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My Girlfriend Cosplays Supergirl (w/KiraMusani)

Noel gave a gentle wave to Kara as she left taking a breath after the door shut and turning to face Dr. Brinker.
"Okay, what would you like in your tea?" She asked as she prepared her own tea which had nothing extra in it.

Noel would then prepare Brinker's tea, (if she wanted one) and sit at the table, placing the tea(s) down before taking another deep breath.
"Umm, should I start or?"
 
Brinker thanked Noel for getting her tea too, and took a sip before looking over to Noel.

"New therapist, dear, we do goals and plans first. Then if there's time, we can talk about what you've been through in therapy before. I'm hoping I'm the last new therapist you have and you won't have to go through this part again." She motioned to her laptop. "What are the goals you plan to get from therapy? What are your plans moving forward or when you no longer have therapy?"
 
Noel placed her tea down on a saucer and took a deep breath.

"Well, I am hoping to gain some social confidence, like right now whenever I am around a lot of or new people I feel suffocated like I am walking on eggshells. I umm also would love it if I didn't have night terrors anymore, last night was okay but it was pretty exhausting in the hospital." She replied, pausing for Brinker to reply.
 
Brinker nodded as she typed and glanced up over her reading glasses. "Well... That actually leads into the next question we're required to ask, although I know the real reason you were in there. "In what way can I help you stay out of the hospital?"
 
Brinker thought about that. "Well, that's the physical aspect... But the question refers to mental. And asks how your therapist can also help you stay out of the hospital, meaning the psyche ward. I'd have no control over whether you choose to go running in the dark." She gave a friendly smile and calm voice, to keep Noel calm.
 
"Oh..." Noel paused for a moment, thinking.
"I guess, somehow get me to stop having violent outbursts from panic attacks, or whatever it is that happens, sometimes I blackout for them a little.." She replied, ashamed.
 
Brinker nodded and typed, taking another sip of tea. "Let's break down the goal a little more. Right now that's one big pie, and neither of us look like Shaggy from Scooby Doo, who could swallow it whole." She gave a friendly wink. "Social confidence is a broad field. What are some ways, without taxing yourself, do you think you will be able to achieve that goal?"
 
Noel tried to think for about a minute.
"Umm, I uhh... I don't know, I have never really been confident like that before, I don't know if I can" She admitted.
 
Brinker, looking over to Noel in surprise, stated something that was obvious to her, but might not have been to Noel. "Maybe because you never got the chance to learn from those who only have one track minds."

She took a deep breath. "Let me explain my hypothesis. When your dad was teaching you to defend yourself, he wasn't thinking about your ability or need to get along with others. From what little I could comprehend from the reports from your previous therapist, and what little you have told me thus far... It wasn't about people who could help you, you were taught you could only trust yourself... Until you met Kara, you didn't know any better. You thought that was true. All the boyfriend, or rather supposed boyfriend, did was confirm what you were taught in defending yourself. We're not going to get into how you've been treated by family as that isn't too relevant to how you react to those OUTside your family. I can show you how it ties in later. Finally, those who were supposed to take care of your mental health prior weren't concerned with making you better, or even helping you cope. If anything, they exasperated the situation and distrust of people by constantly keeping you bound... Which is why you, ah, pardon the layterm, freak out, whenever you are in a position where you have no freedom of movement. Noel, honey, I saw no sign of this among your diagnoses, probably to hide signs of abuse from them... But you have PTSD. It's as clear as my love to play characters to help kids victimized. I can also tell by the little bit you have been able to tell me, and the fact I scared you as the cartoon version of Princess Zelda."
 
Noel just sat there and took it all in, she didn't know if she was right, but she certainly sounded like she knew what she was talking about. And it all made sense the way she said it, though it was hard for Noel to see all that in herself, was she more broken than she thought? PTSD? Trust issues? it all made sense but Noel found it a hard pill to swallow.
"So, w-what does that all mean? how do we fix it- er me?" She asked her tone soft with a hint of fear.
 
Brinker shook her head sadly. "What it means is that because of others, whose actions you cannot control, taking advantage of their authority over you in an abusive way, it put you in your own private war. Literally.

You know how military veterans tell of the horrors of armed conflicts they took part in, correct? How many of them have what is called flashbacks? It wasn't until more recently that we learned that children who are extremely abused (there are many ways this can happen), go through something similar if it goes on for years."

Brinker took a breath and a drink of tea. "It's no easy fix. You're taking the first step by allowing me to be your new therapist. That's what it's going to take. An understanding worker to come along beside you for encouragement. However, it's not a one way street. You have to be willing to communicate, and that means about some heavy duty crap that you've gone through on all fronts. It won't be easy, Noel, or quick, but if you stick with it, you can help me help you."
 
Noel was almost frozen as she heard Brinker speak. Was her upbringing so bad? she knew her parents loved her, she certainly loved them. They never beat her, sure she was treated a little different than her brothers, but it's because she was a girl, they just wanted to protect her, right? Perhaps Brinker was wrong? Noel thought.

"Are you sure? I umm, I don't know if... maybe it wasn't all that bad.." Noel spoke uncertain of herself, her arms held in front of her chest in a defensive posture.
"It's mostly just the kidnapping, isn't it? that's the problem?" She asked, sounding almost a little desperate for that to be the case, though clearly not convinced.
 
Brinker watched Noel as her words were considered. "Please tell me where I err, Noel. You seem puzzled. What was your childhood like from your own perspective."
 
Noel paused for a moment and thought, her eyes darting around a little.
“Okay, I mean, I got to spend lots of time with my Mother and Father, they were I think tough but fair, and very loving. They wanted to keep me safe all the time so they homeschooled me while my brothers went to private schools. Since there were so many boys in the house I got privacy since my room was detached from the house.” She said pausing again as she went over what she had said in her head.
“Umm what? I mean do you want to know stuff like eating habits or? What I was taught and stuff?” She asked.
 
Brinker rubbed her chin for a moment after typing in what Noel had said. She let out a hum as Noel asked her question. "Don't need to quite go into that much detail, but I need to see if I got this straight... Are you saying your room was separate from the rest of the house?"
 
Noel nodded.
“Yeah, in like a separate little house, on the same property. It was for my privacy. Even had its own bathroom” she explained trying to defend it.
 
Brinker sighed. "Noel. What other sisters do you know are separated completely from the entire family like that? Separated from their brothers AND the parents? Did you eat meals with them, or were those away from them, too?"
 
Noel got a little closed off from that question, holding both hands in front of her chest held together.
"Well, umm I don't really know any others with siblings like me, and uhh, y-yeah we all ate together, and I would train and learn in the main house, it was really just my things, like my bed and stuff that was in the other place" she explained.
 
Brinker could only scratch her head. This was very confusing, even for her. How could she help if what she focused on wasn't logical. Separated from the house for what exactly, if she could eat and train there. It didn't make sense. Clearing her throat, she tried a new approach. "Did you have a curfew when you had to be in your separate quarters?"
 
Noel nodded.
"Yes, I had a time I had to be in bed by, isn't that normal, I mean it wouldn't be good to be up all night. Even the Zorel's have one for Kara"
 
Brinker shook her head. "They're under the same roof. I'm asking if you had a set time you had to leave their house or roof for your own roof? Or was that the same time?"
 
Noel paused to think for a moment before she answered.
"Well I had to be in my bed by nine, so out of the main house by at least a minute before that I guess"
 
Brinker grimaced as it wasn't exactly what she was hoping to hear. "Sorry, Noel... I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that your room was separate from the house, when that isn't normal behavior, yet your dad practically trained you to believe that it is. Families normally have any child under 18 under the same roof, room and all. That has to be why you have difficulty with being sociable. You were trained to keep yourself separate, and I'm afraid you were taught wrong. Think about it. Homeschooled? Only training with your brothers? Did you ever actually PLAY with your brothers? A family game night? And I mean actual board games or cards or something like those."

Brinker couldn't picture this kind of isolation being anything but detrimental. No wonder Noel really didn't have any social graces. She was never taught they existed, it seemed.
 
Noel seemed to really think.
"One time, well umm, do movies or like watching sports count? I did that with my dad and brothers" she asked, seeming unable to think of a game.
 
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