Let’s Explore That More
After working with a client for two months on his substance use during inpatient treatment, I thought he was making real progress. He’d had a lot of real change talk and had started discussing his goals for the future.
The next session he told me that the reason he had so many issues in his life wasn’t because of his habit, but his mother. I listened and thought maybe something deep was about come out from his childhood or his relationship. Nope, I was so, so wrong.
He said, “If my mom wasn’t so awful, I would be living in her house right now.” I asked why exactly she wouldn’t allow him to currently live with her, and he said, “because she won’t let me take hard stuff in the house.”
And he just kept going: “I don’t understand! That’s like telling her she can’t take her heart meds!” Internally, I was like, “Um what!? That substance will destroy you, and you are comparing that to your mom’s heart medications!? You were so far past this yesterday!”
But what came out of my mouth was, “Okay, let’s explore that a little more.” Story credit: Reddit / MrsAHole