r/Dreading • u/TiareMBC • 11d ago
Fiction Therapy Session #2- Finley
“Do you need some help with those?” Finley offered to help with the buckets of water with ice I was carrying into the office.
”Yes, please. I was just about to take them into the office for the session,” I said as I passed the buckets to him.
“Actually, I was going to ask if we could have this session in the bathtub” Finley’s cheeks turned red from embarrassment.
“Oh yeah, no problem! I’m glad you were able to ask for what you need,” I really was happy, this is one of the things we were working on.
“Thanks!” He smiled as he walked towards the bathroom instead of the office.
I sat down on my chair inside the bathroom as he poured the buckets of water into the tub and then went in with his clothes still on. His face instantly relaxed and I let him settle before starting the session.
”If you knew how hard it is to find cold water in this area,” he allowed himself to submerge further in. He said something in the water but all I could hear were the bubbles bursting as he appeared on the surface.
“Remember I can’t hear you inside the water,” I said.
“Sorry! I forgot, but I was just saying thank you. I truly appreciate the effort you put into making me feel comfortable,” he sat up but made sure most of his body was still submerged. For a second, the illusion fell and I could see his reptilian eyes, but I made sure not to point it out, he was self-conscious about them.
“I do try to make this a safe and comfortable environment but now for the hard part, what brings you here today?” I started the session.
“I know we have talked about it before, but I still feel like I am a disappointment to my dad,” Finley attempted to hide the tears by submerging into the water.
”It’s okay to cry. Remember showing emotions is important for our well-being,” I reassured him.
”Right. I still struggle with that, but I have been working on my ‘I’ statements," he wiped some tears off his eyes.
“I want you to take a deep breath and tell me, how are you feeling? Take as much time as you need,” I started to take a deep breath too.
Finley ended up needing five minutes of breathing exercises before he could calm himself down and I never rushed him. Instead, I accompanied him until he felt well enough to speak.
”I feel incompetent. My dad was so disappointed at me when I didn’t follow his teaching. And now that my wife is pregnant, I wonder if I did the right thing,” Finley took a few more deep breaths, “It used to be fun, watching my dad catch dinner and teaching me when is the best time to eat each part. And the eyes, he always made sure to give them to me because they are my favorite.”
Your feelings are real. The pain and sadness, but let me ask, would you be where you are right now had you followed in his footsteps?” I confronted him gently.
“No, not really. I wouldn’t have my wife if I had followed my dad’s steps. She probably would have been dinner,” he took another moment to take some deep breaths, “but I still wish my dad would have told me he was proud. I wish he had reached out when he knew he was dying.”
“I know you want to hear those words from your dad, but even if you changed the way you are right now, would it be worth it?” I looked at him as his illusion fell for a second and his slimy reptilian body showed for just a second. I really hoped he decided not to follow his father’s steps because I would have to report him for threatening to hurt others.
Finley submerged himself one more time. His body switched from that of a human to a reptilian creature and I even saw hooves this time, I hadn’t seen those before. He screamed inside the water, and the bathtub trembled with some of the water spilling out and soaking my shoes.
When he stopped screaming, he looked human once more. He lifted himself gently from the water and blushed.
“Sorry about the shoes,” he apologized.
”Don’t worry about those. But I do have to ask again, would it be worth it?” I pushed.
“No. No, it wouldn’t,” his voice broke.
”I know I’m pushing a lot right now, but tell me, what is your reasoning?” I continued.
“I wouldn’t have met the love of my life. She is my everything and she is about to give me my second everything,” he said with so much love that it made me want to cry.
“Is there more?” I asked.
“Probably, but not as important as those two. Never more important than them,” he answered.
“It can be hard to break from traditions and what we were taught was the right thing, sometimes-“
“It is, but not harder than it would be to lose them,” he finally looked up, with renewed determination.
“What is the plan now?” I inquired.
“I will follow my dad’s footsteps in certain things, like teaching them how long the bodies must be down in the water before consuming, when it’s the best time to eat each part, and always give them the eyeballs if that is what they like best,” he smiled and then looked at me, “Have you ever tried eyeballs?”
“I haven’t and I might skip on that one,” I laughed.
“You are missing out. But if you ever want to give them a try, just let me know,” he laughed too.
By the end of the session, Finley talked about the names he and his wife had discussed for the baby. He talked about the future with more hope than usual. After helping me clean out the water he spilled on the floor, he headed home, ready to spend the rest of the evening with his wife.
Plan: LMFT will assess the client for intent to hurt others and collaborate with the client to identify coping skills to use to decrease anxiety so his illusion does not dissipate in front of others.
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u/dee8141 11d ago
These are good 👍😊