This paper is based on a lecture given at a conference held in October 2024 to celebrate the 30 years of operation of the Family Therapy Unit of the Attica Psychiatric Hospital, and a farewell to the founders of the Unit.
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Good morning,
My name is Athena Goka and I am a nurse. Retired now. It is an honour and an opportunity for me to be here today, 16 years into my retirement, alongside beloved colleagues to share my recollections of the years I spent working at the Family Therapy Unit.
It all started when I received the proposal to follow the vision of two excellent doctors, Mrs. Charalabaki and Mr. Kotsidas – Katia and Fotis to me – of creating a pioneering, for its time, venture, outside the hospital, in a hospital-owned flat in Pagrati.
At first, the challenges I faced in this new field of approach to mental health were many.
I had to get acquainted with this new field in which I was delving and comprehend it, so that I could alter the manner of functioning that belonged to the institution, and rise to the new challenges.
I remember that we used to be the institution not only for our colleagues from the hospital, but also for the other people in the block of flats and the neighbourhood.
I remember the difficulties in communicating with the different departments of the hospital, every time that we requested for a problem to be solved, regarding their understanding of what it was that we were doing.
It was difficult for them to realise that we were not dealing with inpatients, in the usual, strict sense of the hospital and the patients that had been committed. Instead, there had been an opening towards the community, which meant that anybody who was facing family, marital, and different kinds of personal problems could ask for help.
I also remember my nervousness concerning my handling of my first referrals, as I had to learn to introduce myself as something different from the head nurse of a psychiatric ward. I had to comprehend and evaluate which information was useful and relevant to collect, so that I could pass it on to the therapeutic team. I also had to listen to the problem and judge whether the Unit could take on the case and be of assistance or whether I had to refer it elsewhere, wherever that might be.
Another important part of our work were the conferences. This too was a new field for me, rather stressful and hard, but at the same time an important experience, as far as the organising part is concerned, and meeting with renowned professionals from Greece and abroad.
Thus, throughout the years, with hard work, good teamwork, a lot of caring for one another, and love, we managed to become acclaimed in our field, grow, offer our services to many people, and create a training centre that still today comprises a complete training programme on the systemic approach that attracts many mental health professionals.
It is important that I mention and thank for their participation all those who at times helped the Unit, in their own way, to become what it is today; staff, volunteers and trainees alike. Also, all those that undertook the responsibility of continuing its work, because it is apparent that they are doing very well.
Finally, please allow me a personal thank you.
Fotis: Thank you for singling me out and choosing me, giving me the opportunity to see myself in a different professional role.
Katia: Thank you for your patience, and your trust, and for helping me find the positive parts of myself and believing in them.
Ioanna: You were, and still are, the star of the Unit. And important and stable presence. From the beginning of our collaboration you were my support. Responsible, cooperative, and available to all, and most of all to me. I thank you.
For the rest of the team: Kia, Eleni, Soula, Bianca, Katerina: I thank you for your professionalism, your cooperation, your ever-smiling presence, as well as your eagerness to help with everything, even if it was not part of your responsibilities.
I hope that I too rose up to my role, and that you felt my love and care for each one of you separately, and collectively as a family.
THAT WE WERE
Thank you.
