Chapter 8. Mom’s Task Copy

“I have a small assignment for you to do at home. Remember when we talked about cues?” you ask Tasha’s mom, as you pull out two sheets of paper. “I won’t see you again for a number of weeks—during that time I would like you to make a list of things you think might be cues for Tasha. Here are some examples.”

You hand her a sample list to look over. She skims it and hands it back. She asks, “So a cue could be something like how, every time we walk down the street where her uncle was killed, her heart starts to race?”

“That’s correct,” you nod in agreement. “The street is probably a cue. Be alert for things like that that Tasha seems to react to, or are connected with her feeling anxious or angry, that could be reminding her of her trauma. So anything like certain interactions, people, memories, or reminders.”

“Anything that I can think of?”

“That’s right. We want to write down as many potential cues as possible, and later we’ll review both your list and her list, so Tasha can pick a few to work on. By practicing those, she’ll learn to address other cues, as well.”

“Looks like I’ll be thinking about you even more than normal,” Tasha’s mother says to her daughter, with a wink and a nudge. Tasha smirks and looks away.