Unless you're a therapist....

Unless you're a therapist, you probably haven't had to think about whether your words or body language convey compassion or a false sense of validation when you don't agree with the individual's faulty perceptions of self, other people, and overall worldview. This is especially difficult when a client talks in a judgmental or derogatory manner about someone's sexual orientation, race, creed, culture,etc. Sometimes all I can do is nod my head to acknowledge that I'm listening, yet I wonder if my nodding gives off the impression I agree. It's one thing to challenge someone's unhealthy perceptions, yet I also cannot impose my values and belief system because I would then be judging that person's process of change. You remind yourself that it's their "stuff" that landed them in your office to begin with, thus it's not about you and convincing them to believe something else....but it still doesn't make it an easy task.

Unless you're a therapist, you may never truly know what it's like to get "too much information." Sure, therapists are generally open and receptive to talking about pretty much anything. But must we really be forced to hear someone say that they can't come in for therapy today because they have a yeast infection or my personal favorite, a "runny bowel?" Yet it's the nature of the beast, something they failed to leave off of the therapist job title when you're getting your clinical training in graduate school.

Unless you're a therapist, you might not understand what it's like to be working with an individual consistently for months or years having the same conversations about the same problem over and over again...until one day *poof*....they suddenly (!) make a connection, have an insight and change sinks in. It's a cool thing to witness, yet may sound bizarre in the context of everyday life and interpersonal relationships.

Unless you're a therapist, you might not be as conscious of the sacred nature of absolute trust someone has in you with their deepest and most intimate vulnerabilities. You might not even know what it's like to see a progression in someone's level of trust in you and how meaningful it feels when someone lets you into their private world even more over time or circumstance.

Unless you're a therapist, you may not understand that given all these challenges and idiosyncrasies of the job, we keep wanting to help and find the intangible rewards rich beyond measure.

"I couldn't do what you do," say most people with a sense of awe when they hear you're a therapist.

Perhaps they are right; they couldn't....which only makes me smile, because I can.