Yes, we do need to keep remembering that T's are human. They have problems, too. In fact, they are encouraged to seek out therapy themselves to make sure that those problems don't interfere with their effectiveness. Some will be depressed sometimes, for example--and overwhelmed. We all have our stories. If we have been in the mental-health field long enough, we can think of things we think T's could have done differently and better. I do think that most all of them get into the field initially because they do have a heart for hurting people. But it's easy to get overwhelmed and even cynical, especially in certain sectors. And just plain burnt out.

I know I couldn't be a T. I am a psychologist, but as I tell people, "not THAT kind." There's a lot of art to being a T. Decisions have to be made on the spur of the moment, depending on the patient. Should I say something or keep quiet? What should I say? What should I ignore? What is the patient's real problem? What does this patient need from me? Every patient is somewhat different, even given the same diagnosis.

I fairly recently told a T I was meeting with for the first time that I was a psychologist. I am pretty sure I explained what kind. But she got into her head that I was a T. I frankly find that very flattering!