My first client

My first client entered my small office. She was a twenty-year old part-time college student named Rachel Sheerer. Rachel was average height with well tanned skin and platinum blonde hair. Her hair was pulled into a tight pony tail that hung down to her middle back. She was very pretty but wore a bit too much make up for my taste. She wore khaki shorts and a tight dark green tank top that showed off her C cup breasts nicely. She had a rose tattooed on her left shoulder and multiple ear piercings. I introduced myself and led her to an easy chair while I sat in a leather chair in front of her. I picked up a note pad. "So, you have problems with cigarettes," I said, "how long have you been smoking?"

"Oh, I don't know," she said, "I smoked a bit as a teen then I was a social smoker for a few years, you know like smoking when at a club or drinking with friends, but I started smoking a lot more recently."

"What triggered that, and please be honest and open with me. It'll help me get to the root of the problem and help you quit sooner."

"About a year ago I got a job as a receptionist for a law firm. Right after that, I stared dating one of the senior partner's son. He was a real nice guy and everything you know, but he was a bit boring."

"Boring?" I asked, "how so?"

"You know, he hated clubbing and stuff and would rather go see movies or have a quiet night in, so after a while I got bored, and...." She looked nervously down at her wedge heels.

"And?"

"And I cheated on him with an ex-boyfriend," she said softly.

"Go on," I said.

"Well, my ex is real you know a player I guess and he loves going out and doing stuff like that. Anyway, after a few months, my boyfriend Mike caught me, and dumped me, and right after that I was fired. That was like five weeks ago. I guess the guilt of cheating on Mike made me start smoking more, but after he broke up with me and I was fired, I started smoking more. Then I started dating Davey, the guy I cheated on Mike with, but I found out HE was cheating on ME with another girl so I dumped him, and started smoking more."

"For someone who lost her job, you look like you're still a regular at the tanning and hair salons," I thought. "Well, I can help you," I said. I got up and walked behind her. "I'm going to do something to help you relax. Just close your eyes and take deep breaths."

"Oh, OK," she said. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. I took her earlobe between my thumb and forefinger and pulled. She went into a trance.