Case Studies

	Women sitting inside the Family Counselling Centre

All That Ends Well Is Well

While on a round of Orthopaedic Ward of RBM District Hospital, Bharatpur, the female worker with the Family Counselling Centre met a woman whose child had to be operated. The woman was profusely weeping. The worker approached the woman and consoled her that there was nothing to worry about the operation. On this the woman questioned the counsellor for how many matters you will console as my life was ruined. On this her husband scolded her and told the work to look into her business as it was our matter. At that time the worker came to her room and when woman’s husband went out, she again approached the woman to tell her if you get time you come to her room for a talk.

Next evening the woman victim approached the counsellor. She said she had done love marriage and her husband was a distant relative. Before marriage his behaviour was good and loved her too much. She said she adjusted a lot. As her husband was serving in the Army, he used to keep away from the home. Gradually, his behaviour started changing. Whenever, she used to go to her parents’ home, he beat him too much. Gradually her health deteriorated. One day he brought her to the hospital and got her tested for HIV. On reaching home, she found that bone of her child fractured. When she brought the child to the hospital, her husband told her that she was suffering from AIDS. But as she had done nothing wrong, she approached ICTC, but found that she did not have AIDS. Behaviour of husband pained her further. The worker consoled her that the centre would do something for her.

The next day, male counsellor met the husband in the Orthopaedic Ward. He brought him to the centre and inquired into the reasons of the state of his wife. The counsellor guessed it seemed there was some problem in your family and requested him to tell his problem so a solution could be searched. The husband said his wife was in the habit of spending too much and spent all the money he gave him, without any accountability. He complained when he asked for food he got curt reply to take it where he had taken liquor. The counsellor consoled him and suggested to take care of the child first and solution to his problem would be found.

Three days later when the child was being taken care of by his grandmother, the counsellors summoned both husband and wife to the centre together. When confronted, they levelled charges and counter-charges. The woman was really more upset. They were given oath of their children and families, counselled and both went away a little cooler. The counsellor told them they wanted their home saved and for this they were ready to extend all the possible help.

Five days later, the husband came to the centre alone and opened up. The counsellors suggested him to come with his wife for solution of his problems. A fortnight later both husband and wife came to the centre together. First the counsellors talked to the victim (woman) alone and suggested her that she alone was not tense, but your husband was also tense. They prevailed upon her that she owed a lot towards the family and husband and she must make effort to save the family from disintegrating. While this was going on, her husband came in and said I am a sane person, you make her understand and there will be no complaint from my side. On this the victim had a laugh and said this was her husband’s quality to be very simple before others.

The laugh changed the atmosphere at the centre. Both husband and wife eased a lot. After long counselling, they were all kudos for the centre as it saved their home from disintegrating. The promised to take care of suggestions and will visit the centre again if any further problem cropped up.