Shrink Wrap, Too
That first session with Bonnie consisted of the usual questions. How long have you been crazy? Seriously, though. Questions about my psychological history. My car ‘accident’. My relationships. The usual.
After fifty five minutes Bonnie said, “We need to wrap this up. Let’s schedule the next session in two weeks. Same time?”
“Sure”, I said. As if I had nothing to do but come to these sessions. Well, I didn’t. I had commited to fully engage in these sessions. To do whatever it took to get well. Well, as well as I could. I was commitmed to do the exercises. To do the work. Regardless of the pain.
And, my next session with Bonnie was indeed painful.
The session started out with the usual inquiries about how my life had been going. Then Bonnie hit me with a zinger, “What are you really afraid of Lyle”, she asked.
Um. What? Women, I thought. What I said was, “I’m really worried about going back to work at the bookstore. What if one of the customers asks me a question and I don’t know the answer? What if I screw up order taking?”
“Let’s do a role play”, Bonnie said. “I will pretend I’m a customer. Let’s see how things go. Would that be all right?”
“Sure.”
“How do you want me to act”, Bonnie said.
An excerpt from CRASH! Memories of a Healing Journey, All Rights Reserved, Lyle T. Lachmuth
