They, who work on the front line, have always been fast-paced, with long hours. Near them is the darkest part of human nature, so mental health is particularly important.

Over the years, there have been many police officers with psychological problems. People are no longer as taboo about seeking help. Many people now see visiting a psychologist as a way to relieve stress and have become accustomed to it.

As they entered the clinic, Lu Junchi checked the time and realized they were ten minutes early.

The nurse, Jin Qiu, was already familiar with them and led them inside. “By the way, Professor Su, Dr. Yang is not available today due to some family matters. Your appointment has been assigned to Dr. An. Did you receive the message?”

Su Hui was slightly surprised when he heard the news and checked his phone. He had not received a notification. “I may have missed the message, but it’s okay. Other doctors can help too.”Jin Qiu smiled and said, “Don’t worry. Dr. An is Dr. Yang’s apprentice and was specifically recruited from the psychology department at the affiliated hospital. He is an excellent doctor, and many patients have been actively making appointments with him recently. Also, don’t worry. Dr. Yang has made all the arrangements. You are no longer in the intensive treatment phase, only in the later stage, and your file and situation have been explained to Dr. An.”

Lu Junchi was led into a therapy room with soothing music playing inside. The nurse said, “Professor Su, please wait here for a moment. Dr. An will be here soon.”

Su Hui nodded and put his scepter next to the hourglass, then sat in the therapy chair.

The chair in the therapy room allowed one to stretch out their legs and half-lie on it, making it very comfortable.

Su Hui looked up and saw some starry patterns on the ceiling, which were designed to uplift the mood of patients and help them calm down.

After escorting Su Hui in, Lu Junchi sat in the waiting area outside.

The conversation during the psychological therapy process is confidential, and family and friends are not allowed inside.

The clinic had a high ceiling and the waiting area was comfortable and cozy, with several soft sofa chairs with colorful cushions that made people feel happy.

Lu Junchi brought a laptop and had just opened it when a tall, thin man in a white coat walked in from outside.

The young nurse at the front desk stood up and called out to him, “Dr. An.”

The man walked over and tapped his fingerprint on the clock-in machine. Then he turned around, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, looking composed and gentle, refined and cultured.

Lu Junchi had not seen this person before, but he knew that this Dr. An was the doctor who was about to see Su Hui for treatment. He raised his head and looked at him for a moment.

The man in front of him was about thirty years old, well-maintained, making him look very young, but he also had a kind of aura, a temperament that could only be settled after experiencing things and leaving imprints on his body.

Dr. An looked at Lu Junchi and smiled as he asked the nurse at the front desk, “Is this the scheduled patient?”

Lu Junchi quickly replied, “No, I’m here to accompany a friend.”

“This is Captain Lu of the General Bureau’s Major Crimes Unit,” the nurse quickly introduced, “The scheduled patient is Professor Su, who arrived a while ago and is already waiting inside for you.”

Dr. An nodded apologetically at Lu Junchi and then said to the nurse, “Okay, I’ll go in first.”

Lu Junchi watched as Dr. An went inside, then casually chatted with Jin Qiu, “What’s the name of that Dr. An?”

“An Yuci,” the nurse pointed to his name on the form, “He’s Dr. Yang’s apprentice. We’re a bit freer here than the First Affiliated Hospital, so he has time to do some academic research, that’s why he came over.”

She sighed, “It’s too hard to become a psychological counselor now. You need to graduate from a professional institute, have several thousand hours of case experience, and attend various supervisions and training sessions. Dr. Yang has been worried about recruitment, but fortunately Dr. An was willing to come and help her.”

Jin Qiu blinked, her eyes shining, “By the way, Dr. An is very handsome, right? Many patients here like to see him for counseling. He’s a particularly enthusiastic, warm, kind, and considerate person. If anyone becomes his girlfriend, they’ll probably be very happy.”

Lu Junchi made a sound of agreement. From their brief encounter just now, Dr. An had left a good impression on him with his polite manner.In the autumn, Jin lowered herself and joked, “But he’s still a little bit less handsome than Captain Lu.”

Lu Junchi didn’t know how to respond to this reply for a moment.

“It’s also a bit less than Professor Su,” Jin Qiu proactively changed the topic. She was simply infatuated with handsome guys. “You came with Professor Su today. I feel much more relieved. He used to come by himself and didn’t seem to have any friends or relatives. His eyesight is poor, and his health is not very good. Every time I see him, I’m quite worried. But how should I describe him? Oh, right, cold as ice. I’m always afraid to talk to him too much.”

“En, sometimes he doesn’t look around because he can’t see clearly. Once you get to know him, he’s pretty good…” Lu Junchi remembered something and asked her, “How long has Professor Su been coming here for medical treatment?” He thought asking for a duration wouldn’t be a breach of privacy.

The young nurse thought for a moment and said, “Two years. Recently, he comes about once every one to two months on average.”

Lu Junchi calculated that it was about the time when the Behavioral Analysis Unit was disbanded, and the police department began a series of rectifications and transfers. He also took over the Major Crimes Unit at that time.

Lu Junchi pulled himself out of his memories and noticed a poster behind the little nurse, “Are you guys doing research on adolescent psychology lately?”

“Yes.” The nurse turned around and looked at the new poster on the wall about adolescent psychological counseling.

“In fact, this is a project in cooperation with some schools. We hope that parents and teachers can pay attention to the psychological conditions of children. As long as minors sign up, they can receive free pre-diagnosis. However…” The nurse sighed, “even though we are free, very few children sign up.”

Lu Junchi said he understood, “Because parents are not willing to bring their children here?”

Most parents are afraid to admit that their children have psychological problems. In their eyes, bringing their children to see a psychologist is an admission of failure in their family education.

“Those parents would say that their children are just being melodramatic, going through adolescence, or throwing tantrums. At the same time, they delude themselves and act as if not admitting the illness means their children are not sick. For children with psychological disorders, having people around them who don’t believe they are sick but instead think they are just overthinking is not conducive to treatment.”

As the nurse, Jin Qiu, spoke, she suddenly remembered something and hurried to pour a cup of warm water for Lu Junchi. “Look at my scatterbrained self. I almost forgot to pour water for Captain Lu.”

Lu Junchi took the water and replied, “Thank you.”

Psychological therapy takes an hour in total. Lu Junchi and Jin Qiu chatted for a while and then sat down to deal with the work of the Major Crimes Unit. At this moment, Su Hui, lying in the consultation room, had already begun his psychological counseling session. He had a good first impression of Dr. An, who spoke politely and thoughtfully, giving people a sense of security. It seemed as if he was born to be a suitable counselor.

Dr. An listened as Su Hui talked about his recent psychological state and asked some questions. Finally, he asked Su Hui, “I heard from Dr. Yang that you recently returned to work. Do you think it has helped you? Is the overall direction of your development positive?”

Su Hui hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowed, and he slowly said, “Actually, things are getting better…”

He could feel the darkness and alienation gradually fading away, and his life seemed to be moving towards a more normal state from that black and white condition.

Then Su Hui carefully thought about it and realized that instead of saying that this feeling and change were brought about by work and busyness, it was more accurate to say that it was brought about by Lu Junchi.

Before, even eating and sleeping were not on schedule, often waking up in the middle of the night and unable to sleep until morning. Sometimes he would feel his brain was in a daze and unable to get up after sleeping.

But now, that place was no longer the place where he was asleep, curled up and cold.

Apart from the cat, there was new life in the room.

Lu Junchi was a silent and steady man, reliable in his work. He remembered to cook, watered every plant on time, and made them thrive. Even the cat had gained a few pounds.

Su Hui no longer felt lonely and cold at home. He could hear the sound of Lu Junchi’s footsteps and voice, see his tall and handsome figure, and feel the warm light in the living room. 

The whole room had become warm and cozy without him realizing it.

Dr. An saw that Su Hui’s expression had relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. It seems that returning to work has been helpful for you. You are currently in the midst of a regular follow-up visit, but your last appointment was two months ago. The time interval is a bit long.”

Su Hui felt a little guilty. “I was busy during the last semester, but I will pay more attention in the future.”

“Although you are Dr. Yang’s patient, I still think it’s necessary to confirm your treatment plan with you,” Dr. An said. “I believe you should be more proactive in your treatment. If you were a general patient, I would suggest using some small doses of relieving medication, but medication may affect your thinking and may be addictive, so this plan may not be suitable for you. Have you been practicing mindfulness therapy?”

Su Hui nodded. “I have been trying the breathing and mindfulness techniques that Dr. Yang recommended before.”

“Have you tried hypnotherapy before?” Dr. An asked.

Su Hui shook his head. “Dr. Yang suggested it before, but I haven’t tried it yet.”

“Do you want to undergo hypnotherapy?” asked Dr. An with concern.

“I…” Su Hui hesitated for a moment.

Dr. An turned to him and asked, “Are you worried about the effectiveness of hypnosis? Do you have concerns? Many patients here initially had some resistance to hypnosis, but after a few sessions, the results were very good, and they strongly requested hypnotherapy.”

Su Hui considered for a moment and said, “Thank you, Dr. An, but I’ll pass.”

Su Hui didn’t make this decision because he didn’t understand hypnosis. On the contrary, he didn’t want to use hypnotherapy precisely because he understood some of the principles and techniques of hypnosis and had some experience with it.

Hypnosis may sound mysterious, but it’s just a method of inducing a state of trance or altered consciousness through suggestion.

Many people believe that hypnosis is just a kind of superstition and firmly believe that as long as their willpower is strong, they won’t be hypnotized by a hypnotherapist. They also believe that even if they enter that state, they can wake up from hypnosis at any time.

In fact, these are misunderstandings that arise from a lack of understanding of hypnosis. The principles of hypnosis are more complex than ordinary people imagine, but the process of hypnotherapy is relatively simple.

With a subject who has good imagination and association abilities, a suitable environment, a good hypnotherapist, and reasonable suggestions, hypnosis is not difficult to perform.

Su Hui knew that hypnosis might have some effect on him, so he hesitated earlier. But the reason he refused was that he felt that hypnotherapy was like cutting open his body and exposing the secrets hidden deep inside his heart to the hypnotherapist.

A person in a state of hypnosis is defenseless.

He didn’t even know what he would see, hear, and feel during hypnosis, and what kind of impact it would have on his mind.

As someone who often walks on the edge of darkness, this kind of treatment touched his bottom line and made him feel insecure.

Dr. An lowered his head and said, “Okay, these are just my personal suggestions. If you refuse external treatment, then you can only start with self-regulation and self-control. I think you need to persist in at least monthly follow-ups.”

Dr. An Yu Ci seemed a little regretful about Su Hui’s previous refusal, but he still reminded him conscientiously.

Su Hui responded with a sound, feeling that An Yuci was different from Yang Yuqing, who was good at listening. Dr. An was a more proactive psychological counselor who wanted to help him more.

Su Hui took a moment to explain to him: “Thank you, Dr. An, I am not rejecting the help of those external forces, but I believe more in the concept of humanistic psychology.” He paused for a moment, recalling a quote: “Every person is their own savior.”

Dr. An’s pen stopped recording: “I remember this quote is from Jung.”

Su Hui explained: “I am conservative about Jung’s concept of synchronicity, but I agree with the values presented by this quote.”

Dr. An smiled and lowered his head. This is often a problem that counselors face when patients are also proficient in psychology. Different theories and concepts can often affect the diagnosis process and the final results.

“Dr. Yang should be here next time you come. You work in a dangerous environment, and you will encounter darkness. Maybe you will touch your own wounds from the past. After returning to work, you must pay more attention to your mental state, otherwise your emotional changes may worsen your condition. I suggest you not compare the present with the past and try not to recall things that you can’t remember or things that make you uncomfortable.”

Time passed quickly, and the hourglass’ blue sand flowed down to the last drop. Today’s therapy ended here.

Su Hui walked to the table, bowed his head, and picked up his phone and watch from the table. Then, he picked up the scepter next to the hourglass and said, “Thank you.”

His gaze suddenly fell on a photo on An Yuci’s desk. Su Hui stood very close, close enough that even with his poor vision, he could see the blurry image of a young girl smiling. The overall color tone of the photo gave it a vintage sense. To be honest, Su Hui rarely saw these personal items in the counseling room. Most psychologists or counselors seem to actively isolate their work from their personal lives.

Su Hui couldn’t help but ask softly, “Is that your girlfriend?”

An Yuci’s expression stiffened slightly, then he lowered her head and said, “Oh, no, it’s my sister. My sister was a mental illness patient who passed away many years ago. It was because of her that I learned about the psychology profession.”

Su Hui realized that he had mentioned something he shouldn’t have, and apologized, “I’m sorry, please accept my condolences.”

An Yuci gave a faint smile and said, “It’s okay. That happened a long time ago. Well, Professor Su, see you next time.”

There were two ways out of the consultation room: one was to return the way he came, and the other was to take the elevator down.

Su Hui was still thinking about what An Yuci had said to him as he realized he was already in the elevator.

He couldn’t see the person standing next to him, only a blurry figure of a man.

Feeling guilty, Su Hui realized he was too familiar with this path and had forgotten to wait for his colleague, Lu Junchi, who accompanied him. He pressed his forehead and took out his phone to send a message to Lu Junchi. There was no signal in the elevator, so he had to press send again to finally get the message out.

Just then, the elevator arrived at the man’s floor and he stepped out, turned around, and looked at Su Hui…

Su Hui also happened to look up and saw the man’s face, which was blurry but vaguely recognizable.

In an instant, Su Hui felt like a bullet had pierced his forehead and hit his brain.

He was stunned.

His mind went blank, but at the same time, it felt like something was trying to awaken from his memory. The pain was like a tide engulfing him, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.

Who was that person?

He didn’t remember him. He was a stranger with an unfamiliar face, but he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

The elevator doors closed in front of him, and Su Hui desperately pressed the button to go back to the man’s floor.

He wanted to stop him and ask him who he was.

But the elevator had already descended, and when Su Hui regained his consciousness, he realized he was covered in sweat, leaning on the elevator’s railing and gasping for breath.

Don’t dwell on the past…

After undergoing psychological treatment, he usually felt the most rational and calm, but he never expected that he would experience such intense emotions.

Su Hui had moments of doubt, wondering if what An Yuci had said to him before was correct, and that he had been too dismissive of his own situation…

Don’t dwell on the past…

Su Hui closed his eyes and repeated these words to himself in his mind, as if hypnotizing himself, to completely erase that person from his mind.

Forget that person, forget everything that happened in the elevator.

It was as if he was using a knife to cut himself off from his past and present.

TN:

Now who’s this mysterious character causing Su Hui to have such a strong reaction? Any thoughts on Dr. An? It rubs me wrong that he suggested Su Hui get hypnotherapy on his first consultation with him.

TW: Long a$$ essay below. Proceed with caution.

Jung’s concept of synchronicity refers to the occurrence of meaningful coincidences that cannot be explained by causality. According to Jung, synchronicity is a manifestation of the collective unconscious, which is the shared unconsciousness of all humans that contains archetypes and universal symbols.

Synchronicity can manifest in various ways, such as through dreams, symbols, or events that seem to be connected in a meaningful way. Jung believed that these experiences could provide insights into one’s personal unconscious and the collective unconscious, as well as offer a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all things.

Jung’s concept of synchronicity is often compared to the idea of serendipity, but it differs in that synchronicity involves a deeper, more profound connection between seemingly unrelated events or experiences. Synchronicity also suggests that there is a purpose or meaning behind these coincidences, and that they can be interpreted and understood through the lens of the collective unconscious.

Humanistic psychology is a school of thought in psychology that emerged in the mid-20th century, as a response to the limitations of behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Humanistic psychology emphasizes the unique qualities of human experience and behavior, and focuses on the individual’s potential for growth, creativity, and self-realization.

The humanistic perspective in psychology is rooted in the belief that people have inherent worth and are capable of making choices that shape their lives. It recognizes the importance of subjective experience, personal values, and individual meaning-making, and stresses the importance of understanding people in the context of their unique social and cultural environments.

Some key concepts in humanistic psychology include self-actualization, empathy, authenticity, unconditional positive regard, and the importance of personal growth and development. Humanistic psychologists aim to help individuals overcome barriers to personal growth and facilitate their journey towards self-actualization and fulfillment.

Humanistic psychology has influenced a wide range of fields, including education, counseling, and organizational development, and has contributed to the development of various therapeutic approaches, such as person-centered therapy, existential therapy, and gestalt therapy.

Hypnotherapy is a form of therapy that uses hypnosis to help individuals achieve a state of deep relaxation and heightened focus. During hypnosis, a therapist will guide the individual into a trance-like state, during which they become more receptive to suggestion and can explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a safe and supportive environment.

Hypnotherapy can be used to address a wide range of issues, such as anxiety, depression, addiction, phobias, and chronic pain. The goal of hypnotherapy is to help individuals access their subconscious mind, where negative patterns and behaviors may be rooted, and to help them make positive changes at the subconscious level.

Hypnotherapy sessions typically begin with a discussion between the therapist and client about the issues they wish to address. The therapist will then guide the client into a trance-like state through a series of relaxation techniques and suggestions. Once the client is in a state of hypnosis, the therapist may use a variety of techniques to help them explore and address their underlying issues.

Hypnotherapy is considered a safe and effective form of therapy for most individuals. However, it is important to work with a qualified and licensed therapist who has experience in hypnotherapy to ensure that the process is safe and effective.