Every Friday at four Lori meets with four other colleagues to discuss issues in their respective practices, as well as “ourselves in relation to our patients” (236). This time she shares her thoughts about Becca, a 30-year-old patient who never opens up, yet always feels rejected and ignored. As a person, she has no curiosity about herself, which makes her a difficult patient. Lori is aware that patients replicate their relations from the outside world with the therapist, but it is frustrating that she cannot reach her, and feels her countertransference (therapist’s biased feelings and opinions) is getting in the way. Her colleagues advise her to end therapy with her, which she reluctantly agrees to do.

Therapy is most effective when patients are getting better from the initial crisis and become “more present, more able to engage in the work” (247), even though many people stop going to therapy once they feel superficially better. Lori shares her feelings of boredom and frustration about Becca with Wendell, who indicates he feels similarly towards Lori, because “he can’t quite reach me because I’m not allowing him to” (249).