Therapist's Office Hours, 11/01

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

Her apartment upstairs is still in some disorder, but the office space downstairs is perfect. It's decorated in soothing earth tones with abstract art on the walls, several comfortable chairs, and a galley kitchen off to one side. Brenda's degrees hang above her desk, and a photo of her with two small girls -- one blonde and one brunette -- sits next to her computer.

Now all she needs is clients. She makes a pot of coffee and ponders advertising.

Comments

late afternoon

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

Paige was walking through town when she saw the new Therapist's office, she needed to talk to someone and someone actually trained to deal with stuff like this made sense.

She walks in looking a little worried

Re: late afternoon

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

Brenda rises from her chair, made a little nervous by her first client.

Unless the girl just wandered in to use the bathroom or something.

"Hi, I'm Brenda Chenowith. Could I help you?"

Re: late afternoon

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

Paige smiles a little "Hi erm do I need to make an appointment I was hoping to talk to someone, you deal with like relationship stuff right?"

She pauses a moment "I'm Paige Matthews by the way"

Re: late afternoon

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

Brenda holds out her hand for the girl to shake, giving her a reassuring smile.

"I deal with relationships, yeah. My specialties are teen and family issues and chemical dependency, but I'm really a general-purpose headshrinker."

"My appointment book is pretty open, so ... just let me know when a good time for you is."

Re: late afternoon

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

Paige shakes her hand "are you free now? Only I'm kinda, I'm in love with two guys and I'm in a open relationship, but I'm really confused." she blurts out

Re: late afternoon

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

Brenda's professional smile becomes slightly puzzled.

"Now is good. Take a seat."

She rifles through her desk until she finds an intake form. "Okay, start by filling this out."

NAME:
AGE:
INSURANCE:
HISTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE:
FAMILY HISTORY:
CURRENT COMPLAINT:

Re: late afternoon

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

Paige sits down and fills out the form

NAME: Paige Matthews
AGE:16
INSURANCE:9868976
HISTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE: I was possessed a few weeks agonone
FAMILY HISTORY: Unknown
CURRENT COMPLAINT: Relationship issues

She hands back the form

"I don't that much about my family history I was adopted, sorry."

Re: late afternoon

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

"No problem," Brenda says, quickly reviewing the data on the form.

"So ... what's going on in your relationship?"

Re: late afternoon

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

Paige takes a deep breath deciding to start by explaining the whole Geoff situation "well I'm in love with a much older man, we were sort off madly in love to be honest, we sort of rushed into things a little and then well he decided we'd got too involved too quickly and we broke up, well we're sort of on a break. Only he wanted me to be free, go out with other people etc so I started dating this other guy closer to me own age, we agreed to take it slowly after what happened with Geoff, I mean the older man, and we also agreed to have an open relationship since the whole point in me breaking up with the other man was that I not be tied down. Only yesterday my new boyfriend told me he loved me and I said it back, only I love them both and it's confusing."

[oatmanspatient.livejournal.com]

Marty comes into the office looking fidgety.

"Um... Ms. Chenowith? My name's Martin Blank. I left you a voice mail last night?"

After Paige leaves

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

Brenda rises to shake his hand. "Martin, yes. How can I help you?"

Re: After Paige leaves

[oatmanspatient.livejournal.com]

Marty takes the proffered hand and sits down.

"I... I was looking to continue my therapy sessions I had started before I came here and... uh, deal with an issue that just came up recently."

Re: After Paige leaves

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

"I hope I can help you with that," Brenda says. "Here, start by filling this out. Oh, and sign this release so I can get your records from your last therapist."

She hands him an intake form and a release.

NAME:
AGE:
INSURANCE:
HISTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE:
FAMILY HISTORY:
CURRENT COMPLAINT:

Re: After Paige leaves

[oatmanspatient.livejournal.com]

NAME: Martin Blank
AGE: 17
INSURANCE: HMO. Lousy Dental.
HISTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE:
Was a patient of Dr. Oatman's in Chicago
FAMILY HISTORY:
Dad - Drunk
Mom - Off her Rocker
Uncle - Thought he was Betty Crocker for a while.
CURRENT COMPLAINT:
Nightmares
Missing period of time from memory
General Anxiety

Re: After Paige leaves

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

Brenda examines the form closely, her lips tight.

"I'm not a medical doctor, you know," she says, looking up. "I have a master's in social work and about half a Ph.D, but if you need medications, I'll need to work with someone else."

She drops into her chair. "So ... nightmares, missing time, and anxiety. And then your family issues. What do you want to start by talking about?"

Re: After Paige leaves

[oatmanspatient.livejournal.com]

"Dr. Oatman was a psychologist, not a psychiatrist. He never presribed me anything. We had a weekly session that he wasn't to thrilled about. I think before we discuss anything else, you should probably know about my former career. It was an issue with my last therapist and I'd just like to get it out of the way." Marty says nervously.

He takes a deep breath.

"I was a professional killer before I came here, but I don't do that anymore. Unless someone tries to kill me and then I may try and kill them back, but overall I'm over the entire killing... thing."

Re: After Paige leaves

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

Brenda's mouth drops open for a second, and she snaps it closed.

"You certainly know how to get someone's attention," she says. "I ... I have no problem treating you, regardless of your past. However, if I ever become aware that it is not past, I will turn you in to the appropriate authorities. Understand?"

She shrugs. "My husband was a funeral director. He got to deal with the end results of guys like you a lot. Honestly, it's not my place to judge the morality of any profession."

[brambless.livejournal.com]

Tara knocks. "Ms. Chenowith? Um, it's Tara. From the phone."

No the *other* Tara. Stupid.

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

"Tara, hi, come in." Brenda smiles warmly at the other woman. "Why don't you fill out this intake form, and then we can talk."

Brenda passes a clipboard over her desk apologetically. "I hate making people do this, but ... you know. Necessary evil."

NAME:
AGE:
INSURANCE:
HISTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE:
FAMILY HISTORY:
CURRENT COMPLAINT:

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"No, it's okay," Tara assures her, taking the form.

NAME: Tara Maclay
AGE: 23
INSURANCE: None. Sorry.
HISTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE: I've had some formal counselling from a psychology student at the school, but I've never seen a professional.
FAMILY HISTORY:

She stops. "Where it says family history, do you mean mental health history? Or just, um, problems?"

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

"Whatever you feel is relevant -- whether it's formal mental health problems, or just a situation I should be aware of in counseling you."

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"Okay," Tara replies, taking a deep breath before writing again.

FAMILY HISTORY: Abuse. Physical, verbal, psychological, and other.
Mother committed suicide.
CURRENT COMPLAINT: Relationship issues; consent and control.

She hands the form back to Brenda.

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

Brenda examines the form. "Not having insurance isn't a problem. I can give you sliding scale rates, or we can work it out another way," she says.

"It looks like you've been handed a heavy load. Where do you want to start talking about it?"

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"On the weekend I met my old girlfriend. Or, um, a different version of her. Not the one from my world. And there's this woman I'm really interested in, but I don't want to bring all my old baggage into my relationship with her, if I even have a chance at having one. So, um, I wanted to talk about my... ex, I guess. If that's okay."

[b-chenowith.livejournal.com]

"Exes can make you crazy," Brenda says, leaning back in her chair. She glimpses the photo of her daughters out of the corner of her eye. "What is the problem with yours? You mentioned "consent and control" -- did that come into play in the relationship?"