Patient #307 continues to be cooperative during all sessions and we have had no further behavioral issues. However, he continues to act as if he has leverage in his situation. His attempts to get me to divulge personal information have increased in frequency and intensity. It is possible that he is forming a bond of trust and wants to feel that it is reciprocated. However, he appears to be trying to engage in a power struggle.
I have of course offered superficial and appropriate self-disclosure in the interest of building rapport, but the patient often seems to have motives that go beyond mere friendliness.
[Note from the Stranded Investigator: This is another portion that Dr. Parce said out loud on the tape recorder but didn’t include in the patient’s medical file.]
I must admit to feeling highly disturbed at these attempted intrusions. Since learning my date of birth, Patient #307 has been repeating “three-two-five-one-four” every time he is escorted to my office. I am not sure what significance he sees in this.
This morning he asked if I was married. I dismissed his question as I normally do, but he would not let the conversation proceed until I yielded and disclosed my status as a widower. Then he asked me what my late wife’s name was. That question I flatly refused to answer, but I could not hide my distress and I believe he noticed it. 307 did not press the issue further, but such interactions are detrimental to the dynamics of the psychologist/patient relationship.
I cannot remember my wife’s name, nor can I picture her face. Perhaps it is time I get my own cognitive function evaluated. I am not as young as I used to be, after all.
[The documentation picks back up at this point. – S.I.]
I will use more caution in the future and continue to ensure professional boundaries are maintained in my work with Patient #307.
Dr. John T. Parce