“Do you want to talk about our past sessions Bette?”

“………..sure”

“Well, I’ve noticed a pattern starting around the third time we met; first I want to say you made marvelous progress. You seem more together than ever and from what you tell me you and Tina seem to be communicating and getting along…but I’ve noticed that increasingly the aggression factor in our sessions is increasing. I think you may feel that these sessions are releases; you vent pent-up anger out on me that you accumulate throughout the week until the next session. I can take it, but it worries me that questions that are not aimed to create anger….do. what seems to anger you most is any delving into your childhood, that ‘day’, or your ex-husband…while I realize these are touchy subjects, it doesn’t seem your normal response to get so angry over a reference to those subjects because I know I haven’t asked too many direct ones. Do you feel that you’ve been unable to healthily express anger or frustration to Tina or in your normal life/routine?”

“……………I don’t know what to say….”

“Take your time”

(Bette looked at the clock then at her therapist’s shoes. Her therapist had stung her deeply, it was so true. And Bette again caught sight of her therapist’s name on her desk…Carrie. Bette felt ashamed for treating her so badly, but she didn’t know what to think about it).

“Well I can say I’m sorry for it, but I don’t why I do it…I feel calm with Tina. I don’t feel angry”

“Maybe because you convinced yourself that it isn’t O.K to be angry with her, or at what happened or anything, maybe you feel that you’re wrong to be angry about anything”

(Bette felt tears well up, but she willed them away)  “Yea…yea I can see that happening, which might be it. But I’m telling the truth that I don’t feel ANY anger with Tina, maybe a little frustration in the beginning but now we seem to be doing well”.

“That might be because you subconsciously told yourself it was to be wrong at someone who loves and cherishes you. Your anger is understandable, you went through an atrocious thing, yet it unhealthy for one to suppress that anger. I’d suggest anger exercises that we can do if you’d agree…”