“Because you never ask,” Elena whispered. It was her first voluntary sentence in two sessions.
Tom shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. “I didn’t know she was crying.” Family Therapy - Clips4sale - Bailey Base - The...
Dr. Marlene Voss adjusted her glasses and glanced at the clock. 2:58 PM. The Henderson family was due in two minutes. She reviewed her notes: Father (Tom, 52, workaholic), Mother (Lisa, 49, anxious), Daughter (Elena, 17, withdrawn), Son (Jake, 14, acting out). Reason for referral: “Constant screaming at home. Elena won’t speak. Jake broke his bedroom door.” “Because you never ask,” Elena whispered
Jake went first, surprising everyone. “What no one understands is that when I broke the door, it wasn’t anger. I heard Mom crying in her room after Dad left for his business trip, and I couldn’t reach her. I panicked.” “I didn’t know she was crying
Silence. Then Lisa burst into tears. “We can’t do this anymore. Last week, Elena locked herself in the bathroom for six hours.”
Tom’s jaw worked. He set his briefcase on the floor for the first time. “I hear… we made her feel like she was the battlefield. Not the daughter.”