surprised it took this long

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Dr. Anri... so how Zoe had been referring to the doctor. Well, that should prove easy enough to remember then. She noticed the doctor staring for a moment though, and waited, wondering if something else was coming. Dr. Anri suggested that the title would be professional, and that seemed like the best route to take for now, at least, as far as Zoe considered. She didn't understand the slight smile, but she didn't feel it her place to question it.

"Yes, that's fine," she said, nodding. She rose cautiously then, smoothing down her skirt. "Um, did you want me to leave now? I'm guessing there's quite a few students who need to speak with you, considering everything that's happened," and just mentioning it brought another pang of guilt for Zoe. Sure, she was one of those who'd been shot and all, but she hadn't lost anyone important to her, hadn't been there for the raid or anything. she hesitated again, partly wanting to make sure she should be leaving, and partly worried about what lay outside the office for her.

[Asano Anri]

"I'd suppose that our time would be up by now. That would be fine. We can continue within our next session then." Anri stands up as well, ready to stretch out a hand as Zoe's words sunk in. "No, I don't think that I have any other appointments today unless there are some walk-ins that wish to speak to me rather quickly." They look at Zoe, eyes trying to see to if they could see something that would be important to this conversation. Something important to be considered and to be done. "I'm really glad to have been working with you today, and for you allowing me to." A faint smile but sincere eyes addresses their face.

"Most of the time, people don't realize that what have traumatized them creates issues, and they begin to feel as if their situation is invalidated in comparison to others," A blind shot in the dark, but Anri imagines that perhaps Zoe's nervousness and general acute anxiety could cue in what exactly that would have her say such strange things. Strange, at least, to Anri's professional ear. "You've begun to heal, but you still came to me because of reasons I'm not completely conscious of, but I'd hope that it'd be because you feel that you're ready to undergo therapy to make sure that your issues could be addressed, so that it doesn't weigh you down anymore.."

Anri considers several things as they're expressing their honest opinions, such as Zoe's possible anxiety that comes in the form of nervousness and doubt, or if whether or not that was more so a self esteem issue. Things to go over in therapy.. They watch Zoe still, trying to find something to make sense to answer to arising questions. "I'm sorry, I must be keeping you here." A hard blink and hands going through hand to tuck it behind their ear again. "I apologize." They repeat again as they quickly look for their business card and hands it to her. A plain, simple typewriting with the necessary information. Name, profession, current residence of job within the Academy. Pager number, work cell phone number, and email. "This would all of my contact information. Don't hesitate to contact me if something happens." They try to reassure, "Anything at all. Otherwise I'll see you next time then. You can see your way out?"

A softer smile appears with an almost strangely defining maternal instinct to feel rather prideful that Zoe's turning into a well defined and strong young woman despite this being their very first meeting. They'd suppose that it'd considered bonding between therapist and client. They sit down to wait for the door to close before getting ready to transcribe all of the recordings from this session and to finish translating their notes onto official documentation.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

zoe again listened, wondering. She did know though, knew that she'd been traumatized and that it had created issues, all kinds of horrible issues. She struggled with her confidence, with her sexuality, with parts of her identity, with her general goal in life, but didn't everyone her age? She supposed that not everyone her age rendered their step-sister slash first love into a coma then ran away from home for ages before ending up in a school for mutants where they fell for a girl and got shot. Yes, there was a lot there. But she'd begun to heal ,as the doctor said. Zoe had to nod at that, pleased to hear it, glad to feel like she was making progress.

She smiled at Dr. Anri's apologies, shaking her head. "It's no trouble, really," she insisted. "I've enjoyed it, well, um, if I'm supposed to, I suppose," she looked away for a moment, figuring that was the wrong thing to so. You weren't supposed to enjoy therapy, were you? She didn't know, didn't really want to think too hard on it. Instead she extended a gloved hand, taking the offered card, reading it over. Everything she needed to know.

And Zoe nodded, glad to add another ally into her meager ranks. she definitely thought she needed it; she needed anyone who could help her understand all... this. She tucked it away, then nodded, meeting smile for smile. She took another deep breath, waved shyly, and then turned. She felt a little more prepared to face the world now, and a little more convinced that maybe, just maybe, things could potentially work out for her in the end. She just needed to keep going forward.