Part One
Part Two
Part Three


Marcus’s therapist is 25 years old. She worked with Romanian orphans while in college, and was so affected by the experience she subsequently liquidated most of her material possessions, dodging any pretense of materialism. Her husband helps the poor at a local rescue mission. She feels a spiritual missive to do this work—as many of us do.


However, she readily admits “All the time I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. I feel so very less experienced than the other therapists.” She has 10 children on her caseload. As mentioned in the previous post, she does “play therapy” with Marcus.


One session described in the article centers around the reading of a book about emotions. While many therapists simplify the emotions felt by traumatized kids into four categories…mad, glad, sad and scared… the book shows pictures of “silly” in addition to “happy” and “scared”. Marcus shows little reaction or response.


The adjunct article to yesterday’s installment discussed the public schools… Looking for the best solution.


It begins by talking about little Holly’s second-grade Meet-the-Teacher night, and how the nice teacher suggests to Holly’s adoptive mom, Kim, (a veteran of 16+ foster kids, with five adopted children) that perhaps the teacher could come to Holly’s home rather than have Holly at the school that evening? Holly’s mom immediately knew “what was up”… and stated, “I guess they don’t want my kid there. Probably afraid Holly’ll throw a desk and scare the parents.”


The next few paragraphs describe a scenario oh, so familiar to all of us. Holly’s mom watched Holly’s new teacher...

"...an affable middle-aged teacher as light and thin as a spindle, sit on her carpet and read Alice the Fairy with a 7-year-old who, Kim’s convinced, 'could knock her on her butt in a heartbeat.'


(The teacher) has no clue Kim’s annoyed. She just wants Holly to feel comfortable, to get to know her new teacher before the year starts.


One thought keeps coursing through Kim’s head:


Lady, you have no idea what you’re getting into."

More to come...

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