Therapist!leslie - Tumblr Posts - Page 2

jp-todd-rp​:

Jason got ready to argue with her, telling her that wondering about ‘what if’ wouldn’t help him. How could it, when all it did was fill him with resentment towards Willis, his mom and himself for not being there for him. For not being better. For not being good enough to keep them around.

But Jason’s eyes darted to the clock once he saw her subtle glance to her watch.

Time’s up.

Game over, doc.

But her parting comment, made Jason pause. He eyed her suspiciously. ’'What kind of a challenge?”

“It’s more difficult than it seems.” She forewarns him. “But it’s just a thought exercise. I do it myself.”

If she could pitch this right, then maybe, maybe he might come back for another session. 

Taking the blank, moleskin journal from the table between them, she holds it in both hands. “Three things, every day, that you are grateful for. Different things. Every day. It can be something as simple as being grateful that the birds were singing outside. Or more complicated... I’m wondering if you’d be up to trying it between now and... Well, whenever we see each other next.”

She held the journal out to him, waiting to see if he’d take it.

Leslie answered his suspicion simply. "I have no intention of actually reading it. Unless there's something in it that you choose to share. And I can make a point of telling Bruce its off limits to him, if you'd like."

Getting the immediate sense that his next question would be something along the lines of 'what is the point then?', she elaborated. "It is a thought exercise, something for you to sit with and think about. Do it every day, ideally the same time of day, then when you're ready, come back and tell me what you think about doing it. Even if you hated it. Ideally, I'd like for us to continue talking."

Stilling for a beat, she added with a hint of conspiracy in her voice and a quirk of her lip. "And if nothing else, it's an excuse for you to use with Bruce. You did mention he was worried."

jp-todd-rp​:

Jason got ready to argue with her, telling her that wondering about ‘what if’ wouldn’t help him. How could it, when all it did was fill him with resentment towards Willis, his mom and himself for not being there for him. For not being better. For not being good enough to keep them around.

But Jason’s eyes darted to the clock once he saw her subtle glance to her watch.

Time’s up.

Game over, doc.

But her parting comment, made Jason pause. He eyed her suspiciously. ’'What kind of a challenge?”

“It’s more difficult than it seems.” She forewarns him. “But it’s just a thought exercise. I do it myself.”

If she could pitch this right, then maybe, maybe he might come back for another session. 

Taking the blank, moleskin journal from the table between them, she holds it in both hands. “Three things, every day, that you are grateful for. Different things. Every day. It can be something as simple as being grateful that the birds were singing outside. Or more complicated… I’m wondering if you’d be up to trying it between now and… Well, whenever we see each other next.”

She held the journal out to him, waiting to see if he’d take it.

jp-todd-rp​:

Just a thought exercise.

Jason still didn’t trust it, didn’t see the point of it, but he understood what she was offering.

Bruce had expressed his worry. And he’d continue to express his worry if Jason would leave it with only the one meeting; there’d be no telling what else he might make him do to elevate that worry. Leslie was offering… almost like a cover, to keep Bruce off his back.

He couldn’t quite figure out her angle – maybe she really wants to help, idiot – but Jason rose up from his seat, journal still in hand. “Guess I’ll see you next week then, doc.”

Hope bloomed in the wake of his statement and Leslie smiled, whatever his motivation, agreeing to come back in any case was a milestone and she was proud of him for it.

She got to her feet, following his lead. "Excellent. Thank you Jason. And here-" Leslie handed him a slip of paper. "My contact details, if you ever want to get in touch between visits. Better to have them and not need them..."

"Same time next week work alright for you? I can work around any rehersals or clubs you have after school."

Leslie had to admit she had been somewhat unconvinced that Jason would return, so seeing him at her office door was a welcome surprise. “Lovely to see you Jason. Please, come in. Take a seat.”

Busying about offering him something to eat and drink, something she was keen to become a routine occurrence, she added. “How has your week been?” Hopefully a generic way to break the ice given he wasn’t outwardly displaying any particularly strong emotion.

jp-todd-rp​:

Just a thought exercise.

Jason still didn’t trust it, didn’t see the point of it, but he understood what she was offering.

Bruce had expressed his worry. And he’d continue to express his worry if Jason would leave it with only the one meeting; there’d be no telling what else he might make him do to elevate that worry. Leslie was offering… almost like a cover, to keep Bruce off his back.

He couldn’t quite figure out her angle – maybe she really wants to help, idiot – but Jason rose up from his seat, journal still in hand. “Guess I’ll see you next week then, doc.”

Hope bloomed in the wake of his statement and Leslie smiled, whatever his motivation, agreeing to come back in any case was a milestone and she was proud of him for it.

She got to her feet, following his lead. “Excellent. Thank you Jason. And here-” Leslie handed him a slip of paper. “My contact details, if you ever want to get in touch between visits. Better to have them and not need them…”

“Same time next week work alright for you? I can work around any rehersals or clubs you have after school.”

Leslie took her own seat, the door safely shut behind them. The warm smile bled into her voice, echoing his enthusiasm. “I did. That was a particularly nasty trap of his. You did well.” 

She was a little hesitant to make too much of a fuss over his activities as Robin, but she wasn’t about to dampen the grin on the boy’s face. “So it’s been a big week for you then.” Leslie prompted, pulling her notebook into her lap. 

With an offered soda in hand, Jason went down to sit in the same seat he had occupied the week before. His journal, was safely tucked away in the bag he had let drop on the floor. “It’s been good, doc.” Jason smirked, appearing a lot more confident than he felt in her office. “You saw me on the news last Thursday?”

It’d been amazing. Riddler had honestly been convinced that he’d had the upper hand. All cameras on. Bruce’s identity on the line. They’d been under pressure, and Jason had delivered.

Saved the day. Saved Batman.

He’d earned his stripes.

'Batman needs me.'

There was a weight to Jason excited revelation. But not one that she was going to dive in with to start off. "Im glad things went how you wanted them to Jason." It was worth pointing out the good. Noticing positives.

She wondered if he had kept to filling in the journal she had given him in all of the excitement.

"How about the rest of your week outside of the cape. The book report going well?"

Hel–Heck yeah.“

Jason smirked, opening his can of coke. ’‘I told you, doc; being Robin is the best thing that ever happened to me. I can do good. Batman needs me.”

It had earned more than a few notes down in his journal. He was good enough, he was earning his keep as Robin and as Jason. All their worries… he was good. Even Barbara had said so.

Leslie smiled at that, proud of him for doing so well. People often forgot how difficult education was for children and underestimated the effect it could have. But it didn't feel like an issue at the moment.

She nodded, adding a note to her book, tilted just out of Jason's line of sight. "Excellent. And how about the journaling task I set you last week? How have you found it?"

Hel–Heck yeah.“

Jason smirked, opening his can of coke. ’‘I told you, doc; being Robin is the best thing that ever happened to me. I can do good. Batman needs me.”

It had earned more than a few notes down in his journal. He was good enough, he was earning his keep as Robin and as Jason. All their worries… he was good. Even Barbara had said so.

He was glaring at her notepad, but Leslie continued unperturbed. Jason would just need to get used to it. Hopefully after a few sessions, he wouldn't care as much but it only reaffirmed that she had been right to leave it out in their previous session.

"That's great Jason. Well done." She wasn't going to ask to see the journal, that hadn't been her plan. But she did have questions for him regarding it. "How did it feel, purposefully thinking of different things to be grateful for? Was it easy, difficult, talk me through it."

Hel–Heck yeah.“

Jason smirked, opening his can of coke. ’‘I told you, doc; being Robin is the best thing that ever happened to me. I can do good. Batman needs me.”

It had earned more than a few notes down in his journal. He was good enough, he was earning his keep as Robin and as Jason. All their worries… he was good. Even Barbara had said so.

The corner of her lip quirked at his appology and Leslie was reminded again of how young the boy was.

It was with an ignored pang of sadness for the boy that she put her next question to him. Food and shelter and school were not things a boy his age ought to be concerned about. "Do you think its something you could continue to do?" She was curious to see what he would fill it with when those types of answers began to run low.

He was glaring at her notepad, but Leslie continued unperturbed. Jason would just need to get used to it. Hopefully after a few sessions, he wouldn’t care as much but it only reaffirmed that she had been right to leave it out in their previous session.

“That’s great Jason. Well done.” She wasn’t going to ask to see the journal, that hadn’t been her plan. But she did have questions for him regarding it. “How did it feel, purposefully thinking of different things to be grateful for? Was it easy, difficult, talk me through it.”