Dorothy, 35 year-old mother of two children married her husband when she was 20 and her husband
22.  They both spent their twenties studying and working. While  she was reading  for a university
degree, she “persuaded” him, as she puts it, to finish his secondary school education (to pass a
“maturita”).  In the marriage her husband, Peter, was rather submissive, giving her “personal
space” to do things she enjoyed such as studying, hobbies, etc. When asked what she liked about her
Husband, Dorothy said that it was how he was giving her space. Later it transpired that part of
that “giving space” was that by then they didn’t have much in common and so by having her own
sphere of existence she could stay in the marriage. And she also liked the sense of safety she felt
in the marriage. At the same time she complained that Peter wouldn’t make any decisions and found
it difficult to state his opinion. She mocked him that he didn’t have an opinion on anything as he
was not capable of thinking things through. She didn’t see him as a “real man”. She described Peter
as an adult suffering from ADHD (he was diagnosed as a child) and that this severely effected his
capabilities. She said that at the time they met, he was a manual worker. With her persuasion and
support he became successful in service industry and rich.

For the past several years she would occasionally cheat on him. Then she fell in love with one of
the acquitances who she originally thought of as for sex only. With him she felt as though she
experienced real love for the first time. She felt they were equal and that he had taught her so
much and it was mutual. He was married at the time as was she. He told his wife he would leave her
but then didn’t. She was heartbroken. However, she filed for divorce with Peter. Soon after, Peter
found a girlfriend, a secondary school educated woman. They soon moved in together (after less than
a month of knowing each other). This was too much for Dorothy. Her argument was that it was not
good for their two children. She started attacking Peter for not behaving as an adult father,
saying it was impossible to agree on anything with him. She didn’t see him as capable of
cooperating with her on raising the children but she needed his help; she herself travelled almost
every week abroad on business trips. She complains a lot about how he slandered her in front of his
family and their friends, saying it was all her fault. She cannot forgive him for this and says he
is blocking any debate about the past because he would have to “admit” to his mistakes. Now they
are at the beginning of a couple’s therapy which should help them reconcile and sort out the
situation with their children.

Please try to formulate the case with the information you have.  You may be left several questions
at the end of it. It is only natural. Please include this questions (thoughts, associations, etc)
into your presentation.