Therapist N − 7
“Why do you like your aunt Vivian’s stories so much?”
“They calm me down. I don’t know why, but they make the voices go away.”
“The intrusive thoughts.”
“The voices.”
“Auditory hallucinations.”
“You can call them intrusive thoughts or auditory hallucinations or whatever you want, but when Vivian tells one of her stories, they back off. I like that.”
“Do you think that’s because the stories relax you, make you feel less stressed?”
“The voices don’t only come when I’m stressed.”
“But you said they’re worse when you’re stressed.”
“I guess.”
“Are you stressed right now?”
“I don’t know. Aren’t all teenagers stressed?”
“You’re tapping out a pattern on the arm of the chair.”
“So?”
“So that’s a compulsive behavior, Tess.”
“I know. But it makes me feel better and it doesn’t hurt anyone.”
“Does it make you feel better the way your aunt’s stories do?”
“No.”
“So why do you think those stories have such an effect on you?”
“Aren’t you supposed to answer that question?”
“Not really, but I can. I think it’s because of your father.”
“What about him.”
“You said he told you stories.”
“But I don’t remember most of them.”
“Do you remember any of them?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“One.”
“Right, the story about the ogre in the cave.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t you think that connection between your father and storytelling, those happy memories of listening to him, are part of why you connect so strongly to your aunt’s stories?”
“Maybe.”
“Was your aunt Vivian ever there when your father told you the ogre story?”
“Sometimes.”
“So, she heard the story.”
“I suppose.”
“Did she ever tell you that story?”
“Of course not. It wasn’t her story. It was Harry’s.”
“No one else could tell it?”
“No.”
“So that story was like a part of Harry’s identity to you.”
“I suppose.”
“And are Aunt Vivian’s stories a part of her identity?”
“She thinks so.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“She thinks they’re real. She thinks they really happened.”
“And does that bother you?”
“Of course it bothers me. You of all people should know what it’s like to be around people who are insane.”
“Do you think your aunt is insane?”
“Okay, maybe not insane.”
“Then why does it bother you that she believes the stories?”
“Because they’re not true.”
“But they make you feel better.”
“Which makes me feel guilty.”
“You feel guilty because the stories help you, but you think they hurt her?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe they don’t hurt her. Has she ever complained about telling them?”
“No. But if you’re going crazy, you don’t know you’re going crazy.”
“Maybe she’s not going crazy.”
“Then why does she believe the stories?”
“Do you remember what your father told you about stories? You mentioned it to me a few sessions ago and I wrote it down because it made such an impression on me.”
“I remember.”
“What was it?”
“Every story is true…somewhere.”