Tuesday morning therapy for Younger Boy.

Each week I walk away from the Attachment and Trauma Center with a new appreciation for how the brain works to protect us.

This morning...fascinating again.

What I learned today is that Younger Boy is TERRIFIED of giving the wrong answer to a question.  The questions we were asking weren't a big deal.  Not even really therapy questions. 

We got on the topic of whether certain things had sugar in them.  He was terrified to answer.  Does a cookie have sugar?  He would just sit there and almost start to cry.  You could see he was SCARED to answer.

Therapist C and Therapist D have begun to notice Younger Boy does "very little" thinking with his common sense/logical brain.  They have been very complementary about the way I try to teach the common sense thinking.  This week our homework is for me to ask common sense questions and for him to work on answering and not worrying about whether or not he is wrong.

We talked about food hoarding and survival brain.  We talked about healthy food and trusting parents to make sure you eat.  We talked about past homes and if he had to take care of himself for meals or if someone else did it for him.  We talked about whether or not that makes you a "bad kid".  (He thinks it does.)

I am learning so much.  Sometimes when I think about it I get sad for all of the things the boys have been through.  Ultimately though we can't let that define our relationship.  Our relationship is about healing and here and now.

Praises for amazing therapists.  Praises for finding someone who can get through to Younger Boy.  Prayers we can find someone who can get through to Middle Boy in that same way.