Not to brag, but when I do things, I do them big. So it should come as no surprise that my first bad day was 1 that outdid even itself, leaving me to wonder what client do I even talk about.
I’ve been treating two sisters for about 4 months and they are adorable and sweet girls at 7 & 9. Their problem really is behavioral and the end result of simple bad parenting. Mom has no rules, no consequences, no boundaries and few parenting skills. Essentially, Mom ignores all the problems and chaos until there’s sheer chaos and then she begins to scream at and insult her daughters. Mom also has a 2 year old son who is absolute demon energy that she makes zero attempt to intervene or discipline.
I have my session with the older daughter and everything goes well, despite the occasional high pitched screams coming from the waiting room. This is where baby brother ran around throwing toys and screaming across the room.
I finish the session and go to get lil sister, Mom tells me she’s had a horrible day and has been unable to regulate her emotions which has resulted in multiple tantrums. I told Mom that I was going to have to take the toys away from the baby as a natural consequence of her intervention to help modify his behavior. That other people are in the waiting room and it’s unfair to them before heading in for our session.
Despite Moms warning she is in a fantastic mood and we gave 1 of our best sessions. I use art therapy and ask her to draw her emotions, where we make them as big or small as she’s feeling them.
The end arrives and I need to get mom to sign a form and schedule next weeks session. Mom asks if we talked about her behavior and why she can’t behave. I explained that I don’t tell them what to talk about, but that it’s their time to address what they want to. This doesn’t sit well with Mom who sits staring out the window not signing paperwork or noticing her child.
Said child as grabbed, tossed and dumped out every toy in my office. I ask Mom to get him but she doesn’t even acknowledge I’ve spoken. He begins to climb my bookcase and despite not being allowed to touch my clients I have to grab him before he falls. I put him in the furthest corner with crayons and again ask Mom to sign. To which she tells me she’s bothered I didn’t address why he daughter can’t behave.
Through gritted teeth I explain again that therapy doesn’t work that way. At which point the baby runs across the room like a mini linebacker and body slams into his sister and the mini table they’re playing at. They are now all screaming as every piece of every toy in his path is midair. Mom immediately begins to scream at her daughters to “Watch their fucking brother” and “Why can’t you girls help, are you fucking stupid” Her daughter begins to cry so hard she almost vomits and the baby runs out the door.
I tell Mom that her language is unacceptable and unhelpful and we aren’t going to accomplish anything so she needs to go. She gets up to leave and her son throws himself down in a fit and she screams you live here now and power walks to the door. I scramble to get him out of the office, pick him up and unceremoniously dump him into his mother’s arms as I usher them out of the office.
The prevailing assumption is that I went back to my office and cried, but that’s not the case. I went back to my office and raged. I raged as I envisioned hitting Mom with her son. I raged at the damage being done to those kids and my inability to stop it, I raged as I imagined what that house must be like and I raged at the ruined progress finally made.
I’ll have to wait till next week to describe the second shitty client of the night
herewesayf&@#k!!! 