'I Should Have Had A Manicure'

Thais, twenty-one, says “I should have had a manicure,” referring to her drunken stupor last evening. “The guy I liked was flirting with another girl, and I felt terrible, so I wish I had done something nice to myself instead of drinking too much,” Thais continues. “I like the fact that you can reflect on your behavior and see how you might handle that difficult situation in the future. That shows tremendous growth and development. I can see how your feelings were hurt and that you needed to numb them with alcohol, but I also hear that you can also deal with hurt feelings by being especially nice to yourself.” I say, reinforcing how much Thais has progressed in her thinking and reflection over her self-destructive behaviors. Sometimes, psychotherapy is so hopeful.