Becoming a therapist

[johnram]

I assume this topic has been covered many a time before but given my particular questions i am posting my own version.

I am currently investigating becoming a therapist, and have been doing an initial introductory course.  My current career feels like a waste of time and energy, i feel a need to live more or give more after losing so much time to my cPSTD.  Money is a concern but i feel that its less of a concern when i consider a life spent doing the same thing will do to my mentality.

Anyway, Given my personal varied experiences in therapy and now EMDR, i just feel i can relate and resonate in a manner others cannot  (in my experience - therapist was weak / unable to comprehend [told me an addiction was just like closing a box], or has too much ego). 

However i have a few concerns:

- I have a default position of giving and focusing on others needs, rather than my own given my manipulated upbringing
- I was shut out from my own emotions for a long time, and it took time to feel, wonder how that impacts my ability to relate
- concerns around burn out and the emotional weight of this type of work

anyway, if anyone has thoughts i would appreciate them as i navigate this given its a big commitment if i carry it forward

thank you

[johnram]

keen to see if people have comments

thanks

[Elphanigh]

Hi Johnram,

This is a loaded question, and I am not sure if there is a thread on it. I know I have spoken about it in my journal and in passing other places. As someone that weighed the same questions and options I have lots of thoughts, however know this is just my opinion/experience and we are all so different.

For me I asked whether I was ready, and whether my boundaries were strong enough to go forward with that path without doing harm to myself or others. I have done a lot of healing and ensure that my boundaries are strong, that I no longer help others to my own detriment and truly believe that I am healthy enough to help others. That took a lot of time and intense healing. So my first thought would be to check your boundaries. Do you feel like you can maintain that therapeutic distance easily and to not take in other's trauma as your own. This is, from my understanding, extremely important. Schools do teach on it, but you have to be capable of it as well.

I think as a survivor it is a great thing we can relate to others. Even with you not accessing your feelings earlier. So many survivors have that happen so it is good to relate. Although as therapists they cannot share a lot, only small bits if it is helpful in treatment. So it is more being able to understand how it feels and using that understanding to choose correctly how best to help someone. That being said it is just what I have learned from people that are therapist while I was deciding to move forward. I start school in the fall to begin my clinical training,  but have spoke to many people.

I know several survivors that have become fantastic practitioners and love what they do. It is just a matter of being sure that your emotional strength is strong enough. From what they have told me it is just as important to have worked through their stuff to a good extent before trying to help others.

[Kat]

I think Elphanigh's response pretty much covers it.  A friend who is a therapist once suggested I think about becoming a therapist.  However, I know that my boundaries are simply not strong enough...yet.  I see the work of a therapist as something sacred, and as such, it's something I would loathe to mess up.  It's just too important.