“Could you state your full name for the record, please?”
Jay cleared his throat. “Jaydin Nicholas Ellis.”
“And your occupation is?”
“I’m a sex therapist.”
“You understand this is a civil mediation to determine whether a formal hearing should be held? And that if it comes to a formal hearing, you could lose your accreditation?”
Jay nodded. They’d both been asked to come to the offices of the Association that had issued his accreditation and where the complaint against him had been lodged. Although it wasn’t a judicial hearing and he couldn’t be sent to jail, it had been suggested to both of them that they be accompanied by their solicitors.
“Please answer with yes or no. Our transcribing system sadly can’t interpret gestures or feelings, so we need actual verbal acknowledgements.”
“Yes, I understand,” Jay elaborated, briefly looking at the screen where a written account of every spoken word appeared as soon as it was uttered.
The woman sitting in front of him smiled kindly. “We’re simply here to clear up some discrepancies in the different accounts of what happened and to make sure there is no misunderstanding with either party. As usual in these cases, the subject matter is quite sensitive and the accreditation board prefers it when we do our homework before they decide whether the complaint is valid or not. My experience is that it is much easier if we put things on the table and discuss them openly in this private setting to begin with, instead of in front of a full board.”
Jay nodded again, still looking fixedly at the thirty-something mediator who was assigned to their case. She was a rather beautiful woman, though she could do with a bit of make-up and maybe a less-mousy wardrobe, but then the turtleneck she was wearing was probably preferred wardrobe in this environment. He didn’t dare look over to his far right, to the man who had sued him for sexual harassment.
She turned to him now. “Mr. MacAllister, could you give us your full name and occupation, please?”
“Albert James MacAllister, and I’m a project manager for a major public relations firm.”
“Very well,” the officer stated, tapping the small touchpad in front of her. “Mr. MacAllister, could you, in your own words, state your complaint, please?”
Jay tensed up. He didn’t want to hear Mack say it, so he looked down at his hands, which were resting on the conference table.
“I believe Mr. Ellis crossed a fine line during our therapy sessions and I feel violated … extremely uncomfortable with that.”
While Mack’s voice had sounded in command and strong when he introduced himself, Jay heard the slight quiver betraying his nerves when he stated why he had sued the therapist.
Just like the first time they met.
“Hi,” he stated, holding out his hand after Jay had opened the door. “I’m Albert MacAllister, but people call me Mack.”
His handshake was strong and dry, like he’d wiped his hand on the side of his trousers before walking in. He was a handsome man, but not in the classic sense of the word, and at least ten years Jay’s senior, if not more. His piercingly bright eyes defied being classified as any specific colour, and Jay felt the self-assured gaze of a confident man. He smiled at him, trying to make him feel at ease. “I’m Jaydin Ellis, and people call me Jay. Please come in and make yourself comfortable.”
It wasn’t your typical therapist’s office. There was a desk with an integrated computer in the corner and two comfortable chairs in the middle, standing at an angle. The room was L-shaped and in the short leg was a recliner chair, but Jay didn’t like using that until the client was more comfortable so he indicated that Mack should sit down in one of the single chairs.
Despite his earlier confident entrance, Jay could tell the man wasn’t totally at ease, but then most people who came to his office had been through numerous doctors and therapists before arriving at this place and Jay really couldn’t blame him.
“Let’s get straight to the point, shall we?” he offered. “Most of our time in this room will be spent talking. It’s important that you are honest with me, and to help you do that I will be honest with you as well. Also, I call things by their name and it would be easiest if you do this too. Anatomical parts have official names and it’s easier to use the right ones than to use euphemisms, don’t you agree?” He saw the other man nod, but not with great confidence. “Also, nothing that happens here leaves this room. I take notes and these do not leave this office. In some cases I will record our session, but I will ask for your express permission before doing so and you will be well aware of the camera at that time. Do you have any questions right now?”
Mack sat up straighter. “How do you work? I’ve seen quite a few therapists, without much success, and you were recommended to me, but I realise I have no idea what makes you so special?”
Jay smiled. He was asked this question quite often. “I don’t know if I’m special, but I do know I have quite a high success rate. I use general things like conversation. I’m not a Freudian so I don’t believe your childhood is to blame for everything. I simply feel there are blockages inside people that prevent them from functioning normally, and frank conversation can come a long way in resolving these blockages. I will also teach you some relaxation techniques, since some people are just too tense to be in any kind of mood to perform sexually. In some cases I use hypnosis to lower the barriers we create for ourselves. I often record those sessions, simply to show my clients afterwards that when they lower their barriers, they sometimes can do the things they would like to do, but believe they can’t.”
Mack nodded that he understood.
“Now, I usually don’t talk this much. It’s your turn. Can you tell me why you feel you need a therapist?”
Jay could tell Mack was uncomfortable with the question but he knew that this was the easy part, so he gave him enough time to formulate his answer. He saw the man shift in his chair and lean forward until his elbows were resting on his knees.
“Mr. Ellis, could you tell us what type of people you usually treat?”
“My average patient is a man with an erectile dysfunction for which they cannot find a physical cause. This could mean an inability to maintain an erection, or to achieve an erection. An inability to reach orgasm or premature ejaculation. Some men can only achieve orgasm on their own and not with a partner. Occasionally I also treat men with fetishes who want a more normal sexual life.”
“Very well, sir,” the officer answered, without a hint of emotion on her face. “Since we are here in a private setting, Mr. MacAllister has allowed me to ask you this question and has given you leave to answer it, since this is information necessary for these proceedings. Could you tell us why you were treating him?”
“When Mack … Mr. MacAllister first came to see me he was suffering from severe erectile dysfunction. He was functionally impotent and could not even achieve sexual release through masturbation, although physically his specialists couldn’t find anything wrong with him.”
