THERAPY SESSION — EDITED TRANSCRIPT Speakers: Client and Therapist. Edited from yap output; unclear speech is marked. 00:00:00 Client Yeah, I guess I have to figure out things for myself and for my parents who need my help a lot. 00:00:13 Therapist You have a lot to manage right now. 00:00:15 Client Yeah. I have to learn and improve my English for school, and to meet kids my age, and to translate for my parents, because they don't really speak English yet. 00:00:36 Therapist It sounds like you have a lot of responsibilities, and not just for yourself, but for your parents as well. 00:00:44 Client Yeah. And I shouldn't really complain, because I come here to Canada, [unclear] and I don't have any friend, and I don't go anywhere, I just go to school and home. 00:01:03 Therapist Sounds like you had hoped for things to be different in your first year here, and you'd really like the opportunity to meet more people and also to explore Canada. 00:01:13 Client Yeah. And... my teacher just told me I'm... I'm failing two classes. 00:01:22 Therapist So on top of a really tough year, you're also now finding out that you're not passing some of your schoolwork. 00:01:29 Client Yeah. 00:01:31 Therapist Just so I make sure I'm following. You and your parents came to Canada one year ago, and since then, you've been in school. You've been learning English, and then you've also been interpreting for your parents. You haven't really had the chance to do a lot of the things you'd hoped you'd get to do in your first year, and you're also just finding out now that you're failing two of your courses. Is that correct? 00:02:03 Client Yeah. And if my parents find out I'm failing classes, they will make me study even more. And then I will have no time to spend with the kids at school. 00:02:20 Therapist So you'd like the opportunity to meet people and have more fun, not spend more of your time having to do schoolwork. 00:02:28 Client Yeah. And it's just my parents and me at home. But my parents, they just don't want to let go of things we did back home, but we don't live there anymore. 00:02:43 Therapist The picture I'm getting is, your parents are really trying to keep your traditions alive, and you'd actually like the opportunity to learn more about Canadian ways of life. Is that right? 00:02:55 Client Yeah. You know, I love my parents, but they just don't understand that it's different for me. 00:03:06 Therapist What I'm hearing is that you're more interested in learning about Canadian ways of life and meeting new people than your parents are, maybe. Yeah. 00:03:19 Client And with everything happening right now I... I just don't know where to start. 00:03:30 Therapist So let's just take a moment to recap. I'm hearing that you'd like to have the opportunity to meet more people, and you're also trying to balance your traditional ways with learning more about Canadian culture. As well, you're worried about how your parents might respond when they find out you've failed two courses and that they might actually make you study more. 00:03:58 Client Yeah, and my parents, they... They don't understand that I'm... I can't do schoolwork, not because I'm not trying, but because my problems understanding English. 00:04:16 Therapist If only you knew more English, you'd be passing. 00:04:19 Client I think so. And I really, really want to pass, because going to university is one of the reasons why we come here. 00:04:31 Therapist Wow. So you've got some big plans for the future, including going to university. 00:04:36 Client Yeah. But it looks, like, it's so far away especially if my English don't improve. 00:04:49 Therapist So learning English is really a priority for you for right now. 00:04:54 Client Yeah. But I think my parents probably don't want to pay for it, because they just don't understand how hard it is. And right now, with everything going on, I just can't get a job to pay for it. 00:05:13 Therapist Okay, so a program that would cost money to learn English really wouldn't be something that would work for you or your parents at this time. 00:05:22 Client Yeah. And, you know, my, my teacher, when she told me to come see counselor, she said There might be some help for my English with my homework that I can get here. Is there any help with homework that I can get? And would I be the only person from my home country here? I, my parents would like it if I'm not. 00:05:54 Therapist What I'm getting is it would actually be really helpful for you to be learning English alongside other people from your home community, is that right? 00:06:04 Client Yeah. My parents would like that. And me, too. 00:06:08 Therapist Oh, so it would be a win win for both of you.