Therapist D, Therapist C, and Therapist P have identified (along with my help) Younger Boy's strongest unhealthy coping strategies.  Today we are going to work on them.

He has two very obvious strategies which are tightly woven together.  He uses avoidance and helplessness.  His avoidance mechanism is very strong.  It occurs every time there is an assignment he doesn't want to do.  He has admitted that if he doesn't want to do it he IMMEDIATELY decides that.  The therapists suspect that is why he NEVER knows any of the details about the assignments.  He has already decided they don't exist.

The helplessness surfaces in "no one told me", "I dont' know", and "I don't have the right 'stuff'".

We decided to use EMDR on this.  We have talked THREE TIMES already this morning about how he has THREE current events due on Friday.

Therapist D asked him to think so something he is avoiding.

Here are his responses:

Getting angry.
Putting away his laundry.
Cleaning his room.

No...let's think of something with school.  All of the responses were like questions.

Bring home his PE clothes?
Math?
Reading?

No...what is due on Friday that we have talked about three times during your sessions.

My language arts?

Finally I said "your current events". 

We worked the avoidance of this single assignment with EMDR.  We are going to let them know how it went.

Therapist P pulled me aside as we were leaving and told me that it is fascinating to watch him and how his mind works.

I agree.  I am learning a lot, BUT it is VERY FRUSTRATING to live with this all day every day.