My first client: The lioness.

This poem is about a mother who suffered from borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia. The mother recently lost custody of her daughter due to her physical abuse of the child. Both were ordered by the court to attend therapy sessions to improve their attachment. As a family therapist, I struggled to keep a balance between empathizing with, and challenging the mother. I wrote this poem and used it in session to help the mother appreciate the effect of her aggressive behaviors on her daughter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
Source: Families, Systems, and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research