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90th Interview: The interview took place two days after Mrs. Baker had complained to the agency that Harry was refusing to go to school, was spending much of the day in bed, and that his behavior in general had become “impossible.” Interrupting his mother's telephone conversation with Dr. T, Harry had said he could see no value in their conversation, even though he had no objection to his mother discussing him with his therapist.
Harry began the interview by remarking that he understood he was required by law to attend school until he was 16. He would probably return to school, although he would rather work in an office. He did not want to study. He wanted to be independent.
Although his mother was very good to him and he liked staying with her, he felt that they would be better off if they were separated. He “just didn't know how” to get along with her. He had been staying home because he felt better lying in bed than doing anything else. On the whole, though, he was unhappy; he felt that nobody loved him.
Harry did not, as a rule, enjoy being depressed, he said, but he remembered how much better he had once felt after “crying something out.” One solution might be for the therapist to get Harry so depressed that he would cry for a week. In that way, he could solve all his problems and be happy evermore.
The boy had his doubts about that solution, though. When he