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

Chapter 12 Your Story and My Story Seem Different

Howard was stunned for only a second before reacting with superhuman speed.

"Let's go!" He suddenly became radiant, loudly calling to Lu Jia and Weng Pingting, and strode out.

After the boss and supervisor left, the remaining consultant and assistant were quiet for a while, processing the information.

Once the two leaders were out of sight, the office area immediately began to buzz like a beehive.

"What did Xiaojia just say? This visitor has been accepted?"

"Isn't the new guy an assistant?"

"The visitor seems to have depression, and was transferred from another company."

"The stubble is this hard? That's quite something..."

"The new assistant's surname seems to be Nan, and they say he has connections, whether it's a professional background or something else..."

"No matter what, he's got some skills!"

They split into countless small groups to discuss the matter privately, but they all unanimously excluded one person—

That's Bald Poplar.

This veteran consultant lost his professional facial expression and emotional control; his face changed from pale to red, and he was filled with disbelief.

"How can it be?!"

"This newcomer actually managed to handle it? I probably wouldn't have been able to handle this case..."

……

At that moment, Chen Ting's mother was excitedly holding Chen Ting's hand, whispering something to confirm something.

After a long while, she finally looked up at Nan Zhuren, who was accompanying her.

When her gaze fell on the young man's face, Chen Ma couldn't help but show an expression of appreciation, a joy that naturally arises when people appreciate something beautiful.

But she quickly realized, "How old is Teacher Xiao Nan this year? You're so young to be a psychological counselor. I wonder if you've encountered similar problems to Xiao Ting's before?"

She began to scrutinize Nan Zhuren with a critical eye: "Our Xiaoting has already consulted many counselors, and I am quite familiar with your industry. It's really rare to see someone like Teacher Nan in this situation."

Nan Zhuren maintained her smile.

Even without micro-expression analysis, he was perceptive enough to discern the unspoken meaning in Chen Ma's words. Every therapist who embarks on a career in psychological counseling at a young age faces the same scrutiny.

He could easily prove himself, but some things are not appropriate for him to say.

Fortunately, Howard had already walked up quickly with a smile. The charm of the middle-aged handsome man was clearly more attractive to Chen Ma, who was of the same generation, and his voice, which had matured over time, was more convincing.

“Teacher Xiao Nan is a top student from Jiangdu University with a master’s degree in psychology.” Howard’s smile was impeccable. “Don’t let his youth fool you; he’s more capable in the field of psychological counseling than many teachers in their thirties.”

"We matched Ms. Xiao Nan with your child after analyzing their file and taking all factors into consideration. She is absolutely the most suitable person for your child's situation!"

The words "Jiangdu University" and "psychology graduate student" flashed through Chen Ma's mind. For parents with limited education, this was a powerful way to build trust.

Then, Chen Ma revealed a satisfied expression after careful consideration: "No wonder, this is the first time Xiao Ting has taken the initiative to schedule the next consultation."

Howard showed a satisfied expression upon hearing this.

Chen Ma looked at Howard and said, "Mr. Howard, you are also aware of Xiaoting's situation, right?"

"of course."

"Could you please tell me about Xiaoting's basic situation? I'd also like to know how this consultation is different from the previous ones."

Chen Ma held Howard's hand in one hand and Chen Ting's hand in the other. Upon hearing this, Chen Ting's hand suddenly tightened, but Chen Ma remained completely unaware.

The little girl looked at Nan Zhuren nervously, but Nan Zhuren didn't look at her directly, clearly having expected this question. "Of course, some basic information is something that needs to be explained to the guardian," Nan Zhuren smiled, "but I'm sorry, due to confidentiality regulations, I cannot tell you everything about the specific consultation."

Chen Ma's voice immediately rose half an octave: "I'm her mother, what can't I know!"

“But I’m already an adult,” Chen Ting muttered in a voice only she could hear.

She's an adult now. The others muttered to themselves.

But nobody's stupid enough to say it in this kind of situation.

Nan Zhuren's smile remained unmoved, as if the raised volume of intimidation in front of him was nothing more than a gentle breeze on a mountaintop.

Upon seeing this, Chen Ma immediately turned to Howard, hoping that her boss would take action to discipline his employee.

Howard turned to Nan Zhuren and frowned, but before he could speak, Weng Pingting interrupted him:

“We understand your concern for your child.”

"However, this confidentiality of the consultation content is also part of the consultation, which is related to the effectiveness of subsequent consultation and treatment."

As soon as Weng Pingting spoke, Howard immediately fell silent.

Chen's mother's attention was drawn, and she was very indignant: "If you don't tell me how you conduct the consultation, how am I supposed to know if it's effective? Is it just about spending money? How am I supposed to know where my money is going?"

Her words were sharp, but Weng Pingting's skill in both deflecting and attacking was no ordinary person: "The effects of the consultation will be reflected in the child, and you, as a parent, will definitely be able to feel it immediately."

"Of course, I understand your concerns about the consulting fees. Our boss and Ms. Jia will explain this to you in detail."

Chen Ma frowned and thought for a moment, her eyes darting suspiciously back and forth between the four people in front of her.

"Then let's listen to it first." He finally nodded in agreement.

……

The mother and daughter who visited, along with the receptionist, left, leaving only the two people in the lobby.

But Nan Zhuren knew that his task this morning was not over yet; in fact, the most crucial part was yet to come.

He turned to Weng Pingting and sized up the woman in front of him.

Her tall, slender figure, around 1.7 meters, was encased in a meticulously tailored white silk-collar blouse and a black knee-length skirt. Her face was exquisitely maintained, making her appear to be only about thirty years old, or even younger, but the intellectual aura she exuded suggested that this woman's story was far more complex than she had imagined.

While Nan Zhuren was sizing up Weng Pingting, Weng Pingting was also sizing up Nan Zhuren.

"Your appearance is a great advantage."

Although it was true, few people would be so blunt, and Nan Zhuren was momentarily taken aback.

"……Thanks?"

"Such an appearance makes it easy to establish a good therapeutic relationship in the early stages of counseling, but in the middle and later stages, it can easily lead to transference and make the client dependent on you."

Weng Pingting gave her comments meticulously, but quickly changed the subject: "Do you know who I am?"

"you are?"

"Your supervisor is also the boss of all the consultants."

"Good morning, supervisor." Nan Zhuren immediately greeted him obediently.

Weng Pingting narrowed her eyes: "All the consultants and assistants in the center have to go through me, and theoretically I have to be present for all the onboarding interviews for consultants and assistants—but you are an exception."

"Today was your first case, and you handled it very well. You certainly have solid professional skills, but that's no excuse for taking someone else's case without permission, unless..."

The female manager looked meaningfully toward the office area: "The story you're telling is different from his."

(End of this chapter)