Progress

I've been noticing how well I deal with my client who's a compulsive talker - I mean non-stop. I've been observing how I'm feeling while with her (which is 10 hours a week!). I realize why she is like this (obsessive-compulsive), she has too much nervous energy and she talks just to get rid of that energy. I'm sure it also keeps her from dwelling too much on her physical pains.

I've started to feel a curious sense of detachment while half listening to her in case she asks a question. I've found myself thinking w/o emotion 'she's doing her usual monologue, it's a wonder she can breathe', and noting it as a simple fact.

I'm also much less annoyed by the fact that she's a compulsive shopper. She buys things she already has, and things she'll never use. She has boxes of things she's bought which have never been opened. This is surely just a comfort thing. Many shopaholics do this to fill their empty lives.

All that said I still feel a sense of relief when I'm done with her for the day, especially when I won't be seeing her the next day.