****
“Hi,” a cheery, young voice sounded behind me.
I pivoted from the entrance of the conference room to the corner to see the young girl I’d only met through a photograph smiling up at me. Her big, brown eyes were bright and filled with innocence.
“Hi,” I greeted, smiling. “You must be Monique.” She, as well as her mother, were new patients of the office. The three of us, as well as another doctor in the office, were scheduled to meet for a patient review.
Her smile doubled at hearing her name. “Yes. Are you my doctor?”
“I’m one of them. Where’s your mom?” I glanced around the empty conference room.
“She had to pee.”
“It’srestroom, Monique.”
I turned to see a woman who was an older version of Monique entering the room. This was obviously Monique’s mother. Her picture hadn’t been in her patient file.
“Ms. Robinson?”
“Yes, but please, Sandra is fine. Dr. Carlson said we could wait in here while he gathered some of our intake forms. I needed to run to the restroom.”
I nodded. “That’s fine. Dr. Carlson and I met earlier about your case and we began discussing a treatment plan that we think might work well for you and Monique. Why don’t we sit as we wait for Dr. Carlson.”
Sandra nodded and moved farther into the room while I shut the door.
“This office is beautiful,” Sandra began. “Even the lobby is so soothing and comfortable with the waterfall and soft music,” she gushed.
“I agree. It’s one of the things that drew me to this office when I first interviewed for the position here. We take overall wellness serious here. I was so glad to find an office in which the holistic approach to patient health was taken seriously. And as long as the methods of treatment I suggest are research and evidence-based, my colleagues have been in total support.”
“That’s good to know,” Sandra added.
I went on to tell Sandra about my position as the office’s only naturopathic doctor and how my focus was less about simply prescribing medications, and more about overall lifestyle changes and habits that she could incorporate to ensure her and her daughter’s health. Once Dr. Carlson joined us, we began discussing specifics of Monique’s condition. While both were our clients, Sandra was most concerned about the well-being of her daughter. Her love for Monique was evident.
“And is there a Mr. Robinson in the picture?” Dr. Carlson asked as we reviewed the forms.
“No, I don’t have a daddy,” Monique spoke up, answering for her mother.
I watched as Sandra began fidgeting with the straps of her purse. “N-no, I’m not married, Dr. Carlson.” Sandra’s gaze shifted from Dr. Carlson to myself and then to Monique, a look of dread filling them.
“Hey, Monique, what’s your favorite subject in school?” I asked to change topics.
Monique quickly answered and we began talking about the latest picture she made in art class. Sandra appeared to calm down throughout the rest of the intake interview and treatment plan discussion but I could still sense her unease.
“Can I speak with you a moment?” she questioned low enough for me to hear as she was exiting the conference room.
“Sure. My office is right down the hall.” I got the sense she didn’t want Dr. Carlson to be a part of this conversation.
“Monique, sit right out here while I speak with Dr. Reyes, okay?”
Monique nodded, her eyes lighting up at the tablet that Sandra handed her.
“I know it’s not great to let her play on that thing but sometimes it comes in handy,” Sandra stated, chuckling uncomfortably.
I laughed lightly. “As long as she’s not spending all day every day on it, I don’t see a problem. Balance is key.”
Sandra nodded.
“Please sit. What did you want to discuss?”
