different feeling from that 'cold' or 'heavy' feeling."

“But it does exist, doesn’t it?” Nam Joo-jen emphasized.

“…Yes.” Li Lingling nodded hesitantly, “It’s just that I might not feel it when it’s there. Only after I succeed will I know that feeling has appeared.”

What Nan Zhuren wanted was this kind of detailed description with full personal insight.

Nan Zhuren nodded, summarizing with Li Lingling's words: "So that feeling of 'stability' is just as real as the 'coldness' and 'heaviness' you mentioned earlier. It's just that they appear in different forms, right?"

This is the final, crucial step in this dialogue.

By integrating positive resources and negative experiences on an equal footing, we can help visitors understand the complexity of emotions and feelings.

This led Li Lingling to realize that the situation was neither "all good" nor "all bad".

Of course, most adults would understand this principle; but when emotions and distorted cognition surge up, they become completely irrational.

That's why external cognitive support from counselors is needed.

The room fell silent again for a long time.

Li Lingling's gaze was no longer completely empty; although she was still tired, it seemed to have gained some meaning.

She would sometimes look at her hands, and sometimes gaze out of the tent.

"...Yes, that's right."

Half a day later, she nodded, acknowledging this truth that all adults understand but is often deliberately ignored.

That's it for now.

Nan Zhuren said softly, "We can stop our conversation here for a bit. I just got here myself. I came here today because I saw your file, so I'm here to conduct a more formal assessment to see how you are doing."

Since this is not a formal consultation and there is no assistant to help, it is necessary to use more language to embellish the situation when the client becomes dependent on the consultation.

Especially when dealing with special cases like Li Lingling's.

Sure enough, a visible reluctance appeared on Li Lingling's face, and she even slightly propped herself up. But Nan Zhuren's reasons were indeed comprehensive, so after a moment of stiffness, Li Lingling slowly lay back down.

"As for how you feel..."

Nan Zhuren continued, “You don’t need to change anything about your feelings immediately, whether it’s the cold stone or the steady hand feel. They are all there in you, and you should let them stay. All you have to do is continue to allow yourself to rest and feel this support.”

This is a simple summary emphasizing "allowance" and "feeling supported." Assigning such a simple, stress-free task reinforces stability.

At the same time, assigning this "homework" task after saying goodbye can also alleviate some of Li Lingling's reluctance to part.

After speaking, Nan Zhuren slowly stood up.

I'll come see you again later.

Today's consultation was brief, it came suddenly and went quickly.

Li Lingling's gaze followed Nan Zhuren's movements. Although she didn't speak, her eyes were no longer completely isolated as before. There was now a faint trace of something called "connection" within them.

Nan Zhuren nodded slightly, turned and left, leaving her a quiet space to digest and rest.

……

With a creak, the door opened, and Nan Zhuren saw the staff member who had just brought him there still standing outside.

There was still a wisp of wind on the other person's clothes, as if they had hastily scurried away from their eavesdropping position after hearing Nan Zhuren's footsteps, and were now acting as if nothing had happened.

Nan Zhuren glanced at his expression.

There were no bad things, at least no bad things targeting Li Lingling.

I think I understand now.

Nan Zhuren inwardly approved of the staff's actions, while a gentle smile appeared on her face: "This is the end. Can you take me back to find my teachers? I don't have a work permit, so it's not convenient for me to wander around here."

The staff readily agreed, and without peering into Li Lingling's room again, turned and left with Nan Zhuren.

They walked straight back to the tent where the meeting had just taken place, and the meeting was still going on.

When Weng Pingting and the others saw Nan Zhuren, they also showed surprised expressions—because not much time had passed since he left.

This is not in line with Nan Zhuren's usual consulting style.

However, such questions could not be asked directly, and coincidentally, the conversation between Weng Pingting and the person in charge was coming to an end.

After finalizing their work schedule for the next few days, staff members took them to their accommodations to help them unpack.

The group rushed over to the meeting right after getting off the car.

It was at this moment that Weng Pingting finally asked Nan Zhuren, "Did your consultation end so quickly this time?"

Only after Nan Zhuren left did Weng Pingting look at the file he had obtained. Upon recognizing Li Lingling, they immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and understood why Nan Zhuren had acted so urgently.

Nan Zhuren looked around. There were no outsiders; they were in a closed room.

The people around me were from the same research group, and it was another similar case study exchange environment.

After thinking for a moment, Nan Zhuren said, "She has entered a state of acute stress disorder."

Acute stress disorder (ASD) is a severe psychological reaction that occurs shortly after experiencing or witnessing an extremely traumatic event. It is a series of functional disturbances and self-protective mechanisms that occur in the brain and mind after experiencing a huge, unbearable shock.

As an individual with childhood trauma, it's not difficult to understand why Li Lingling would develop acute stress disorder after experiencing the same scenario again. In this state, the individual enters a state of high alertness, which then quickly transforms into a state of exhaustion.

Because Li Lingling also has underlying borderline personality disorder, her acute stress response is more complex. Compared to typical alertness and exhaustion, she also experiences emotional detachment, making her appear exceptionally numb.

“She had been suffering in this state for a long time before I arrived. Therefore, the intervention could not be rushed. I only established a connection between her and reality before stopping.”

Nan Zhuren's psychological intervention was like medicine, but the body was too weak to handle it—and Li Lingling was clearly not just weak.

This is why Nan Zhuren decisively stopped the consultation after only gaining a little insight today.

Bai Qinghua and Weng Pingting exchanged knowing glances, pleased with Nan Zhuren's "know-when-to-stop" consulting decision.

Chonghui and Shi Qianqian nodded thoughtfully, as if they understood.

Then Weng Pingting asked, "What are your plans afterward? Will you transfer her to a rear area? It may take a long time to mitigate the impact of this disaster relief mission on her."

Weng Pingting's intention in asking this question was to hear Nan Zhuren's follow-up intervention plan. If it didn't work out, she or Bai Qinghua would take over.

Given Li Lingling's current condition, anyone else would likely conclude that "Nan Zhuren's previous efforts have all been in vain."

It's not even fair to say it was a "failure at the last minute," but rather "adding insult to injury."

Having experienced trauma and setbacks in the disaster area, Li Lingling's condition is bound to be even worse than before.

Faced with this situation, it's finally about time for the elders to step in and provide support.

Chonghui and Shi Qianqian also felt that this was perfectly reasonable.

But Nan Zhuren blinked upon hearing this, revealing a thoughtful expression.

……

Upon seeing Nan Zhuren's gaze, Weng Pingting's heart skipped a beat.

She knew that look in his eyes all too well.

Sure enough, Nan Zhuren thought for a moment and then said, "I have an idea..."

What I'm afraid of is you suddenly having an idea!

Weng Pingting shouted in her heart.

But now, for some reason, Weng Pingting has gotten used to it.

Bai Qinghua was used to it.

Weng Pingting took a deep breath: "What are your thoughts?"

After organizing his thoughts, Nan Zhuren said, "I think this is a very rare and crucial opportunity to intervene—this flood is not a good thing, and the trauma Li Lingling suffered here is not a good thing either."

“But now that I’m here, and Li Lingling is here too, then… this current environment can provide Li Lingling with an opportunity for deep healing.”

Bai Qinghua sighed upon hearing this: "Just like what you did in court before, right?"

An old professor is an old professor indeed. Although they had only known each other for a short time, Bai Qinghua seemed to adapt to Nan Zhuren's wildly imaginative ideas more than Weng Pingting.

Nan Zhuren nodded and said, "In the counseling room, no matter how much Li Lingling trusts me, or how much her defense mechanisms are suppressed, she still discusses her problems as a 'history' or a 'topic'—which is far from enough."

"I used 'hypnosis' during her consultation largely to enhance her sense of reality and experience..."

But no matter how realistic the experience is, it can't compare to a real "real environment".

When the familiar scent of floodwaters returns, Li Lingling will be forced to truly and wholeheartedly experience what has always lurked deep within her.

This is something that cannot be achieved no matter how much you try to simulate or hypnotize someone.

If Li Lingling can successfully comfort a frightened child here and now, the healing effect will far exceed imagining it a hundred times in the consultation room. The newly created, successful, and controlled experience can also better cover up old, failed, and helpless traumatic memories.

Nan Zhuren spoke very quickly: "By completing specific tasks in the disaster area and receiving positive feedback, Li Lingling can experience her own value in reality and challenge her negative beliefs such as 'I don't deserve it'."

“By gaining support and acceptance in teamwork, and experiencing being needed and retained as a member of the group, Li Lingling can challenge her identity as an ‘abandoned person’.”

"Especially by having her help other victims in the disaster area, she can transform her pain of 'why am I the only one who survived' into 'I survived to help more people,' thus reversing her survivor guilt."

The insights gained in these special circumstances are so powerful that Li Lingling could not obtain them in her daily work and life.

Objectively speaking, allowing Li Lingling to continue working here is indeed a rare opportunity for healing.

Of course, this also raises another issue—a very crucial one.

"Do you think Li Lingling is ready?" Bai Qinghua asked.

Nan Zhuren neither nodded nor shook his head.

“Based on our last consultation, she was fine; but after seeing her today, I’m not so sure about her current condition, so further evaluation is needed,” Nan Zhuren replied.

Seeing that Nan Zhuren hadn't gone too far and had maintained the basic rationality of a psychological counselor, the teacher and senior sister breathed a sigh of relief.

Then Nan Zhuren said, "I plan to do it step by step, like a systematic desensitization method, to see how Li Lingling is doing during the process. If her condition is not right, I will stop it immediately."

Bai Qinghua and Weng Pingting remained silent, gesturing for Nan Zhuren to continue.

So Nan Zhuren said, "In the first phase, I plan to submit a report to the person in charge outside and apply to temporarily transfer Li Lingling from the high-pressure frontline medical position to a relatively stable position, such as materials management or logistics coordination. The workload is lower, and she will be working with relatively emotionally stable volunteers and grassroots cadres."

"The core of this stage is to construct an external reality counterpart of a 'safe island'."

During hypnosis, Li Lingling was asked to recall her trauma and needed to construct a "safe haven"; therefore, in the disaster area environment, Li Lingling naturally needed a safer place.

Continuing to expose her to high-stimulation conditions is tantamount to prolonged trauma exposure without adequate support.

Materials management provides a safe space with low emotional involvement, high structure, and a sense of order. By completing concrete and controllable tasks such as inventorying, sorting, and registering, she can regain a sense of control over herself and her environment, which is key to combating traumatic helplessness.

At the same time, a regular daily work rhythm has a stabilizing and grounding effect, helping Li Lingling's nervous system gradually calm down from a highly alert mode.

Nan Zhuren said, “During this process, I will also have short talks with her regularly. The focus is not on discussing the trauma, but on affirming every small achievement she makes in her new position, strengthening her sense of competence, and gradually restoring her self-efficacy.”

(End of this chapter)