[His immediate answer is 'no, of course not', but he doesn't bother trying to say it. Not only would she probably not believe him, but the whole point of talking is to talk, not go right back to pretending everything is fine.

So he's quiet a few seconds, then lets out a long sigh.]

I'm not sure.

[But, as truthful as that is, it's probably not a helpful answer.]

Listening to and trying to advise people regarding their problems, as much as I want to do so, is probably not the best for me at the moment. But it also gives me something else to focus on than... Everything else.

[So those balance out, in some ways.]

But counseling someone shouldn't, in any way, be something meant to benefit me; that's part of the reason why we're not supposed to talk to a patient about personal issues, because it changes the focus of things. And I'm probably not devoting the right amount of energy or attention to helping someone in general, but I also can't just turn someone away if they need help, because unlike at home there are no other options here. I can't just refer them to someone else.

[So he, honestly, isn't sure what to do. It's probably best for himself not to take patients at the moment, but he can't bring himself to refuse helping someone who might need it.]