Psychodynamic Therapy Simulation

[music]

Therapist: So, hi Pat, tell me what you've
got going on.

Why you've come to seek out some talking
with me.

Pat: Well, I'm struggling.

I mean, I, uh, just a lot going on, I just
don't, it's mostly school.

Um, as you probably remember I'm a
pre-med at Tuffs.

Therapist: Oh yeah, that's all in
your paperwork.

Pat: Um, it's hard.

I had a lousy fall.

Therapist: And why was the fall so lousy?

Pat: Uh, it just seemed like I never had
enough time to do everything, being

pulled in a lot of different directions,
honestly, I'm questioning pre-med, like,

do I really want to become a doctor?

So going to school, going to class, isn't
as exciting as it was last year.

Therapist: Yeah, I can see that.

And, um, do you have other interests
that you want to explore?

Something else pulling you?

Or is it just...

Pat: Sometimes I just want to, like, go
hang out with my buddy Jack.

Therapist: Okay.

Pat: Of course when I go home for the
weekends, like holidays, it's fine.

My grades are the problem.

Therapist: Okay, what's the problem
at home?

Pat: Well dad.

And I don't blame him, he's sort of
invested in my education.

So when he looked at my transcript from
this fall, he was kind of pissed.

Therapist: Okay, what-- what was he mad
about, or why was he so angry?

Pat: Well, he always wanted to be a doctor.

So I should be able to get, you know,
grades and become a doctor, and I know

I can, um, but I'm not sure I want to.

Therapist: Okay.

Pat: And then that of course upsets Lee.

Therapist: Now who's Lee?

Pat: Oh, Lee is my girlfriend.

Therapist: Oh, oh that's right I see here.

Okay, so Lee, um, and so tell me about Lee.

Pat: So, she-- she's great.

We have so much fun together.

But, um, but she wants to be married
to the doctor, she wants to be married

to, you know, Gray's Anatomy.

Therapist: Ah, right, right.

Pat: And sometimes, you know, when I
don't do well in school, I hear it from

her, but then on Friday night, when I
want to just have a good time, um, she

wants me to stay with her, um, and I
sort-of can't seem to satisfy everything.

Therapist: Right.

Is there something else, is there anything,
um, else that's bothering you?

Is it really just your, sort-of, your
dad, and the pre-med is getting on you?

Pat: Dad is definitely.

Therapist: Let's talk a little bit more
about your dad.

Tell me-- so he's an insurance salesman?

Pat: Yeah, he's an insurance salesman, he
works all the time.

Like, when I was a kid, he was always at
a conference, always had an important

call, always was, you know, busy.

But he'd, you know, we always had great
stuff, he provided for us, and I'm at

Tuffs, and that was great.

Mom stayed at home.

Therapist: Yeah?

And how's your relationship with her?

Pat: She's great, you know, she loves me.

Therapist: As we tend to love our sons, right?

Pat: Yeah, I've probably taken advantage
of mom a little bit, honestly, but at the

same time, she wants me to be happy.

Like, for instance, I told-- when we had
this sort-of little blow up this Christmas,

I told her about my interest in art school.

I really love art, right, when I was in
Capri, I fell in love with this Cézanne

painting, and my mom sort-of went
down memory path for herself, and

she told the story about how when she
was in English in high school, her

English teacher said she had a flare
for writing, and she should become

an English teacher or go into
journalism, and she never did,

she stayed at home to be with us, and
I think she regrets that.

So, um, when I started talking about maybe
pre-med isn't for me, it felt like she was

going to take my side for a few minutes,
but that's not what happened.

Therapist: So I get the feeling that you
really do love your parents.

And you really want to, um, please them,
do right by them, they've taken good

care of you and everything.

Tell me about, so Lee, um, so Lee
really wants you to be just with her.

Pat: She does, she's pretty demanding.

I would say possessive at times.

That can be frustrating.

Therapist: I bet.

I bet, it sounds like you're resentful of
her wanting to, um, be with you all the time.

Pat: Is that okay to say?

Therapist: Any-- this is your time,
anything is okay to say here.

It's totally safe, and you don't have to--

Pat: At times I would say yes.

Even with dad, like, the fact that he
wants me to be a doctor, what about me?

What if I don't want to be a doctor?

Therapist: So, I-- so how are we-- so, I
guess what I'd like for you to look at is

to see, you know, are there any
relationships or any similarities

between your relationship with your dad
and your relationship with Lee?

Because it sounds like you really want,
um, to be with Lee, you love her, and-- or

you care for her, and you really seem to
love and care for your dad.

But do you see any similarities or
patterns emerging in your...

Pat: I feel like I can't satisfy them,
right, so, resentful is probably the

right word, there are times at which they
want me to be something I sometimes

don't want to be.

Therapist: And right now, what you want
to be what?

Pat: I really thought I just want to go
hang out with Jack.

Jack's my buddy, he works at a
gas station.

Therapist: And he's happy.

Pat: We have a great time.

And I'm thinking, maybe I should just
get a job like this.

And then three days later I couldn't hang
out with Jack, he called me up, and the

same thing happened, I was like, why is he
demanding me of my time?

It was kind of-- I felt like I was talking
to my father for a second.

I said, "Jack!"

Therapist: So, is there something that you
can do in the next few weeks to sort-of

make you happy?

Because you've used some negative, um,
con-- you know, feelings, so resentful,

frustrated, you know, uninterested
perhaps in medicine.

Pat: Well, that's why I came here.

I mean, I called you.

Therapist: Yep.

Pat: I gotta figure this out, um.

Therapist: Have you talked to your dad
about this?

I think that might be a good step between
our next meeting, and I think a next

meeting is warranted for you to come back.

Pat: How do I start that conversation?

Therapist: Well let's talk about something
that you like to do with your dad when

you were younger.

Maybe you went to ball games, maybe you--

Pat: Fish.

Therapist: Okay, so you-- fishing.

So that's it, maybe give him a ring and
say you're going to come home for the

weekend, and you go fishing.

Pat: Yeah.

Therapist: I've noticed that, in my
practice, I've noticed that boys, men,

tend to talk better when they're doing
rather than when they're just sitting

here, whereas women will sit and chat
over a cup of coffee, many times,

typically, men like to be active, and then
they sort-of talk.

It gives them sort-of freedom in--
freedom to talk.

Um, so maybe try that.

And see if you can approach the
subject of med-school versus art school.

Remember you're only 23, 24?

Pat: I know, and Ridgely's application
is due in April.

Therapist: What do you think, should you
fill out the art applications?

Pat: I want to.

Therapist: Then you should.

You should go with that, and then
you can talk to him when you're fishing.

And see what he says.

Pat: Alright, I'll try.

Therapist: And then on your way out, make
another appointment and we'll follow up

with that, but come with that having done.

In another couple weeks.

Pat: Alright, thank you.

Therapist: Alright, be well.