Case Studies

Jacky works in finance and met Cindy, an interior designer, at a party. They began dating and eventually married after 2.5 years. Jacky comes from a divorced family; he rarely speaks to his father and seldom communicates with his mother. He tends to be short-tempered and faces significant stress due to his demanding job. In contrast, Cindy's parents are a pleasant couple, and she has never witnessed them arguing. She shares a close bond with her elder sister, who is married and has a child.
Initially, Jacky and Cindy led a decent life together before having children. However, after the birth of their first child, Jacky did not change his lifestyle. He began spending less time at home and with his family. The situation worsened after the unplanned arrival of their second child; Jacky started to spend late evenings with colleagues and friends and often traveled for work. Furthermore, he was not actively involved in caring for their special needs child. This left Cindy to manage the care of the children alone, and she drastically altered her lifestyle, giving up her hobbies and social outings.
One evening, Jacky failed to come home, and the next day, he informed Cindy that he wanted to end their relationship to be with another woman. He assured her that he would pay for her to stay in the marital home until their children turned 18, at which point he planned to sell the house. Jacky expressed his desire to avoid legal proceedings and offered Cindy a reasonable amount of financial support to help her during this transition.

Erika met Jesse six years ago at a party. Captivated by his charm, Erika quickly fell for him. They soon moved in together in Windsor, residing in a house owned by Jesse, who was financially secure while Erika relied on him. The couple planned vacations and spent most of their time together, with Jesse accompanying Erika on shopping trips where she often purchased items that pleased him. He frequently dictated what was best for her and how she should conduct herself, organizing holidays based on his own preferences and schedule.
Jesse’s previous wife had died by suicide, and Erika was only informed that she had mental health issues. He later relocated to Spain with Erika, where she had no family or friends. Although they socialized with Jesse’s friends, the activities were always oriented around his desires. After three years in Spain, Jesse expressed a wish to return to the UK, and Erika followed him. Shortly after their return, Jesse told Erika that he was unhappy in their relationship and blamed her, insisting that her dependency on him reflected a lack of self-confidence.
Erika constantly felt anxious and strived to be a supportive partner. However, when she attempted to communicate her feelings, Jesse would become angry. Despite always prioritizing his needs over her own desires, he began voicing complaints about her to his eldest son. Eventually, he ordered Erika to leave his home, giving her just a month to find elsewhere to stay.
With nowhere to turn, Erika struggled to regain her independence. After asking her to move out, Jesse continued to share the same bed and behaved as if nothing had changed, which led Erika to have false hopes of reconciliation. As the deadline approached, Jesse made it clear that he would drive her anywhere she wished, hoping she had determined her next steps.
Erika eventually moved in with a friend in a shared living arrangement. Jesse returned to Spain but continued to visit his son in London every couple of months. During these visits, he often messaged Erika, and they would catch up over coffee or dinner. When they met, Jesse complimented Erika on her appearance and reminisced about their past. Despite his apparent indifference, Erika found it challenging to move on, while Jesse had already started dating someone else and seemed content without her. In my session, Erika described him as a narcissist.