Why would you not want to be a therapist?!


Question: Why would you not want to be a therapist?
What might be some of the drawbacks to this career choice?

Answers:

I left the field for a couple of reasons. I was working in a state facility. Often times people who enter the field do so thinking they can fix themselves vicariously by helping others. I am of the belief if you want to be in the helping field you need to be pretty stable, otherwise your assistance to others will be compromised.

Some people in the field have too much empathy and they have a hard time with objectivity, then over time in the field they start getting "ill" in many ways. I've known hypochondriac, depressives, who were healthy when they entered the field, staying out of "job security" they fail to get and keep their own buckets filled and get sick. CD counselors especially are vulnerable to relapse. if they were recovering themselves.

the "clinical fears" about a hostile or suicidal client, is where it is important to maintain objectivity. If you have fears about that, I can tell you it will happen and you have to deal with it. I recall a young man was FAS and had organic damage from huffing.
He was suicidal and homocidal, we periodically would have to either put him in restraints, quiet room or sedation. If you can't deal with someone yelling he is going to "kill you" don't go in the field. This "kid" is now likely in a penetentiary on the psych ward there and no amount of empathy (or meds) could fix him..
I have a nurse friend who was hurt badly by one client, she had permanent vision damage and back problems after one episode. If you work in a psychiatric facility expect psychiatric illnesses, but you have to be on top of your game, objective and maintain that.

I was surrounded by sick individuals, not the patients mind you but other staff. One co-counselor was an active Bulemic treating patients with dependency issues. Going to group after lunch and smelling her vomitus and I got sick of her narcissism. Several of us confronted her about it made her go cry to a co-dependent program director and cry prejudice. The co-dependent director did nothing to get her gone out of fear of her suing.

With many facilities there is a thing about "promoting" incompetence. I've seen people who for all intent and purpose should not ever work with clients rising to a level of director. It is promoting illness.

this model permeates many service entities. Being able to stay out of the illness requires you either insulate yourself, or you leave.
Probably the sickest people I know are therapists, many have personality disorders, depression. I know one man at a director level with mild dementia. many healthy ones, go into private practice.

I left the field to work in a totally different field. Not a waste of degree, because it made me better at dealing with healthy normal people.



i would love to be a therapist and can think of no reason not to be one except that i have too many problems of my own that wouldn't be good for me to be one. after being in several psych wards i think that i would make a great therapist. if that is what you want to do go for it.

if you really care about helping people i would tell you to go for it and become one.. you can always specialize.



Might get tired of hearing the same person tell the same story over and over.
Listening and dealing with the schizos.
People asking advice about things they don't necessarily need advice on, like dating and whatnot.
Having to deal with suicidal patients.. that would be frightening.



Liability - if a client should kill or commit suicide, would I be held liable; if not legally, then perhaps ethically?

Safety - if the client blames me for his/her continued problems, will I be in danger?



Embarassing. Expensive. Hear what I already know.



I'm too empathic to be a therapist. I couldn't be objective enough.




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