Temptation Confessions Of A Marriage: Counselor

I should have transferred her immediately. I didn’t.

Every Tuesday at 2:00 PM, I sit across from a couple who are literally killing each other with kindness. They hold hands in my office, use “I feel” statements, and nod sagely when I explain attachment theory. Then they go home, retreat to opposite corners of their house, and drown their resentment in Netflix and silent contempt. Temptation Confessions of a Marriage Counselor

I’ll admit it. In year seven of my practice, I had a client—let’s call him “David”—who was married to a woman who mocked him for crying at his father’s funeral. He came to therapy to “fix his anger.” Over six months, I watched him unspool. He wrote me a poem once (inappropriate, I know). He brought me a single tulip from his garden, handed it to me with shaking hands, and said, “You’re the only person who’s ever seen me.” I should have transferred her immediately