Why T chose to be therapist

Really, she's NEVER been asked that question before? Now THATS weird. I figured that every T has been asked this.
Maybe she is deflecting because she's embarassed. Maybe she flunked out of vetrinary school. Maybe she flunked out of med school. Maybe everyone in her family is a therapist and she was FORCED to become one, kinda like men who insist their kids become doctors just because they were. Like in that movie from the 80's... um... with Robin Williams... Dead Poets Society. GEESH. What is WITH your therapist?!?! How hard would it be to just give you a 1 sentence answer about why she became a T?

I was finally given an answer of it is a calling. I feel that has given me nothing.

Well atleast it is something...

I'm glad she has finally answered you. I would be content with that. There may be nothing more to say. She may not be a very self-reflective person and really hasn't thought about her career choice much. Who knows! But at least you got an answer.

I think the truly more interesting question (for her to ponder to herself) is what did SHE gain from giving you such a runaround about this, and how did she HELP your relationship by answering at last and how did she HURT your relationship by being so withholding initially. Building and maintaining the relationship are big responsibilities for the T. Ts need to gauge all of their responses and actions in therapy by whether they help or harm the relationship, whether they make the client grow closer or push the client away. There are reasons why both more and less distance might be desired. When I have read your saga, I have felt that your T desires more distance in your relationship, but I have not been sure if that is for your benefit or hers.

In any case, I am glad you finally got an answer from her.

wow and she couldn't have said that the first time you asked becauseeee????......... lol!

I haven't asked my T this question because he is purposely taking a "blank slate" approach. I've tried getting him to self-disclose in a round-about way, but he just won't. He did ask me about my own interest in psychology and I told him that I felt compelled to explore certain aspects of myself. He nodded in response which seemed to me that he was identifying on some level. I'm convinced that many people in "helping" professions were either parentified as children or are attempting to "fix" themselves by helping others. Actually, my T and I were discussing a related topic in today's session. He made the comment that, "Even altruistic acts are selfishly motivated."

If your T asks why you want to know, I'd tell him that his disclosure would help establish a better therapeutic alliance and that the relationship IS co-created. It may be a personal question, but I don't feel it's an inappropriate one. Just my 2 cents.