Group Discount Therapy

One of my co-workers recently gave me a cartoon in which a therapist is sitting in a chair and on the couch next to him are people piled on top of each other. There must be ten or twelve of them. Underneath the picture it says Group Discount Therapy. It makes me laugh when I look at it for two reasons. First of all, I am one of a hand full of people in this organization without a Masters degree in Forensics Psychology - in fact 75% of the people here are from the same program. Secondarily, I think that largely the people that go into Psychology are people who actually need a therapist. The third reason that this cartoon is funny is that even if we were all mentally and emotionally strong people walking into this place, we would all need to pile on that couch together at some point and time! Besides, isn't therapy more fun with someone underneath you?

My "Little" asked for hot dogs for dinner last night. She and I are addicted to turkey dogs and she is pretty adamant in how she wants them. Cut up with some ketchup on one side of the plate and mayo on the other. She ate all the hot dogs, all the ketchup, and then did not touch the mayo. I asked her why and she said that some days she wants mayo and some days she does not, but she wanted the choice. I thought that was funny and good for her for knowing that she has the right to change her mind. But then today I had meetings all morning and was heading back to the office when I thought I would swing by her school and give her a hug and a kiss as I knew it was lunch time. So I walked into her class and she was crying. Apparently, she had asked for mayo - which the teacher put on her sandwich, then decided she did not want mayo, and then cried when the teacher threw the mayo packet away. Granted, she had to get up early this morning and was tired, but I had to tell her that the mayo was on her sandwich and only the empty packet was in the trash. So I sat down with her and the little boy sitting next to her said, she cries like a baby. So, without thumping the little boy in the head - and let's start with the fact that I have known this little terror for a few years and do not like him in the least, I explained that sometimes things are frustrating and we get too tired to resolve issues the way we should by using our words. I talked to the teacher (who according to the owner of the school, I make nervous anyhow) and told her that my "Little" is very logical, a trait she inherited from her father, unless she is over-tired and then she gets emotional and insane, a trait she inherited from me! Lucky Girl!

So then let's get into the teacher issue. This is not the first time I have been accused of being initimating, which I think is ridiculous. There could not be a more approachable person in my mind. I am focused and direct, but friendly and giving. I am a business woman though and so I guess I could see it. I would really like some comments on this because at the end of the day, I am not sure I like the idea that I come off strong.