Moments in Family Therapy

"Claudia (teenage identified patient in family therapy) seems pretty alive to me," I said.  "I like the fact that she's angry and fighting with her parents rather than taking the anger out on herself.  I feel that Claudia is very stressed, but that suicide right now is an option that she keeps open rather than an obsession.  As a fantasy, it seems very much a part of her battle with her parents."  I summarized.  "She doesn't feel suicidal to me."  Claudia seemed to brighten with the words.

From The Family Crucible:  The Intense Experience of Family Therapy by Augustus Y. Napier with Carl Whitaker