She Is the Problem

A man came in frustrated, asking how he could change his wife. What do you want to change her into? I asked. “A frog? A dog? A pug-nosed hog?” I like being a therapist who can "play" with their clients. He did not smile. Ah, a serious guy. I cannot get her to do the things a wives do, he said. She is a slob. Being a slob is my mantra; I only clean up for work, and not that often. So, I kept my face straight and tried to not stick out my tongue. I do not have any idea what she does all day, he told me. She is lazy. Lazy Bones Wife has six children and lives in a trailer. We know how spacious they are. and it is so much fun to clean them. After more complaints about not being able to train the wife, I invited him to bring her with him next time he came. He brought her, but she was not “allowed” to talk. I offered her free individual counseling at the end of this session. He refused it, saying it did not make sense. She was the problem. I encouraged her to come see me if she wanted, but she didn't.