Hi All!
Alittle bit of a different entry today so you can get to know me some.
I responded, “You’re not my patient. I’ve asked you nicely a few times to stop but you haven’t, so I’m standing by my own confidence and boundaries that you don't get to cuss me out like that.”
“Wow, you’re some therapist,” he cyber-sniffed.
I am ‘some therapist.’ I take my work very seriously and do the best I can, but in my off hours I am entitled to express myself which can include hues of all moods and colors of my personality.
I was drawn to becoming a healer because of my intimate connection to suffering. Possessing profound awareness and empathy of those suffering from emotional paralysis, poor self-image and distorted thinking, I seek to help others shine a clearer light into their psyches. I’ve put in my time on the couch. Carl Jung has rightly warned, “Only if the doctor knows how to cope with himself and his own problems will he be able to teach the patient to do the same. Only then.”
I have witnessed the psychological demons that so many experience that binds them forever; how amazingly fearless people will fight for themselves as they overtake their own weakesses is one of the greatest joys I have experienced. Being the facilitator of them "finding their own light" and taking them into their thriving success is my life's work.
I’ve seen how prevalent it is to feel insecure, frightened and emotionally needy—and what an effort it can be for depression sufferers just to rise from bed in the morning. Bearing witness over and over to the trauma of others has helped me better deal with my own. We’re in this together. Humans are innately imperfect, yet more resilient than we imagine.
I am not a paragon. Never claimed to be or will be. Blind faith in the belief that counselors are perfect only reveals that the person who imagines this needs more work to understand human nature. We are all imperfectly perfect! People come to counselors at their most vulnerable. Our opening question always haunting us --- and you while you are there ---- HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? We may ask this a million times. And we own that shared humanity from both sides as the human and the healer. We don't mean to scare you away with our knowledge. We don't "shrink" our friends when we are off the clock. But we do bring perspective to your feelings if you are stuck or in profound emotional pain. I want to help you help yourself to get to where you need to be. Innately always understanding and loving people to be the best versions of themselves leaks over into my personal life in it's typical fashion... but being flawlessly perfect is not something I am or aspire to.
For me, I believe that the majority of my counseling colleagues feel ethical and empathic, no matter what they are going through in their personal lives at the time. Just like anyone, I will resist any urges that will cause harm to anyone, be snarky in my tone and generally be a "good citizen" emotionally to love one another.
However, I won't censor myself or hide behind my degrees and certifications when dealing with people who disrespect me either. I take offense to people when they trigger my invisibility and smallness I feel at times...Just like other humans do when they are having a bad day.
Being sane doesn't mean being perfectly saintly. I rather accept myself as I am. I may understand myself a lot better because of what I do, but I will never claim to be perfect and no one should put that claim on me either.
So instead of saying to me, "Oh my God you should know better because you are a counselor"... sit with my in my struggle of whatever life throws at me...just like I would with you. As a friend and as a fallible human being.....who just so happens to be a healer by trade.