Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"So, how's your life been? I don't appreciate you dropping out on your last appointment."
"I had some things going on. But my life has been fine."
"Are you happy?"
"Happier than I've been in a while."
"That's good. Is there anyone that contributes to that happiness? Friends? Boyfriend?"
"He's not my boyfriend. We're just friends and my other friends too."
"You seems to have more friends than I seen you last."
"Mhmm."
"Tell me about the days that you aren't 'happy'."
"I just don't feel like doing anything those days. They don't come that often anymore though."
"Do you have any new coping mechanisms?"
"Just shopping, making myself look pretty, and I like taking naps with my friend."
"How do those things make you feel?"
"Shopping just takes my mind off of certain things. Making myself look good makes me feel more confident as well as taking my mind off things. And taking naps with my friend makes me feel like somebody cares about me."
She nodded while taking notes.
She clipped her pen on her notepad and sat it down in her lap.
"You've made so much progress since we first started."
"I know."
"I'm proud of you."
"Thanks. Does that mean I can stop coming here?"
"Absolutely not. You're still not completely healed. I know that you've found a way to cope with your trauma, but you haven't accepted it."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means learning how to be okay with the emotions that your trauma has brought upon you and allowing yourself to feel them. When you are feeling those emotions, you quickly find something to cover it up and in order to stop coming here, you have to stop doing that."
