Counseling

Counseling, or Meeting a Counselor, is a short film involving a young boy who is in a deep state of depression and speaks to a young female counselor about his issues.

Script

 * (Knock on the door) "Come in!"
 * "Oh, hey"
 * "Hi there, how are you doing?"
 * "I'm really going through a tough time. Is there anything you can do to help?"
 * "Sure. What's going on?"
 * "First of all, my family and I are moving to a new house. This really upsets me because I am very resistant to change, I have loved living in my house for years, and I hate all the mayhem that comes with it, especially having to pack."
 * "Awww, I feel your pain. I also had to move when I was a kid, and I hated it, but, change is good sometimes, and you might like your new house."
 * "Secondly, my cat passed away because she was really old and sick. That makes me very upset because I was really attached to her. I wish she could come back, along with all the pets that my relatives lost."
 * "I'm sorry to hear that. When I was a little girl, I had a cat, who also passed away, and I was just as sad as you are. However, that's just the way nature is, and she and those other pets will always be in your memories."
 * "Thirdly, I'm very angry about everything that is happening in the world. I really hate that the environment is being destroyed, there is a lot of corruption and prejudice, and people have terrible living conditions."
 * "I really understand how this is upsetting for you, especially because it affects people on a daily basis."
 * "I find it really upsetting that there is a lot of lying and bullying in our world, and common sense is slowly being destroyed. Firstly, growing amounts of people are blindly believing false information, such as that the Earth is flat, that known tragedies like the Holocaust, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting never happened, that the moon landing was a hoax, that rock musician Elvis Presley faked his death to go into hiding, and that pop singer Paul McCartney secretly died in a car crash at the peak of his fame and was replaced by a lookalike in order to keep his band, the Beatles, in business. I cannot understand why we have to live in an age where facts don't matter and a mountain of evidence isn't enough for large amounts of people to face reality."
 * "I totally understand how you feel, but try to keep in mind that most people are smart enough not to buy this nonsense."
 * "Also, there has recently been a trend to take down statues honoring controversial figures, and some prominent political leaders believe that this is erasing history, and so many people are actually listening to them. I find this really upsetting because I thought that we were supposed to learn from history, not go back in time and celebrate the worst aspects of it."
 * "I can understand why these statements and opinions would upset you, but try to look on the bright side and think of the fact that just as many people are not listening to them."
 * "I also find it unfair that courts allow rich, famous, and powerful people to get away with outrageous and illegal behavior because of their social status, instead of holding them to the same standards as regular people. In other words, they are showing favoritism."
 * "I don't think it's fair either, but that's just the way the world is."
 * "On a similar note, companies like Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal, and Paramount have recently created their own streaming services in order to compete with Netflix, just as Apple and Amazon did, taking their back catalog of movies and TV shows with them. I find that really sad because plenty of their older work contains racist and sexist undertones and content that is in poor taste today, and they have not only suffered zero consequences for it, but have never apologized to the people they harmed. The closest thing that they have done is put a disclaimer on those shows and movies, but that isn't enough."
 * "I absolutely understand how you're feeling, but you have to keep in mind that these companies are only out to make money, like most businesses, and try to think of the warning as a first step towards an apology."
 * "Similarly, many novels and plays that are considered classics and appear on required reading lists misrepresent cultures, reinforce demeaning stereotypes of women and people of color, and contain derogatory language and pejorative descriptions of people with physical disabilities and mental illnesses. I really don't think it's fair that these books are so popular, because people's lives are being ruined."
 * "I can definitely understand why these books make you feel uncomfortable, but you have to keep in mind that as offensive and wrong as they come off now, they're very much products of their time."
 * "I also find it upsetting that artists who held questionable morals have dedicated fanbases, because I really don't like the idea that a beautiful painting or piece of music could be made by someone who committed a despicable crime or was a terrible person, and I find it unethical to their victims."
 * "I get how you feel. Many people feel the same way you do, but you have to keep in mind that humans are complex and complicated."
 * "I also find it sad that social media has become a platform for hate and abuse. For example, YouTube vlogger Logan Paul uploaded a video of himself venturing into the Aokigahara Forest in Japan, a location that is well known for the amount of suicides that take place in it, and filmed the hanging corpse of a man who had recently committed suicide, another YouTuber named Pewdiepie expressed anti-Semitic beliefs and used racial slurs in his videos, and there have been several YouTube videos that depict popular children's cartoon characters in inappropriate situations such as public urination, giving birth, needles, gore, and sexual activities, all hidden behind an innocent looking thumbnail. I also am shocked by the amount of offensive, mean-spirited comments that plague social media. I cannot understand why this is allowed to happen and nobody's stopping it, because people are being hurt by it."
 * "I totally get what you're saying, but try to avoid social media and think of better things to do with your time."
 * "I also have gotten undeserved criticism for refusing to enter a relationship and not wanting children or a companion. This is because I fell deeply in love with some celebrities and a couple teachers of mine, and I was emotionally attached to fictional characters, many of whom were female or very young children, and I even had an imaginary girlfriend who I pretended to start a family with. That caused a lot of pain for me, and I hate that a lot of people disagree with and do not understand my philosophy towards relationships, because of the suffering they are causing."
 * "I can see where you are coming from, as I think it is pretty natural to have your own imaginary world and fantasize about fictional characters, people you don't know, and people from your past, because I also went through similar things when I was young, as I also went through a really painful relationship and I saw myself in books that I read when I was younger, but that is just the way society is, and you should take the time to find a companion and friend again. Now, can you take a deep breath?"
 * "Okay."
 * (Breathing noises)
 * "I hope you feel better. Try to focus on the positive."
 * "Okay, I will."
 * "Thanks for coming."
 * "Thanks for your help."