I didn’t learn very much about myself last week, but I did learn quite a lot about you. On that occasion, you were every bit as stubborn and inflexible as I was. You don’t like being criticised any more than I do. And like me, you especially don’t like being put in the wrong.

You were angry because I was trying to keep control. I was trying to keep control because I was threatened by your anger. I don’t think either of us was listening. It became a clash of wills and nothing more.

I believe the therapist should be more mature, more empathic and more flexible than the client. I believe the therapist should lead by example. I believe the therapist has, or should have, the skills to break an unproductive deadlock.

You are a good therapist and we are a good fit. We have come a long way together. But in my opinion, what you did last week was bad therapy.