Sally came to treatment in a crisis. She wanted to evict an irresponsible roommate but she could not bring herself to do it. Sally wanted my help to give her the courage to throw out the ‘free-loader’. Almost in the same breath, she then told me of an affair that she was having with a married man at work. Sally didn’t see the connection between the two stories– but I did. However, Sally was not yet ready to ‘hear’ what I had to say because she saw herself as a victim of the inconsiderate and selfish roommate. So I said:” Before you get the strength to evict your roommate, we need to understand what you are getting out of the situation just as it is”. Sally was incredulous:” I’m getting nothing out of it”. In order to understand Sally’s predicament, my basic assumption is the belief that the unconscious mind exists. Not everyone believes that it does. It is my conviction that people are often motivated by emotions that they are not aware of; and that these emotions are often in contradiction to the person’s conscious, rational goals. While it may seem that Sally’s choice for the first two subjects in therapy was a random one, I didn’t believe it. So I proceeded under the assumption that the two stories were unconsciously connected in her mind.
When a Patient Brings Up Two Apparently Separate Topics–There is Often a Connection Between Them Pt.1
By Robert S. Pepper, Phd.|2015-09-02T11:16:09-04:00September 2, 2015|Uncategorized|Comments Off on When a Patient Brings Up Two Apparently Separate Topics–There is Often a Connection Between Them Pt.1
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About the Author: Robert S. Pepper, Phd.
Dr. Pepper has been running groups for over twenty-five years and specializes in group therapy. He has a special gift in helping member's resolve conflicts with.