"Gaah, I can't believe what I'm doing," David complained. It's been some time since he's been feeling down. "I'm sure Mike's is playing a joke on me right now," he thought while squeezing the calling card in the palm of his hand.
"Hypnotherapy... Is this even a thing?" He took another look at the card. "As if some shrink could stop me from feeling like shit all the time."
"Here goes nothing," David looked up and knocked on the wooden door. After a short while, the door let out a squeaky noise and began to open, revealing a small figure behind the doorstop.
"Welcome!" said the woman cheerfully. "You must be David, right?"
"Y-yeah," David murmured. He's never been good at talking, let alone talking to strangers.
"Come on in! My name's Emily. I'll be your therapist. We are happy to have you at our clinic!"
David accepted Emily's invitation, and entered the room. It was his first time seeking therapy, so he wasn't sure just what to expect. As he entered the room, a small coffee table, a lounger and a chair revealed to his eyes.
"Please, make yourself comfortable while I brew us some tea," Emily informed David, closing the door on the way out, leaving David alone in the room.
"Well, nothing out of ordinary I guess," David thought while looking at the room. "Typical pretentious bookshelves you have when you want to pose as a smartass," he disdained.
David moved to the lounge chair and sat down on it. "Quite comfy I must say," he commented to the nonexistent audience.
After a moment, Emily returns with two cups of tea, which she puts on the coffee table. "Let's begin. What problems are bothering you, David?"
"Well," David clenched his fists. He wasn't good at talking about how he feels. For some bizarre reasons, he never could find just the right words that would fully describe what he's going through. "I think I have low self-esteem, and it's been affecting my life greatly."
"Low self-esteem, huh" Emily thought aloud. "Say, how do you react when given compliments?"
"I-uh," this was a tough one for David. He's often praised at his workplace, but this never had helped him think better of himself. "I... accept them?"
"Really? That's very interesting, David," Emily commented. "Hey, could you pass me my cup?" She asked.
"Sure, no problem," David got up, and passed the other cup of tea to the therapist.
"Thanks, David! You're such a good boy for me," Emily praised David.
"It-it's nothing," David stuttered. He returned back to his chair red with embarrassment.
"Well, David," Emily continued. "If this is how you accept compliments, then I get why you're feeling what you're feeling, because you're not accepting them at all. You're not letting your brain understand and fully get all the positive feelings that come from being praised, and from being appreciated."
David looked down on his legs. He wasn't used to being confronted like that. He felt like a cornered prey animal.
"I believe I'm ready to begin," Emily said. "Ready when you are."
"I'm ready," David murmured.
"Now, David," she continued. "I want you to close your eyes."
"Such a waste of time," David thought while closing his eyes.
"I want you to imagine being on a beach on a sunny day. Imagine yourself walking on the beach sand, feeling the soft friction of the grains of sand against your feet. The breeze gently blowing your hair. The warmth of the sun caressing your body," Emily painted a blissful picture for David.
David didn't have a hard time imagining this scene. After all, he spent the better part of his childhood living in a small fishing town on the coast of the ocean, and used to go frequently on beach walks.