By Tim Stevens

Gaveedra Seven is an adult male who appears to be in excellent physical condition. He prefers to be referred to in session as “Shatterstar,” the guise under which he operates as a super powered individual. While this writer respects this request in session, in order to maintain consistently and legality, the client will be referred to by his “birth” name in these notes. It should also be noted in the official record that Seven, at some point, merged himself with a person from this time and dimension, Benjamin Russell. Seven and Russell shared nearly identical appearances and the client recalled some memories that should have been uniquely Russell’s. The reason for this remains murky.

As Shatterstar, the client self-identifies as a mutant although it is unclear the accuracy of this statement from a genetic standpoint given that he comes from the future of a different dimension and was not born so much as grown. However, his perspective on his self-identity is far more important than the “proof” of that opinion and thus, this writer sees no reason to waste session time disputing this notion.

Given his mutant identification, he has been attracted to mutant rights groups, like the X-Men offshoot X-Force upon his arrival in our dimension. Currently, he is working with the mutant-centric private investigation firm X-Factor Investigations.

Seven characterizes himself as a “creation” born without parents to act as a kind of gladiator for bread and circus style festivities in his native dimension and time period. As such, he admits he still feels “separate” at times from society at large and struggles to integrate himself more fully. While he acknowledges there is much about the 21^st century that he finds objectionable—hence his continued involvement in mutant rights—there is also much he is motivated to seek out and to embrace.

For instance, only recently has he begun to feel and welcome the concept of intimate love, including questions of sexuality. As part of this process, he has fallen for a fellow member of X-Factor Investigations, Julio Richter (Rictor). However, having just begun to experience these feelings and sensations, Seven did not wish to be in a purely monogamous relationship; he wanted to be free to seek out connections with other people of both genders. He characterizes balancing this desire while trying to maintain a relationship with Richter, who he seems to genuinely care about, as difficult but necessary, something he feels he needs to do to progress beyond his “grown to fight for others’ amusement” roots into full humanity. He also admitted that the return of Richter’s mutant abilities has presented yet another complication in their relationship. However, while both parties seem to be, at times, in different places with their expectations of the relationship and desires for where it should go, they also remain together and continue to work on it.

Seven insists that event that led to his first kiss with Richter—and thus the emergence of his sexuality—an act of near murder while under mind control by someone named Cortex, is not a cause of long term concern for him. He points out that he has been manipulated many times in his life and that while the thought of what he almost did does bother him it also accidentally led to the life he now leads.

In general, it appears the client would best benefit from straightforward interpersonal therapy. This will enable an environment of openness for Seven to explore his evolving personality, thoughts, feelings, and goals and provide an opportunity for modeling from observing how this writer interacts with him. While the client has expressed no interest at this time in couple’s therapy for himself and Richter, nor does this writer necessarily think such a thing has to happen, Seven has been made aware that those services are available for short- or long-term use.

Gaveedra Seven will return for his next appointment on April 18 with Doctors Peter David and Leonard Kirk. All session notes related to that appointment can be found in file X-FACTOR #234.

Psy D. Candidate Tim Stevens, MA is a Practicum Trainee at a community mental health facility and a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Consultant.