ABSTRACT
On a cold and icy day at the beginning of a new year, an admissions team in an acute care psychiatric hospital gathered to do an exit interview with a middle-aged woman. A member of the team began the interview by asking the woman what she had found most helpful during her hospitalization. The woman was doing quite well and spoke openly with affect, “I found everything helpful.” A team member went on to encourage the patient to be more specific: “We really want to know what you found most helpful during your hospitalization.” The woman thought briefly, and said with conviction, “The loss and recovery group. I have been grieving so many losses for so many years that I couldn’t recover from any of them. This group helped me start to recover.”
