Temperament Counseling The Big Bad Wolf: Second Installment
In the first segment of this series, I introduced you to an exchange from an initially counseling session with the Big Bad Wolf. Now I would like to lay some of the ground work which brought about this exchange.
Case Information
- Sex: Male
- Name: Big Bad Wolf (aka. BBW)
- Age: 35
- Present Marital Status: Married
- Children: None
- Employed: Construction Demolition
Reason for Seeking Counseling
- Wife was threatening divorce if he didn’t come to counseling
- He wanted to help her through her problems
Overview
His Arno Profile System (A.P.S.) report indicated that he was:
- Supine Compulsive in Inclusion
- Phlegmatic Melancholy in Control
- Phlegmatic Sanguine in Affection
Her A.P.S. report indicated that she was:
- Melancholy in Inclusion
- Melancholy Compulsive in Control
- Phlegmatic Supine in Affection
Session Notes:
I first met BBW and his wife Javalina at a community action group where I was speaking. The group disbanded and they both shared with me that the director was too controlling, and had killed the group because of his leadership style. I was not long after I got to know Javelina that that she asked to see me and confessed that she and her husband, B.B.W., were having marital problems. He denied the problems and explained that Javelina had low self-esteem and needed to be grow up and get control of herself. He said the abuse in her past was insignificant and Javelina made too much of the issue. She said that he didn’t want to talk about it, but “brush it under the rug and pretend that it was okay.” After talking with him, I realized she was probably right.
Initially her reasons for counseling were more to recover from the abuse than salvaging the marriage. Javelina had a great sense of humor and made those around her laugh at more delicate personal subjects (such as her abuse). Her style of communication when talking about serious subjects, was humor.
She was abused by her uncles, brothers, and friends of the family. She said it was not uncommon, living in the rural areas of West Virginia. During the exchange I recorded BBW controlling her with phrases like “you are so dumb” or “you’ll never be anything but a freak” or “you just missed it at birth.” She believed him. He did not see that he was any part of the problem. When she brought up counseling, he said she was the one with problems; she should go to counseling.
In the next installment I address what finally brought about BBW’s agreement to attend counseling.
Would you happen to have a graphic that would make this post?
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