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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Hello, Doctor Balis.
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Dr. Balis:
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Good morning, Nina. Please come in.
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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I can't stay long today, Doctor Balis. I'm really sorry.
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Dr. Balis:
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Why not?
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Mr. Utterman needs a proposal edited and finalized. I have to do all the formatting and make sure it fits with all the company's standards. He also needs some overheads created. It takes a while to get all the color copies made, so I need to get them done as soon as possible.
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Dr. Balis:
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I see. Well, I appreciate your effort to make your appointment today, Nina. How long will you be able to stay?
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Well, Mr. Utterman doesn't even know that I've left the building.
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Dr. Balis:
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Does he know of your therapy appointments?
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Well, he's usually not in the office at this time--he has a senior staff meeting. He doesn't even realize that I'm gone.
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Dr. Balis:
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It might be a good idea to make him aware of your appointments. I'm sure he'd understand...
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Uh, I'd rather not, Doctor Balis. He doesn't need to know, does he? I think that I might end up losing my job if he thought I was a nut case...uh, not that everyone who sees you is a nut case...I mean...
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Dr. Balis:
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It's quite all right, Nina. I know what you mean. But it might be possible that his reaction would be a favorable one--SII has been very good about letting its employees seek...
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Really, I'd rather that he didn't know.
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Dr. Balis:
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All right. Nina, if you have a few minutes, I would like to ask you a few questions.
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Okay, I guess.
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Dr. Balis:
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If you could chose, what would be your dream profession? What could you do that would make you feel comfortable?
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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I would prefer almost anything where I didn't have to deal with people so much. I hate answering the phone all the time. Some of the people are so pushy. Even the sales people in our department are pushy. I always feel like the sales department welcome mat: come on in, grab your messages, walk all over me, and then be on your merry way.
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Dr. Balis:
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I see.
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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I think I'd like a job that would allow me to work at home. I hate having to go out to work. I'd much rather be at home.
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Dr. Balis:
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Do you feel that way about other tasks you need to perform outside of your home such as grocery shopping or running errands?
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Well, sure. Life would be much easier if I never had to leave the house. I guess I can have my groceries delivered at home. And I can order clothes from catalogs. There are all sorts of other home delivery things. Did you know that you can order your meals over the Internet from this place called CyberMeals? You can even do your grocery shopping online. There's a company called PeaPod that works with local grocers and handles it all. It's kind of like TakeOut Taxi or Restaurants On The Run, except these are not on the Internet.
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Dr. Balis:
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Hmm. You sound like you've researched this issue. What keeps you from staying home all the time?
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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My mother. When I was a kid, she'd lock us all out of the house in the Summer and tell us that if the sun was shining, we had no business being indoors. I hated it. I used to bring my books outside and read until dinner time. Alba thought I was crazy to want to read all day, but she sat with me and read to me sometimes.
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Dr. Balis:
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Hmm.
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Reading is a wonderful way to experience the world, especially parts of the world I'll never visit.
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Dr. Balis:
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I agree.
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Doctor Balis, why am I so afraid of people?
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Dr. Balis:
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Are you afraid of them or are you afraid of yourself?
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Hmm. Of them, I think. I've read books about raising horses, touring Paris, women's liberation during the industrial era of America, double agents during World War II....but it all seems so distant. Even though I know these books are relating historical information, it feels like a fantasy to me. I don't think I can ever be part of the world I've read about.
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Dr. Balis:
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Why do you think this is true? Why do you think you feel this way?
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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I don't know, Doctor. I really don't.
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Dr. Balis:
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Perhaps we can work on allowing you to become a more active participant rather than just an observer of people and events around you.
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Hmm, I'll think about that, Doctor Balis. Oh my God! Look at the time! Oh no! Doctor Balis, I'm so sorry, but I really have to go. I didn't realize that so much time had gone by. I hope Mr. Utterman didn't leave his meeting to look for me. I really need to go.
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Dr. Balis:
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All right, Nina. Good luck with the project.
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Ms. Alvidrez:
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Thank you. I'll see you in two weeks, Doctor Balis. Thanks for understanding.
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Dr. Balis:
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Goodbye, Nina.
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###
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Doctor Balis' Notes on this Session
Transcripts of Nina Alvidrez's Communications
