Phonecall from an unexpected person
Jonathan is having a quiet night at home. He's buried in paperwork from the hospital this is the mun's flimsy IC excuse for where he's been... go with it people and he still has a paper to write for Dr. Enpecee
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I try and end our sessions with decidedly lighter conersation, mostly about you and Kate and any plans she has for the coming weekend. The point is to get her mind away from her inner demons. Seeing as they are extremely poorful and particularly unpleasant memories, I'm not entirely certain I succeed.
I think it would help Tara's ability to better cope with her therapy, if she were able to distance herself from it during the week. If she's pushed to hard it will only hurt her and neither of us want that.
What I'm asking for you to do, is to occupy her mind after our sessions, and, when I begin assigning it, after her homework sessions. I'm sure you already do a great deal with her, I'm just asking that you help her focus on the present so she doesn't lose herself in her memories. You don't really have to do anything much, small things that bring her life with you and Kate to the forefront of her mind are just as good as any grand gesture.
Do you understand what I'm asking?"
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Resting her elbow on her knee, she brings her free hand up, idly tugging at the ends of her hair. "Um, she's... Tara had a pretty bad nightmare a few nights ago and it just got me to wondering if... I mean, I don't -- I don't treat her like a baby or anything, I just... hold her and talk to her for a while until she calms down again."
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She needs to be able to feel that she can escape if she wants to. And I think what you're doing is exactly right. If she wants to talk about it, as you said, she's an adult and that's her decision. But I would actively encourage it. Any attempts we can make to establish you and Kate and the home the three of you share as a 'safe' place for her, psychologically, the better she'll be able to deal with everything.
The obvious overlap will be with her homework assignments. I think it's best if we both encourage her to do that alone, preferably establishing a routine for it. Always in the same room, or at the same time. And afterwards, talk to her like you would after one of her sessions. Hopefully her assignments won't be as emotionally draining for her as our sessions but it's possible she might have difficulty at first. Do you think that's something you could help with? Establishing the routine and keeping it distanced as much as possible? If there's anything you don't understand or disagree with I encourage you to bring it up. You have a particular insight to Tara's psyche, something I'm not privy to and as such your expertise is highly valued."
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Lips pursing, Shane glances out the window as she listens to Tara's therapist. "I, umm... I don't know if Tara had a chance t-to tell you, but... uhh, Kate -- Kate's moved out." Taking a deep breath, she tries her best to keep her voice even, though she can feel tears welling in her eyes. This isn't about her, Tara's therapist isn't on the clock for her. "Things just... Tara got transferred here and... it was kind of last minute. We asked Kate to come and be here with us and the place we got set up with is so big, it just seemed to make sense to have her move in..."
With some effort, she swallows, a tear creeping down her cheek, which she hastily wipes away, even though the only one to see it is Dexter. "But she wasn't ready," she finishes. "So, she's uhh... she's gone. She's got her own place. We -- Tara and I still... still love her a lot, but... she's just not ready."
Listening to the doctor's instructions about Tara's homework and the routine, she nods. "Yeah, I can do that," she murmurs. "There's a spare bedroom that Tara uses as an office. She does her lesson plans and stuff there, usually. Would that work...? When she's working, I try to keep out of her way so I don't distract her, anyway..."
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