Psychology Today | 10.04.2026 02:59
I knew I had only one shot at helping this family. The 12-year-old girl had been slapped by her stepmother and appeared in school with a reddened cheek. The child welfare worker scheduled a family assessment with me, the father and stepmother, the girl, and the parents' two younger children. The mother was, as they say, out of the picture. I wanted the point I would try to make to be immediate, lively, and engaging. I walked into the consulting room, introduced myself, and noted that if the oppositional girl caused any trouble, I would handle it by slapping her.
