If you use your imagination, transform the analyst into a very frail, broadly smiling woman, mid 70s, then this video—from the John Ritter film, Skin Deep—accurately represents the eight years I spent working with Harriet Wilson, LCSW, of Montclair, New Jersey.
Harriet died suddenly in 2005, just before I entered my PhD program. I still miss her mind deeply, and think of her advice often. She taught me that our feelings about our feelings can lead to emotional trouble, and that, because of this, we must be critical of the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves.
In the seven years since Harriet’s death, sticking with a regular therapist has been difficult. She remains irreplaceable.