Empathy Beyond Imagination
Ten Short Stories
by
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Imagine, it is the year 2047. Joseph and family are celebrating the 3rd birthday of his grandson, Conrad. Happiness and harmony rule the event.
Now imagine being back in 2017 and you are Joseph’s Psychotherapist. He is attending treatment solely due to pressure from his family, who along with Joseph, have been negatively affected by his alcoholism. He sees no problem and is completely unaware that his life is on the line.
You’re doing your best to keep him in therapy so he’ll recognize the seriousness of his problem. A tall order indeed.
You face this serious responsibility in the isolation of your office, just you and Joseph. Yet, you two are not alone. There are additional seats, however not in the usual sense. Imagine there’s no walls or ceiling to your office. Invisible to mere mortals is an apparition-like, circular row of seating that surrounds you and Joseph. Each seat is next to and slightly higher than the last. They spiral upwards, broadening as they reach endlessly into the sky.
Seated and looking down with piqued interest are Joseph’s prospective descendants. Neither you nor Joseph can see or hear them, yet they are captivated by every spoken word. They loudly applaud your confronting statements, while they agonize over Joseph’s denial.
Tens of thousands of onlookers, fully aware that should Joseph be unsuccessful at attaining recovery from his alcoholism, he’ll die within the year due to a horrific drinking and driving accident. Since Joseph has yet to have children, all his future descendants would fail to be born. Imagine a multitude of souls, rooting and cheering for the success of Joseph’s therapy. One can only imagine their intense engagement, as his success means life for them!
Although you may be a Therapist to one solitary person, the benefits can expand exponentially to others.
How many moments loved by so many are created? A moment is born in 2047, as a beaming Conrad peddles his new tricycle on the colorful slates of his Grandpa Joe’s patio.
The End
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About the Book
How does a small group of Therapists save the world? How does an unbalanced Therapist meet his perfect mate? When does an algorithm aid the process of Psychotherapy? Why is God diagnosed with a Clinical Depression? Empathy Beyond Imagination shares a collection of 10 short stories that will touch your heart and poke your mind. These curious psychological adventures broaden imagination and foster empathy. Bryan C. Hazelton illuminates these polarities: Ordinary and Unconventional Reality and Fantasy Humankind and God Faraway Past and the Present Survival and Loss Devotion and Betrayal Empathy and Disconnect Man and Machine The process of Psychotherapy is seen in a new light as magical influences create novel outcomes. PoeticPsychotherapy@gmail.com www.PoeticPsychotherapy.com www.KlynnWorks.com
About the Author
Bryan C. Hazelton LCSW BCD CASAC is in his 37th year as a psychotherapist. He is pleased to present these 10 unconventional short stories. “Empathy Beyond Imagination” captures an empathic realm of creative reality where ordinary leaves the expected path. Original and novel, these stories call out to both clinicians and other curious folks who wish for their heart and mind to be warmly stimulated. Hazelton’s first book “Poetic Moments in Psychotherapy” is a collection of clinical poems that capture and express authentic moments from his practice. These 58 poems bring the reader to an intersection where words, imagery, psychotherapy and creativity co-exist. They bravely face the complexity of being a therapist in a simple and refreshing manner. Other works by the author include a one-of-a-kind web seminar by the title of “State of Empathy, Country of Imagination, A Visual Tour of Clinical Landscapes.” This interactive seminar is hosted by Klynn Nichol, an animated character who will talk to you during your on-line clinical experience. This seminar playfully highlights two dichotomies: First, the intersection of aesthetic expression and the process of psychotherapy, the second, the value of imagery as well as words in understanding and relating to self and other. Bryan C. Hazelton LCSW BCD CASAC * (recently retired credential) PoeticPsychotherapy@gmail.com w w w.PoeticPsychotherapy.com www.KlynnWorks.com. 516.678.4079 516.318.0569 100 North Village Ave, Suite 32, Rockville Centre, New York 11570