Close to people | Stories from Bethel
How a recovery counsellor helps mentally ill people
How are you doing? In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, this question often degenerates into an empty phrase. Not so when Fritz Hillebrenner asks it. He is a recovery counsellor in Bielefeld-Bethel and is genuinely interested in the well-being of the mentally ill people he looks after. This activity is also part of his own therapy. "I think it's important to be able to tell someone how you feel and what you think," he emphasises.
Together with nursing assistant Claudia Hülsmann, Fritz Hillebrenner runs a so-called recovery group. The word recovery comes from English and means recuperation or recovery. This is exactly what the meetings at the Triangel supported living centre on Karl-Siebold-Weg in Bethel are all about. The meetings, which take place every two weeks in the residential group, are a building block of therapy for the clients involved. They paint and read together, listen to music and play games. And talk to each other about how they are doing.
"I have a job and am responsible, which is good for me and helps me with my own recovery."
Fritz Hillebrenner completed an 18-month training course to become a recovery counsellor, or more precisely, an ex-in course. Ex-in stands for experience involved, which is also an English term and means that people with their own experience of crises and psychiatry receive specialised training. This concept developed out of a shortage of specialists and has proved its worth because some of those affected are able to empathise with and feel for those who are also ill in their own unique way and can therefore ideally provide them with support. This also applies to Fritz Hillebrenner. He confesses: "I have a mental illness. I have good and less good phases."
The construction engineer experienced bullying from colleagues at his workplace. This led to him developing a mental illness. This was followed by a breakdown and the loss of his job, as well as stays in psychiatric centres. His marriage broke up. And how are you doing today, Mr Hillebrenner? "Better," he says. Although not all his days are bright, Fritz Hillebrenner feels more stable than before. "On a scale of 1 to 10, I'm currently at 7," he says, quantifying his condition.
His work as a recovery counsellor, which he has been doing since 2017, has contributed significantly to his recovery. "I have a task and responsibility, which is good for me and helps me with my own recovery," he says. Fritz Hillebrenner blossoms at the meetings. He is communicative, humorous and a good listener. Over the years, he has built up trust with the participants and makes them feel that they are not alone. "Fritz is very important for our group," says Claudia Hülsmann, "he has created a sense of togetherness."
Fritz Hillebrenner would like to continue his work as a recovery counsellor until the end of 2024. The 66-year-old would like to train a successor soon. After all, it is important to him that someone continues to ask the people in the recovery group at Triangel Supported Living how they are doing.
Text and photos: Philipp Kreutzer
This story simply told
Fritz Hillebrenner is 66 years old and mentally ill. He has completed an 18-month training course to become a recovery counsellor. He now helps people who, like him, have a mental illness. He spends time with them and asks them how they are doing. He enjoys this task and it does him good.
Would you like to find out more?
Contact
Bethel.regional
Supported living Triangel
Ebenezerweg 18
33617 Bielefeld
Offers & services
The programme is aimed at adult men and women with mental illness and/or addiction. If necessary, they are supported in finding suitable accommodation. Apartments are available and can be used when the service is utilised. The service also offers assistance, support and guidance on the basis of an overall plan procedure.
