Madeleine* came to counseling because her mother was concerned about her crying a lot. She was becoming very anxious and had a hard time separating from her mother. Mom was a single mother and, after several years on her own, was trying to date. Madeleine would cry and beg her mother not to leave the house and several evenings out were cancelled at the last minute in an attempt to appease her daughter. On the evenings she was able to go out, Madeleine’s mother was overwhelmed with guilt knowing her daughter would be lying in bed awake until she saw her mother had returned home.

Jeffrey’s parents were at the end of their rope. Teachers at school were reporting that Jeffrey* was acting out in class and was becoming unruly. His favorite aunt was saying that he was a real terror. Jeffrey’s parents had to admit that his outbursts of anger scared them too. When his irritability escalated to rage, the whole family had to attend to him.