ABSTRACT
My reaction to the call was fascination and fury. Joey’s birth aunt/prospective adoptive mother called me to ask about
therapy for her 11-year-old nephew/son. He was exploding and out of control both at home and at school. At other times, he would be the most loving boy. At times, he would cause chaos in the classroom (hitting and swearing), and at other times he would hide under his jacket, or run out of the class and out of the school-sometimes returning and sometimes going home. There was considerable lying. Another problem had been the continual love notes and comments he had made to a girl in his class. Eventually, the school moved him into another class. At other times, he would take a leadership role in the class and would work quite well. Despite all this, the teacher and the principal were both fond of him and very supportive of him. This is what triggered the fascination-what an interesting child to work with.
