After small talk about the weather and such prior to a session it doesn’t take long before T is ready to switch into clinical mode. He usually gives me a sign with his silence, eye contact, a wee smile, and then the nod. Simultaneously, he asks, "What's up?" That’s the time I know he is totally focused in on me and what I have to say.

I found myself doing and saying the same thing today when a work colleague dropped in for a visit before his meeting with HR. P was stressed out about the "Please explain" letter posted to him relating to an incident at work.

It was interesting to watch the therapy process in action from my perspective as a witness to P's dilemma. While listening to him tell his story, P validated his own feelings, and came up with some good answers to possible questions he might be asked by HR. In the end P was confident his actions during the incident were appropriate, and in fact felt he had nothing to worry about. He was ready to defend himself from false allegations.

When we can put our own problems aside, and use a wee bit of insight, empathy, and a tad of intellect we are T's.