i think, like in any profession, there are good Ts and there are bad Ts.
and there are good Ts with emotional problems, and there are bad Ts with emotional problems.

i'm currently debating whether i want to continue studying to become a registered psych (or if instead a career in academia might be better suited for me). our honours year is incredibly stressful, which means i find out about a lot of my friends' emotional problems that i wouldn't have otherwise found out about. lots of therapy cases here!! that cliche about people going into psychology because they're crazy...

i think if a T has had appropriate (useful) therapy, then their past experience could be useful. but i don't think it's necessary and i don't think it's a virtue (i.e., that they'll necessarily be more empathetic). it scares me the number of registered psychs i know who i would not want treating me - but maybe they are able to hold it together for their clients(?).

i think the hard thing is in knowing when you need to step back yourself (as a T) and having the courage and decency to do so. i think a lot of Ts practice when they shouldn't be practicing because a) they've studied 7+ years for this and b) it's their livelihood. i used to volunteer as a crisis counsellor (on phone) and eventually i gave that up because i wasn't able to commit to my responsibilities properly. it was a difficult decision for me because it felt like i was admitting to failure. i wonder how much more difficult it would have been had i spent years of training and needed the income from it also.

from a client's point of view.... austin-t has a personality disorder (OCPD) and because i'm very similar to him it's been immensely useful. i don't feel like a freak when i tell him the way i do things, because usually he's laughing right alongside me and one-upping it. there have been occassions though where he's been super controlling, and i wish he didn't have it. i don't think he's been aware when it's been interfering and damaging to my therapy.

at the same time, though, pdoc doesn't have any emotional problems but there are things that are hot buttons for him too, where he won't be as good a pdoc because of what we're discussng. countertransference and all that. so maybe there are problems regardless.

one thing though is that pdoc has never experienced depression himself, but i believe him more when he says he understands what i'm going through. because he understands what I, uniquely, am going through - what my depression is. Austin-t has gone through depression (not long term) but when he says he understands it feels more like he's projecting his experiences onto me - and relating to me from where he stands, instead of coming close to where i am.

i dont know, just a few thoughts. good topic, pachy .