Bert’s therapy/Session 34: Controlapy

Okay, you convinced me.

Of what?

That control addiction is my

biggest problem.

What did it?

Our last session. Afterwards I

realized that I really do feel

like I’m trying to walk

seven dogs at once.

So what do we do now?

Controlapy.

What’s controlapy?

Control therapy. My nickname

for it.

That’s a stupid nickname.

I think it’s catchy.

And I suppose that makes

you a…

Controlapist.

(Sigh.)

And what does controlapy

involve?

Three lessons, basically.

First, what control addiction

is and how it affects us.

We’ve already begun that.

Second, where you personally

are addicted to controlling.

And third, what you can do

instead.

Do?

Yes. There are healthier ways

to cope with feelings than

controlling.

What ways?

There are three of them too:

(1) Surrender, or not trying to

control what you can’t control

anyway.

(2) Responsibility, or focusing

on your feelings and how

to manage them.

And (3) intimacy, or learning

how to be yourself with another

person and allow them to do

the same with you.

And what does controlapy

look like?

You bring in your daily

experiences and your feelings

and I decide which learning

we need to focus on.

Isn’t that controlling of you?

I suppose so.

But also contralapeutic.