Original subtitles

Mom! Get down here. I have something to show you. It's really important.

You know that test that I've been studying for for a really long time?

Yes. Look, I'm A on it.

Ah, you did, didn't you?

Well, um...

That's a good start, but just so you know, I was on the dean's list three

semesters in a row, and it's going to take you a lot more than that.

Oh, okay.

Well, I did study a lot, and I worked really hard, and I was wondering if

you want to go to the spa with me to celebrate?

You know that I'm very, very busy. I have a very important count that I'm

working on right now, and I just don't have time right now.

Okay. Well...

Have a good day at work.

Oh, honey.

I just pressed this.

I have to go.

I'll talk to you later.

What's going on?

Not a whole lot.

How's your trip going?

My trip's going great. I'm at a resort right now in Barbados.

I'm talking to another one in a couple of days in Texas, Caicos.

And then I'm going to talk to the beverage vendor at another resort in

And then I'm heading home to you guys.

So when's that going to be?

I'll probably be home in like two weeks. In a week? Two and a half weeks?

Right on.

Okay.

I hear something in your voice, sweetheart. What's the matter?

I don't know. I guess it's just Angela.

I mean... You guys have been married since I was four.

And she's the only mom that I know. And she's just cold. It's like I'm a

nuisance or something to her.

It's your mom, and, you know, she's raised you since you were a little girl,

she just wants to provide you with the best. I mean, just like I do. We both

working hard at our jobs, and she just wants to make sure that you have the

education and the best clothes and just all the things that you need in life.

She's just very committed to her career.

Did anything happen between you guys today?

I just...

I've been studying for that stupid test forever, and I found out that I got an

A, and she's just like, it's not good enough because she was on the Dean's

Congratulations, honey. I know you've been studying so hard for that test. I'm

so happy you got an A. I'm really proud of you.

Thanks.

Let me think.

I'll have to talk to Angela about this again.

You know what? Maybe I've talked enough.

I know of a great family therapist that one of my coworkers went to.

Her name is Dr.

Hayes, and he recommended the world. He did some marriage counseling with his

wife. Maybe she could talk to you and Angela and help sort things out between

you guys, because I obviously haven't been able to.

I'm going to talk to her and make sure she makes the time to go see this

document. You okay, honey?

All right, if you think it'll work.

You guys have been like this for years, and I just want you guys to love each

other like a family.

All right.

Give it a try. I'm going to talk to Angela. You and her go in there, and

give it an honest try. And let's see. I heard this woman is amazing.

All right. Sounds good.

We'll do it.

All right, honey. Congratulations on your test.

Thanks. Have fun in Barbados.

All right, ladies, why don't you go ahead and tell me why you think you're

today?

Okay, well, my husband wants me to be certain because he thinks it's a good

for us to communicate.

Hold on. I would like to hear what both of you had to say. So I'm going to go

ahead and start with Elle first.

Why do you think you're here?

I think we're here because I'm tired of being a nuisance

to her.

She's been in my life since I was four years old.

She is not interested in anything that I've ever done.

And she's just too busy avoiding me, I suppose.

Okay, well, sometimes I find it's easy for people to understand where someone

else is coming from if they use examples. Maybe something that has

happened that made you feel this way?

Just. And yesterday, I've been working so hard in school.

My dad is always on business trips.

And I've just been working so hard. And I've been passing all my classes.

And I wanted to do something to celebrate with her. I wanted to have a

-daughter spa day.

And she completely blew me off. She rolled her eyes at me. I tried to give

her a hug.

Her shirt getting wrinkled.

So, yeah, that's what I deal with.

Okay, Elle, that's a very good example. And let me know how you felt then at

that moment when she decided that, I guess, wrinkles in her clothes and

what was going on at work is more important than spending the day with

It made me feel neglected. Hold on one second.

Angela? It helps when someone's telling you how they feel if you look them in

the eye so you can understand where they're really coming from.

All right.

Go ahead, Elle.

It made me feel neglected.

That's it?

That's not it.

Makes me feel like a nuisance.

Makes me feel unwanted.

Like I'm just the extra baggage that came with your marriage.

That is so untrue.

I never meant to make you feel that way. It's just you have to understand.

She has to understand.

I have a very high -profile job, and a lot of weight is on my shoulders.

So, you know, my life gets very busy, and things can be very stressful, and I

would only hope that she would understand this.

So with that being said, could you maybe take a chance to see where Elle is

coming from?

And if you maybe had invited somebody to go out with you, and they told you no

in maybe an abrupt manner, how it might offend you?

I do see her point of view.

She doesn't see my point of view. I have a lot of things on my plate, and I

provide for her very well.

She doesn't see the fact that I have to pay the mortgage, I have to pay her

student loans.

I put clothes on her back.

I feed her all the kind of food that she loves.

I take care of her very well.

I can see how you're expressing. Sounds like you are a very good mother. But

there's more to it than just that.

How about this? Why don't you describe maybe your relationship with your

See if we can get something from that.

I don't see how my mother has anything to do with this.

I provide for Elle very, very well.

My mother did not provide for me at all.

I made sure that I've given Elle everything that I didn't have as a

So that has nothing to do with this situation here.

All right. Well, just by what you're saying, I can see that you listed maybe

a lot of material things that you're providing for Elle, which is great. Like

you said, your mother didn't give you that.

I think what we're lacking here is the word affection.

How was that with your mother? Did your mother ever show you any affection?

No, my mother was not affectionate with me, and I still don't see how this has

anything to do with this situation here.

My mother was not affectionate with me, no.

Well, the reason it has to do with this situation is because that's not what

you're giving to Elle, is affection.

And there's nothing wrong with that if you weren't.

It's kind of hard to understand, you know, where that's coming from. It's

nothing to be offended by. And you might be surprised what you would also get

out of showing affection to someone else.

I think Elle gets everything she needs.

I agree with you there on some part, Angela.

There is no denying that you definitely provide for Elle financially. And she,

you know, has... everything that she needs there.

I think what we need to address is maybe providing some more emotional needs

and, you know, kind of covering that basis. And I think you'd be very, very

surprised. I think you could also benefit from this very much.

So with that being said, I'd like to maybe try a couple little techniques, if

you both agree that that's okay.

What kind of technique are you talking about?

Okay. Why don't we just start with something simple?

How about, you know, maybe just a hug? That can't, this doesn't seem out of the

question.

Okay, yeah. I mean, we hug all the time, right, Elle?

You mean like yesterday when you brushed me off and were worried about your

wrinkles? Okay, we're not breaking it down. We're doing the technique. So how

about we just go with the hug work?

Fine.

See?

Okay.

Very good.

Let's go ahead and move on from the hug.

How about a kiss?

Elle, you want to go ahead and give your mother a kiss on the cheek?

All right.

Well, it seems like we're maybe getting somewhere, but this is what therapy's

for. She's allowed to express herself.

So, with that being said, I think it would be a very good idea to use this

of therapy, and that means you would both go ahead and remove your clothes.

What?

Yes.

Stripping yourself of the role that you're playing so that you guys can dig

little deeper into what's going on here.

I'm not removing my clothes in front of my daughter.

I don't know. I mean, it might work.

Maybe you won't be so uptight if you're not always in those dresses.

I am not uptight.

Listen, this is ridiculous.

Is this some sort of, like, has this worked for you before?

This is actually something that you do, that you practice with your clients,

taking our clothes off with mothers and daughters, like, having a strip.

Yeah, I hear what you're saying, Angela, and I know that this...

technique may seem a little unconventional, but I do promise you

done a lot of help for a lot of my clients. And I think what we need to do

is establish a little bit of trust, and I'm asking you to trust me, and I know

that this will work.

You want me to trust you that me taking my clothes off in front of my daughter

and her taking her clothes off in front of me is going to fix our relationship?

There's more therapy to it than just that, but that's the first step, just

the hugging and then the kissing.

We're moving forward, and I thought that's what we were working for was

progress.

Of course.

I mean, it could work.

I don't... Dad said that she's the best, and I don't really know what we're

doing here if we're not willing to try.

This is ridiculous.

Fine.

Fine. I'll take my clothes off.

Okay. Me too, then.

So, that wasn't that hard, was it?

No.

Alright, well, how about with a smile on our faces, we move forward and go ahead

and give each other a hug from here.

Fine.

Oh, come on, Mom.

See? Not that bad.

Not that bad.

All right.

Well, the next move is going to be a kiss.

A kiss?

Yes.

On the cheek?

No, no. We're moving forward from there. You can go ahead and give your daughter

a kiss on the lips.

I'm not kissing my daughter on the lips. That's weird.

Okay, it may seem weird to you.

I can understand where you're coming from. But with that being said, as I

even though this message is unconventional, it does work.

I don't think that's appropriate.

Come on, Mom. It's for our relationship.

Fine.

Okay, the next progression forward is a little bit more of a kiss.

You want to, so you're effective. So we're going to try and do an open mouth

kiss here.

Oh, that is just way too far.

You want us to use our tongues?

Yes, that's what an open mouth kiss is.

Dad wouldn't have sent us here if he didn't think that she could help us. I

think we should listen to the woman.

Fine little tongue, right? Yeah

Very

good So

from here, let's move forward I still kind of feel

Like you guys are clinging on to the roles that you're playing.

And as I said before, that relates to the clothes that we're wearing.

So I think it's time to get completely naked and we can go ahead and

move on from there.

This is so weird.

I'm already halfway naked, so... I can't believe...

I'm doing this in front of my daughter.

But, like I said, it's unconventional, but we're moving forward.

Progress is the key.

This is so inappropriate.

I think you'll soon change your mind.

what we're going to do is go ahead and move forward and let's, let's go with

more kick from here.

Goodness.

This is so inappropriate.

Anything for you, Elle.

Okay, let's start with Elle.

How did that make you feel?

Kind of tingly, and I think my nipples are starting to get hard.

Thank you for your honesty. And how about you, Angela?

I felt absolutely nothing.

Alright, I'll ask you again, because I think there's a better answer to that.

Let's hear the truth.

How did that make you feel, Angela?

All right, fine.

I got a little wet.

I think we just made a breakthrough.

This is ridiculous.

I'm not comfortable with any of this. This is completely inappropriate.

You know, it's easy for you to sit there, your dress, judging us.

Naked.

Well, I'm not judging anybody, and I don't mind removing my clothes also.

As I told you, it's a very unconventional way, and I don't think

kissing your daughter is inappropriate in any way.

So, if you have such a problem with kissing your own daughter, I think we

start off and move on to maybe...

Pissing someone else in front of your daughter.

All right.

All right.

Here. You stay where you are.

Thank you.

You two are so beautiful.

This is completely inappropriate.

You enjoyed it, though, correct?

Well, yes.

So, showing affection isn't so bad, right?

No, I guess not.

How about we try this?

You sit right here.

We'll have Elle watch.

Okay?

forget to practice that.