Rehabilitation for burn survivors in Taiwan

As Sunshine Foundation celebrates its 35^th anniversary in 2017, we look at the professionals who help burn survivors move forward on the road towards rehabilitation and recovery.

“The troughs of life are an ordeal that can shape us. My hope is that I can accompany burn survivors through this difficult period in their life.”
                                                         -          Maggie, Counseling Psychologist

Maggie has been working at Sunshine Foundation as a Counseling Psychologist for over ten years: “I love working with people. Hearing burn survivors tell their stories allows me to see the diversity in this world.” Of course, the role of a psychologist is not just about listening to people’s stories, it’s also about helping them find ways to achieve self- growth and change. “I won’t presuppose anything before a consultation. Instead, I will listen attentively to what kind of life experience burn survivors bring to the table and then take it from there.” Maggie starts from the perspective of the burn survivor and uses empathy to accompany him or her throughout the healing process, all while setting goals for self-growth.

As part of her work, Maggie must often support burn survivors through their mood swings during the course of physical rehabilitation. And even though she is the one providing counseling, burn survivors often take care of her. Once when she had a cold, one of her clients reminded her to take good care of herself. This relationship where they mutually show concern for one another is a source of joy and gives Maggie the strength to continue devoting her efforts to helping burn survivors rediscover their inner strength and capabilities.

Maggie points out that with psychological counseling, you cannot rush things, you need to take it one step at a time and slowly let burn survivors walk out of the troughs of life. But once they are able to do it, their growth is an immense source of happiness and pride.

Thanks to Counseling Psychologists like Maggie, Sunshine Foundation is able to help burn survivors progressively regain the ability to face the world with confidence.