Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 114 Academic Difficulties
"The last time I came, I was looking for a teacher to ask about my studies."

Nan Zhuren glanced at the consultation record from the last consultation with the teacher and concluded that Zhang Lu had "academic anxiety".

"It's a question about studying." Nan Zhuren echoed, repeating the question to show that he was listening attentively.

“Yes.” The visitor’s gaze met Nan Zhuren’s for a moment.

She explained, "That's right, my grades weren't very good. When I got into the school, I barely made the cut-off score, and I was assigned to a major through a transfer program."

"I... don't really like my current major. I've tried to like it, but I just find it uninteresting. Maybe that's why my studies aren't going very well."

The visitor forced a smile and said softly, "It's not good."

“I want to try to study hard, but I just can’t seem to improve. As you know, the difference between high school and university is huge; you basically have to rely on self-study, but my self-study skills aren’t very strong, so my grades just don’t improve. Last year, while everyone else was playing, I was studying all the time, but at the end of the semester, I was still at the bottom of the class…”

Nan Zhuren observed the visitor's expression, and as she spoke, she began to frequently purse her lips and furrow her brows.

[There were also several noticeable swallowing movements, and I felt very uncomfortable while describing this part.]

"I was thinking that I should start studying hard this semester. But, I don't know why, I started not wanting to read books anymore. Sometimes I would set a time to study, but later, even if I was watching videos, playing mobile games, or doing other things, I didn't want to touch books."

Here, my emotions began to stabilize again.

Nan Zhuren had a question and asked at the opportune moment, "Do you usually like watching videos or playing games?"

The visitor shook his head: "I don't like it. I feel like I'm just using them... simply to kill time."

At this point, she smiled sheepishly and said, "Maybe I just don't want to study."

Nan Zhuren smiled in response.

The teacher then guided the conversation further: "And then what happened?"

"Later, I started... to sleep."

Nan Zhuren repeated: "Sleep?"

"Yes, I sleep all day long. Just thinking about studying makes me feel tired and want to sleep. When my friends ask me to go out, I think about studying, but when I start studying, I feel tired again and want to go to sleep."

"So, after a long time, I felt that things couldn't go on like this, so I came to the counseling room to ask the teacher for help."

The visitor smiled at Nan Zhuren again.

Nan Zhuren put her index finger to her lips and responded with a smile.

He asked, as if out of curiosity, "If you sleep so much during the day, how can you sleep at night?"

"Yes, I can." The visitor became embarrassed again. "That's the strangest thing, I feel like I can never get enough sleep..."

In his heart, Nan Zhuren's attitude gradually became serious.

This kind of description of life isn't very good...

He continued, "What advice did your teacher give you at that time?"

The visitor said, "My teacher said that my anxiety and frustration are caused by academic difficulties, which are interfering with my life and work. But since it is caused by academic difficulties, I should prioritize solving them."

Nan Zhuren blinked, trying to keep her gaze from drifting towards the office area.

Continue guiding the conversation: "Did he teach you any study methods?"

The visitor nodded: "Yes, the teacher taught me some review methods. Um, there were... um, things like 'combining immediate review with spaced review,' 'taking notes,' and so on. And... um, something about a forgetting curve..."

The client clearly couldn't recall the specific content of the consultation clearly. Nan Zhuren tentatively asked, "The Ebbinghaus forgetting curve?"

"Yes, this is it..."

The visitor smiled again; she smiled frequently.

But the laughter was forced. It was a very deliberate, socially-oriented laugh...

[Furthermore, aside from initially recounting how poorly he did on his final exams, he remained quite calm throughout.]

"Besides these, did the teacher say anything else?"

The visitor thought for a moment and said, "Yes, they also said that if my grades really don't improve, I don't need to worry too much. As long as I pass in college, that's fine. They told me to relax and not to aim too high."

"And then, that was it; the consultation was over."

Nan Zhuren couldn't help but grimace inwardly.

He now understands why the client wanted to come back a second time and strongly requested a change of therapist.

Another mess to clean up.

……

Although counselors generally do not provide guidance or advice to clients, there are always a few exceptions.

The "exceptional cases" are those concerning moral guidance for minors and practical issues related to students' academic performance.

In the previous consultation, the teacher in charge of the center clearly attributed the visitor's situation to "academic problems".

Logically, this makes sense. If students experience anxiety and frustration due to academic difficulties, then they should try to improve their grades—that seems like the solution.

The premise is that this student came for consultation last semester when they had just encountered difficulties in their studies.

Now, the other party's problem is clearly no longer just an academic issue; or rather, the academic issue has become a secondary issue.

In this situation, when a client comes for counseling, the previous counselor misjudged the nature of the problem and gave incorrect advice. This not only prevents the client's problem from being addressed in a timely manner, but also causes the client to lose confidence in counseling.

Fortunately, the situation wasn't too bad. The client was very proactive in seeking help and came back for a second consultation; the client was also lucky, as therapists usually refuse requests to change therapists at the last minute, but this time the client happened to be in the consultation room.

I've taken over the situation myself.

[Sorry, but I still can't remember the name of the counselor in charge at the counseling center. To quickly build a counseling relationship, I have to whisper something in your ear.]

Nan Zhuren said, "It sounds like in the last consultation, the teacher's help mainly focused on giving you advice on your studies. However, there was no attention paid to your emotional feelings in a way that would 'satisfy you'."

The visitor's lowered gaze suddenly lifted.

[Okay, finally there are some emotional ups and downs.]

I could sense that the other person's eyes brightened a bit.

The visitor's lips unconsciously curled into a smile. It was a sense of recognition, as if someone had "spoken a chord with him."

She quickly realized that it wasn't very polite and tried to suppress it again, but failed.

After repeating this several times, it eventually turned into an embarrassed and shy smile.

At least this time the laughter was genuine.

(End of this chapter)