TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO FILE:

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT:

THERAPIST: Hi, come on in.

FEMALE CLIENT: (sniffling) (pause)

THERAPIST: Hi. (pause)

MALE CLIENT: I'm sorry we're so late. There's so much traffic out there. (sigh) (pause)

FEMALE CLIENT: (crying) [This will be our last session.] (ph)

THERAPIST: Why?

FEMALE CLIENT: (crying) Because I'm done. (sniffles) I'm just so done. (pause) He's just (ph) He's (inaudible at 00:01:14) (pause) (sobbing) He's so rude and disrespectful. I mean I never met anybody who treats me like that. Especially when you're upset. Like this whole way, like "I just can't even do this. And this is ridiculous."

MALE CLIENT: I wouldn't talk to you. Why? Because you were yelling at me? No, I told you to try and relax so we could talk.

FEMALE CLIENT: (still crying) That's what he says here, but he turned around, "This is my car." I told him, you know, we had to come. And he makes his own choices. Like we're fighting, he turns the car around. He won't let me roll up any window. Like just stupid stuff like that. I don't feel like I have any control in this relationship and he treats me like a child. [00:02:31]

Because I cry he treats me like a child. And he says I'm acting like a child because I'm upset. (sniffles) (sobbing) I'm not a child and you shouldn't treat me that way.

MALE CLIENT: I know you're not a child, Marlene.

FEMALE CLIENT: Then why do you treat me that way?

MALE CLIENT: Because you don't scream at me like a child does.

FEMALE CLIENT: No.

MALE CLIENT: Yes, you do.

FEMALE CLIENT: I do because -

MALE CLIENT: You can't control yourself.

FEMALE CLIENT: Yes, I -

MALE CLIENT: I know you're upset. You need to do what you do when you get this upset. I know you're upset.

FEMALE CLIENT: All I do is cry and I yell, I raise my voice, but he like does not -

MALE CLIENT: But you can't control -

FEMALE CLIENT: he like. Yes I can control it.

MALE CLIENT: Then why don't you ever stop.

FEMALE CLIENT: Because you make me even more upset. You never take accountability for like your part. He likes always turns everything like this is my problem. [00:03:33]

MALE CLIENT: Marlene, don't. I always apologize when I know I'm wrong. I always -

FEMALE CLIENT: (still crying) You apologize when it's too late. When things have escalated. (coughs)

THERAPIST: Let me sort of take a moment here to just try to understand. I saw you guys, I think it was a month ago that I saw you. And you guys seemed like you thought you were on a much better path.

MALE CLIENT: Mm hm.

THERAPIST: So something clearly changed between then and now.

MALE CLIENT: It's like this every other day. Things are fine and then it's the end of the world. It's just how -

FEMALE CLIENT: Yeah, he blames everything on me. Like he takes no accountability to like -

MALE CLIENT: (cross talking at 00:04:17)

FEMALE CLIENT: (still crying) that his actions are what make me upset. And he doesn't want to change. He doesn't want to change for the better. Like it's good when you have like someone to come to. Like we didn't go for months, and then he was accountable and he tried more. But since we weren't going, like he stopped all that. He stopped doing everything.

And like just because I cry and I get upset, like he never thinks that maybe, you know, that's part of what he's doing to me. Like I feel like I'm like all alone in this relationship with him. He just distances himself and he takes no accountability and he pushes like all the blame on me because I'm upset. Like just because I'm upset and I cry. I'm like deeply hurt by him. [00:05:20]

And he (sniffling) fails to recognize like that's something that like we need to talk about. And he just kind of like when you talk to him he like turns it like into my problem and not like our problem.

THERAPIST: When did this most recent fight start? Was this in the car coming here?

FEMALE CLIENT: Well, this morning he got and he went biking. This is what he's been doing with all his free time, he bikes. He doesn't try to work on our relationship, he bikes like for hours. He'll go like to the biking store and spend his money there. Like and then he complains about being broke.

Instead of like trying to better our relationship, this is what he's been doing. And he'll say, "I'll just go out there for a little bit." [00:06:17]

MALE CLIENT: Do you want to let her finish what she was saying?

FEMALE CLIENT: And then -

MALE CLIENT: Because she didn't even get a chance to finish.

FEMALE CLIENT: What are you talking about? She asked me a question.

MALE CLIENT: She asked you a question? Because we're kind of both here.

FEMALE CLIENT: Well this is how it started.

MALE CLIENT: You mean this is why -

FEMALE CLIENT: He's supposed to take out the trash on Tuesday and he went out to bike.

MALE CLIENT: This is what -

FEMALE CLIENT: He took out the smaller trash but didn't take out the trash.

MALE CLIENT: So this is what's on your mind, you mean?

FEMALE CLIENT: This is how we started arguing.

MALE CLIENT: No, no, no. You didn't answer her question. You're basically just saying just saying what's on your mind. You're not Do you understand what I'm saying? No, you don't understand what I'm saying.

FEMALE CLIENT: See he like -

MALE CLIENT: I brought the trash out.

THERAPIST: Well, yeah, I'd asked how I'm sorry go on.

MALE CLIENT: No, I brought the trash out.

FEMALE CLIENT: But he didn't bring the main trash out because it didn't have a bag in it.

MALE CLIENT: You mean the one in our kitchen.

FEMALE CLIENT: Yeah.

MALE CLIENT: The main trash is the one that's next to our car. That has all the trash bags in it.

FEMALE CLIENT: See how he's like (sighs) [00:07:16]

THERAPIST: Let me outline the dilemma I have right now. The main dilemma I have is we have like two or three minutes left.

MALE CLIENT: Yeah.

FEMALE CLIENT: Mm hm.

THERAPIST: And you're clearly into something that's really intense.

MALE CLIENT: Mm hm.

THERAPIST: So I'm trying to sort of problem solve what I could do to help you because I don't like sort of sending you off. But I am in a crunch for time.

MALE CLIENT: Mm hm.

FEMALE CLIENT: Mm hm.

THERAPIST: And I hate to leave you go until next Tuesday.

MALE CLIENT: Mm hm.

FEMALE CLIENT: We will not be here next Tuesday.

THERAPIST: You're done.

FEMALE CLIENT: I'm done. (crying) I'm done. (sniffs) (pause)

THERAPIST: Well let me frame it to you this way, Marlene. Of course, this is your choice. This is your relationship.

FEMALE CLIENT: (crying)

THERAPIST: Even if you feel you're done, talking about being done can be a helpful session too.

MALE CLIENT: Okay.

THERAPIST: So I would certainly -

FEMALE CLIENT: (sniffling)

THERAPIST: Whatever you decide in terms of working on the relationship or no longer working on it, for at least us to meet again, I think, would be very important. And I'd like to help you in whatever way, you decide to stay together or not. [00:08:22]

FEMALE CLIENT: Okay. I'd like that. (sniffles)

THERAPIST: So, I have a few options. One option I'll throw out there. I usually don't do this, but I can give it a try. I have a couple of sessions and then I have a half hour break. I don't know if you guys want to stick around. If you want to stick around and go do something here, I can meet with you for a half hour in like an hour and a half or something. I have to look at my schedule.

So that's option number one because I know that Tuesdays are basically your only day off. I can look at another day early or late but, again, I don't know if that's going to work for your schedule. Or we can wait until next Tuesday. So those are a few options. (pause)

FEMALE CLIENT: What do you want to do?

MALE CLIENT: Why are you asking me?

FEMALE CLIENT: Why not?

MALE CLIENT: It seems like you just made your mind up? Now you want to involve me. It's kind of confusing. [00:09:29]

FEMALE CLIENT: It's just a simple question. What do you want to do? (pause)

MALE CLIENT: This is my only day off this entire week. I have to do things around the house.

FEMALE CLIENT: Do you want to wait or not?

MALE CLIENT: No. I don't want to wait two hours.

FEMALE CLIENT: Okay. So next week. Probably just me.

THERAPIST: Well, I'm here next week at ten o'clock. And I will wait here and whoever wants to come the two of you, you Marlene, whatever I'm here. Okay?

MALE CLIENT: Okay.

THERAPIST: I'm here before that too if you need me. Okay.

MALE CLIENT: Mm hm.

THERAPIST: Okay. Very good.

MALE CLIENT: I'm really sorry we were so late.

THERAPIST: That's okay. I feel bad that I can't offer you more.

FEMALE CLIENT: (sniffling)

THERAPIST: Again, I have a break in two hours.

MALE CLIENT: No no, it's not your fault.

FEMALE CLIENT: That's okay.

MALE CLIENT: It's We should have left a little earlier.

FEMALE CLIENT: We left (inaudible at 00:10:36)

THERAPIST: So this is your card.

FEMALE CLIENT: I'm waiting for the insurance stuff.

THERAPIST: Okay, great. Thank you for that. And so I will see you in some combination next week. If you need to call me beforehand, please do. Okay?

MALE CLIENT: Okay.

END TRANSCRIPT