ABSTRACT
Each new developmental period within the lifespan provides the opportunity to master situations never before encountered. Educational therapists (ETs) work with the children who experience a sense of helplessness, because of their learning problems, but these children will need additional support to face and conquer their anxieties and fears about learning. This chapter presents two vignettes as examples of resistance that threatened the success of the educational therapy, while the ET was forced to work alone. The ET was aware of the backgrounds of the parents she was about to meet: a divorced couple, both remarried and sharing custody. As parents learn about their child's circumstances, they may mourn the loss of a carefree, happy-go-lucky child they had once envisioned. The work of the ET is not solitary; cooperation among the school, the mental health practitioner, and the ET provide a sound foundation.
