Who would study psychology unless they had some issues?!
Chapter 56 - 56 56 Stressors of PTSD

56: Chapter 56 Stressors of PTSD 56: Chapter 56 Stressors of PTSD Excellent.

Nan Zhubin seemed to see a small beast, stripped of its armor and curled up, finally stretching out a part of its body and starting to breathe in the fresh air outside with its nose.

Chen Ting seemed to be in a good state now, so he decided to proceed steadily and make further efforts.

“What we’ve just talked about are all things on the ‘island,'” Nan Zhubin continued to guide, “What about other places?”

Besides the island in the sand box, there was the lake.

“This is the lake surrounding the island.”

Chen Ting pointed to the model inside the blue area and said, “This ship is in the lake, and then behind it is the evil deity, the deity is pursuing the ship.”

At this point, all the models in the sand box were explained.

Chen Ting once again fell into silence.

Nan Zhubin knew that now all the explicit information had been interpreted, and the first stage of the sand box interpretation was considered complete.

Next, he was to start the second stage—using psychoanalytic techniques to interpret the implied intentions of the sand box.

Then, let Chen Ting face her subconscious and her inner self.

…

Besides the island and the lake, there was nearly two-thirds of the sand left.

Out of caution, Nan Zhubin asked first, “Is there anything else left here?”

Chen Ting shook her head, “There’s nothing else.”

Nan Zhubin nodded to show he understood.

He didn’t let his language proceed too quickly, leaving time for buffering and relaxation.

After three breaths, Nan Zhubin asked a key question, “Is there a ‘you’ in this piece of work?”

Chen Ting was a little flustered.

[Breathing accelerated, nostrils flared.]

[Pressing her lips, was she restraining herself from saying something?]

The girl stared blankly at the sand box for a while, “No, no ‘me’.”

Nan Zhubin smiled, recalling how Chen Ting had interpreted the sand box just now, and like he was a bit curious, started chatting leisurely.

He glanced at the [isolated island] and pointed at the lake surrounding it.

“You said earlier that the evil deity was pursuing the ship?”

“Yes?”

“Why is the deity pursuing the ship?”

“…The deity wants to do bad things, this deity, it is Death God.”

“So the people on the ship are fleeing.”

“Yes.”

“Then why don’t the people on the ship flee to the island?” Nan Zhubin pointed at that building, “There’s even a house here, it seems like staying here would be quite comfortable.”

Focusing on Chen Ting’s expression, Nan Zhubin noticed she didn’t show any repulsion or defense towards his words, smoothly being guided into the topic.

She had always been shrouded in a faint fear.

As their interpretation of the sand box progressed, and as the topic deepened bit by bit, their conversation gradually distanced from abstract model symbols and began involving concrete concepts in reality.

However, the fear on Chen Ting didn’t deepen; rather, it sustained itself.

Even as Chen Ting’s attention started being attracted by Nan Zhubin’s questions, this fear further diminished.

“This house cannot be entered.”

“Why?”

“This spider.” Chen Ting pointed at the ugly insect lying on the roof, “It guards this home and would drive away those who wish to escape inside.”

Nan Zhubin questioned, “You seemed to say just now that this spider was good?”

He caught the contradiction in Chen Ting’s narrative, an unconscious conflict she herself hadn’t noticed.

Chen Ting was slightly dazed, “The spider is sometimes good, but sometimes not, after all, it’s still a spider.”

Nan Zhubin adopted a thoughtful expression, “I see, so the people on the ship can’t run to the house.”

Chen Ting lowered her head, “Yes, the people on the ship can’t run to the island, they can only keep moving forward in the lake.”

“Where can they go, into the sea?”

“There is no sea; it’s just a lake, they can only run around the lake.”

Nan Zhubin looked at the small island, and the small lake surrounding it.

If a ship were truly trapped in such a circular lake fleeing, it would eventually be caught by the evil deity behind it, wouldn’t it?

In fact, the [evil deity] styled as a western Death God already had its scythe hanging on the stern of the [ship].

Nan Zhubin glanced around and suddenly acted as if discovering a new continent, “How about letting the people on the ship go ashore, there’s such a big place outside, they could go anywhere, right?”

He swept his palm upward over the sand not occupied by any models.

Indeed, why must the people on the ship head to the island?

There are two-thirds of the sandbox left for people on the ship to ‘escape.’

Chen Ting was in a stupor and after a long pause, she said in a low voice, “Outside, it’s too vast; and moreover, there’s nothing.”

“Also, the ship can’t go ashore…”

“The only place the people on the ship can go is the island, but there’s a spider on the island, so they can’t go ashore; they can only, can only keep running forward, can only run in the lake…”

By the time she said the last sentence, Chen Ting’s voice had turned muffled.

It began to carry a trace of nasal sound.

Nan Zhubin lowered his gaze, letting his voice become even softer, “Earlier, I asked you where ‘you’ are in this piece, and you said there’s no you in it.”

“Now, if we re-examine this piece, who do you ‘feel’ you would be inside?”

Chen Ting listened carefully to Nan Zhubin’s words.

Her voice began to become intermittent, “I, I might be here.”

She extended her finger, pointing to the three dolls in the middle of the small island.

Three dolls, two big and one small, Chen Ting wished to be the one in the middle, the smallest doll.

Nan Zhubin seized on the key point:

“You ‘might’ be here?”

“So that means, you might also be somewhere else?

Where?”

Chen Ting pressed her lips.

“Here.”

This time, her finger pointed to the ship.

That pale, slender hand, like a branch in the north wind, had started trembling uncontrollably at some point.

Nan Zhubin was puzzled, “You’re in two places simultaneously?”

“Because one is fake.”

Nan Zhubin persisted, “Which one is real?”

“This one, is real.”

The hand pointed above the ship.

Intermittent, heavy nasal sounds came to the ear, and at some point, two streaks of tears had already traced down Chen Ting’s face.

She was sobbing.

And Nan Zhubin, exhaled a long breath.

It succeeded.

…

In counseling, “crying” is an important turning point.

It signifies the visitor’s emotions are entering a brief breakdown.

It means every attack the consultant made before hit the mark, having an effect.

And the breakdown of emotions also means one can begin an extremely crucial step afterward—

The reconstruction of emotions.

The topic can also formally and thoroughly circle back from the sand box piece to reality.

…

Nan Zhubin passed a tissue to Chen Ting and waited quietly for a while.

Waiting until Chen Ting’s breath calmed, waiting until her eyes, though still teary, could speak normally.

Nan Zhubin continued along the previous topic, “You’re on this ship, so you’re fleeing.”

“…Mm.”

“Who is pursuing you?”

“…This evil deity.”

Nan Zhubin was dissatisfied with this answer.

“The person on the ship is you.” Nan Zhubin let his voice deepen, “Then who would the ‘deity’ be?”

Silence.

Nan Zhubin waited patiently, and after a long pause finally heard a response.

“…It’s mom.”

Nan Zhubin relaxed inwardly, but showed no sign outwardly, and pressed on, “Anyone else?”

“…Yes.”

Nan Zhubin didn’t press further, he stopped.

He gave Chen Ting time to think, time for the crying her to regain strength.

After a long pause, Chen Ting continued, “It’s Teacher Wang.”

Nan Zhubin called directly, “Wang An, the one I met during the lecture last time?”

“Yes, it’s him… Teacher Wang.” Chen Ting still used the honorific.

“Why do you want to escape?”

Taking a deep breath, Chen Ting looked deeply at the sand box, looking at the dolls, the little boat, the spider, the Death God, and all else inside.

“Teacher Wang is a teacher at Jiang University, very familiar with my dad.

Because I’m taking the independent admission route with separate written and interviews, my dad asked him to tutor me.”

“Mom was very pleased because although my grades are good, there’s still a gap to Jiang University, especially in Jiang University’s law department, where the competition is intense…”

“That was also mom’s dream.”

“I cherished this opportunity and studied very seriously.”

“But, later, I discovered, when Teacher Wang taught the class, he got closer and closer…”

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