| Summary: | Ann Vernon works with a woman who is trying to decide whether to divorce her husband after many years of putting up with behavior that she describes as selfish, impulsive, and disregarding of family needs. She has learned to voice her concerns but has developed a pattern of "giving in," which leads to an absence of consequences and her feeling of being a "pushover." The marriage has been strained by her husband's infidelity, which occured two years ago, and by repeated financial setbacks, including evictions that have forced the family to move in first with the woman's sister and then with her mother. The woman is presently working two jobs, finishing her BA degree, and caring for two children. Her husband is self-employed and helps with family duties. In Session 3, the client reports continued pessimism about finding happiness in her marriage. Her husband has asked to go away with friends to a weekend motorcycle rally. She doesn't approve but understands he has put her in a bind whether she says no or yes. Vernon role plays with the client to help her develop an assertive response that will place the decision back with her husband. They review the marriage in view of the available options: 1) take immediate steps toward a divorce, 2) ask for a separation, 3) stay in the relationship with lowered expectations, 4) stay in the relationship hoping for change. Vernon asks the client to enact the assertive behavior with her husband as homework.
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