Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixated
I think this thread has put words to a lot of things with which I've been struggling. I always used to refer to it as a business. T would only begrudgingly acknowledge she ran a business...offered a service, but she doesn't seem to have trouble calling herself a professional. It's one and the same to me.
If caring is inherent in being a professional, then I feel like that isn't the kind of caring I want. That the caring T offers has nothing to do with who I am as a person. I didn't earn any caring. That is just who they are/how they do their job. That doesn't make any sense to me.
So is the only difference between T and my dentist or professor the amount of time I spend with her? Is that how I should look at it going forward? Because, so far, it's been in its own strange category that I have not quite been able to figure out.
Rainbow, I feel/understand your pain, I think.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixated
Do you ever think it's pathetic that maybe your clients think/care about you more than you think/care about them? Or that they might wish you could be something more to them than what you are? This is an honest question.
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Fixated, I do understand your point of view. Realize that I am not a therapist. I work with individuals who are IDD/MI. There are parallels between my job and the job of a therapist, but it is similar, not the same. The ethical issues parallel but are a bit different; however, that is not to say that they wouldn't want more from me than I can give them.
I've also seen most of my clients on an almost daily basis for 13 years. If I wanted to take one of my clients to my house for a weekend, all I would need to do is get permission from his/her guardian and I can do so. It would not be considered unethical. I am in the business of habilitation; teaching adults life skills so they can live as independently as possible in the least restrictive setting.
Have I seen any of my clients want more of one of my staff than they can provide? Yes. Have I ever heard any one of them describe someone as "pathetic" for doing so? No. In fact, most of the time, the staff member usually feels positive about this because that means they are doing something right.
Most people who work in the human services field (including therapists) don't do it for the money. I believe my therapist makes about the same amount of money as I do without the benefits of leave time, company-paid insurance, etc., that I receive.
I believe that my first two T's only cared about me in the context of the job; however, I did not attach to either one. They taught me many skills that I still use today. I believe my current T is different, because she has stated so. She feels being a therapist is her "life calling" and she has gone above and beyond what she has needed to do within the context of my "case" as a client. I believe that she would do this for any of her clients. My T is the one who said she loves each one of her clients and that extends outside of the therapy room. You cannot turn love on and off. People here have stated outright when I actively wanted more from my T that she was treading a fine line. She hasn't changed much since that time, but I have. Would I love to have contact with her after my therapy is over? Sure, but if that didn't happen, I will not be devastated, I would appreciate all she's done for me as my T.
Does this answer your question at all?