QNotes, August 20, 2021

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Couch Talks at Dudley’s Place
Getting a diagnosis of HIV, living with HIV, or being part of
someone else’s journey are all very difficult waters to navigate.
The news and the related fallout can be devastating to many.
That is why, for many reasons, having a solid circle of support
can be just as instrumental in helping someone battle this
disease as is the medication. At Rosedale Health and Wellness
and Dudley’s Place, we understand this need. The clinical needs
of every patient are handled at Rosedale with the upmost care
and concern of qualified and compassionate staff in the area.
They always go the extra mile to make a new client or a client
that has been seeing us since the day we opened feel like part
of a family. The patient centered care model is something that
both Rosedale and Dudley’s Place work hard to perfect every
day so that your experience as a patient is focused on you.
Dudley’s Place offers “Couch Talks” every other week on Tuesdays
at 6:30 pm at their offices. Couch Talks are a form of a support
group, but not like all the others. When we launched the program
prior to COVID, we talked with a variety of clients and community
members to hear from them what they would want a group to
look like. Many said they simply wanted a chance to talk, share
and connect. So, that is what we are doing. The group is lead and
facilitated by staff of Dudley’s Place that are also HIV positive.
Currently the groups are limited to only HIV positive individuals
in order to protect their anonymity and to create a safe space
for sharing. Aside from sharing stories and experiences, the
groups help to connect people with others in similar situations.
Dale Pierce, Executive Director has said, “the great thing that
has come out of these groups are the connections being made.
The relationships are blossoming from a room of strangers
into a family of sorts that supports, listens and assists each
other inside and outside the confines of the setting.” Members
are saying that it has opened them up to new experiences
and perspectives. The traditional meeting settings are helpful
and needed, but we are also instituting some other options to
make it a more social experience. Plans are in the works for a
picnic this summer, painting classes, and maybe even a trip to
Carowinds, along with a Thanksgiving potluck and holiday party.
Many factors and feelings can come into play with a diagnosis.
Feeling like fear, anxiety, isolation, depression, sadness, anger, even
a fear of the future. One client, an African American heterosexual
woman that attends Couch Talks and has been positive for almost
two decades, says the group saved her. “Especially during the
pandemic, I retreated even further into myself and self-isolated
more than ever. Having HIV can be scary, it made me feel like I
wasn’t worthy of being around people, that I was somehow less
than others. The Couch Talks at Dudley’s Place changed all that.
I have a whole new support system of friends I consider family.”
If you would like to know more about Dudley’s Place, Rosedale
Health and Wellness, and Couch Talks; visit our websites at
Dudleysplace.org and Myrosedalehealth.com. You can also follow
both organizations on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Aug. 20-Sept. 2, 2021 qnotes 15