us down like wearing an extra hundred pounds on our chests. It’s always good to take that weight off. Plus, when it comes to relationships, we have a bad habit of believing we already know everything about our partner, so we draw conclusions about them or their reactions to things, and nine times out of ten, we’re wrong. It’s not that we don't know our partners, it’s that we naturally draw negative conclusions when we view the fact that we’re keeping a secret as something negative. When we tell the truth, we’re often surprised at how well our partner takes it, and that’s usually because they don't view things as negatively as we do. I always tell my patients never to guess. Always communicate and get the answers out in the open. Rarely does that ever backfire, unless what you're hiding breaks the foundational rules of your relationship.”
Becky and Sean smile together, both of them nodding in agreement. Becky looks completely enthralled by what I’m saying, and I find myself wondering what Sean has told her.
“So, Becky, first of all, I really want to thank you for being here,” I tell her. “Your presence lets me know how supportive you are of Sean, and that’s awesome. If there’s one thing I can tell you, it’s that this man is completely and totally in love with you.” Becky’s smile nearly makes the lights flicker. “He really is, and I’m anxious to find out how you felt about Sean opening up to you about therapy and his feelings.”
Now it’s Becky’s turn to lean forward. Sean sits back and puts his arm along the back of the couch, allowing Becky to take center stage..
“Well, the first things Sean told me were his feelings towards Dr. Bishop. I assume he’s mentioned him here?” I nod, and Becky goes on. “Right, well, that part was a shocker for me, because he was right that Dr. Bishop had hit on me, but he was wrong in thinking I would give in to that. He apparently let it drive him nuts, but this whole time he’s been wrong, so I was glad he said something and we were able to get those thoughts out of his head. I guess I have you to thank for convincing him to tell me how he was feeling. Now he knows I would never get with a jerk like Dr. Bishop, or anybody else for that matter. I love Sean too much to ever do anything like that.
“As for him coming to therapy,” Becky continues. “I was surprised by that, too. He just never seemed like the type of person to go to therapy, but I did notice when things started to turn around. He started acting different, and it stood out. I didn't know exactly what it was, but he had a new confidence in him, and I definitely found it fascinating.”
“Confidence is everything,” I chime in now. “And that’s all Sean was struggling with. He had a lapse in confidence, which happens so often to people, but most people don't seek help. Sean did, and he was able to break through his issue much faster than if he would've dwelled in it on his own.”
“I really have to thank you for that, Dr. Colson,” Sean speaks up. “I was struggling there for a little bit, and you really did help me climb out of that hole just by talking me through it. You helped me out big time, and I really appreciate it.”
“It was my pleasure,” I say with a smile that goes much deeper than my face. It travels down my throat and connects to my heart, because moments like this are the reason I became a therapist. It’s always nice to help someone out.
“I want to thank you, too,” Becky says before the two of them laugh together, because they’ve obviously talked about this before coming here. “You really helped Sean, which really helped us. He's so much more confident in himself and in bed. It’s made a huge difference to me, too. It’s part of the reason we’re both here today instead of just Sean.”
I let myself chuckle a bit before saying, “You’re welcome.” Now, however, I sit up in my seat and pay attention, because I was curious as to why Becky would show up at the end of Sean’s treatment. Knowing couples the way I do, I knew it was either to say thank you the way she just did, or to engage in