I begin and pause. Except for the exchange of notable glares, there is no response. Finally, the father breaks the silence. Mom, head hanging, brushes a trembling hand over her lips. Her tears express frustration and fatigue, the hope of family closeness again destroyed by uncontrolled anger.
Reconciliation seems impossible.
Family members pulling away from one another in hate and anger . . . Hurt left unacknowledged and unexpressed . . . The unspoken belief that change will never occur . . . The encounter is a familiar one in therapy. In time, as resentment and emotional detachment grow, anger and faultfinding accusations become the primary means of communication.