"So why did you become a therapist?"

Brian May (guitarist from Queen) never stopped being an astrophysicist, and went back and did his PhD.

That's very cool. I never knew that. But come to think of it, if you really look there's probably a lot of "egg head" musicians.

I agree...also-music is similar to math (in the abstract sense)

Yeah, youre right, more like a HUGE generalization! It was such a relief to finally find someone ready and willing to spill, after a lifetime of being told to MYOB. It was like my tenth t, and i think it was time. Its different when youre starting out.

Also, musicians (good ones) can be sensitive. It also helped a lot that he understood the bar scene very well, because I spent a lot of time there when I was younger. Their songs are about the human condition, so it would make sense that some might become T's.

I have never asked T. However, when we were discussing the fact that my kiddo is like a counselor to all her friends T said the way she looks at it is if you re going to be everybody's therapist you at least aught to get paid for it.

She has talked about how much she loves what she does and it doesn't feel like work for her and that is why she works so many hours. I know being a therapist was not her original plan. During college she ended up getting divorced and saw a therapist for a while. So maybe that is why she changed plans...

As far as it not being a hard job. I think physically it is probably an easy job however, emotionally and mentally it definitely is.

I think most of them are kind of narcissistic and have "God" complexes. Maybe not all, but most. I used to think differently, but after the last 9 months of what I've been through I have totally changed my mind.

I have to say I totally agree. I never thought I would but I do.

For some time I wanted to become a T as well because I just love learning how the human works, the brain is fascinating but all different behaviors... It's just amazing... And I've realized that people always come to me when they have big problems etc. So I applied for studying psychology and engineering at the same time and as unfortunately I was accepted at both I had to make the choice... And then I met with my aunt who was a psychologist but at the same time the most mentally ill person I've ever known... And she said (possible TRIGGER - negative about Ts and students for Ts):

"you know there are 5% people like you (hehe, I think she didn't know me well) who want to study this to learn more and help others, but 95% students choose psychology because they think that it will heal them and they just want to help themselves, that's why I chose it but also most of other students from my year were totally crazy... So if you think that studying psychology will help you, don't choose that as it won't - just take a therapy... And if you want to learn a lot, meet great people and help others - don't study psychology because normal people do not go there, there are other ways to help people than spending 5 years with freaks..."

And then I thought that oops, maybe I didn't want to study psychology to help others but to help myself? So I immediately decided to go for engineering... Now I think that it is not so bad if T also had some problems and after solving them starts helping others but then I was sure that people with so big problems should not pretend that they know the best how to help others...

OMG, your aunt sounds like she has a lot of issues with her career choices.
That is awful that a psychologist would call people freaks.

I have a BA in psychology. I too wanted to be a clinical psychologist and help people with MH problems because I'd been through it. I decided not to be a therapist because I knew I was not emotionally suited for it. (I told this to my T recently and he agreed). I don't regret my decision, but I would never dissuade anyone from choosing that as a career because they have dealt with MH problems. I also found studying psych and learning the lingo was invaluable for me in my own healing. It has helped me be much more self aware although I do tend to treat myself like a research project sometimes.

After psych, I choose to be an artist, which is my passion. I figure I can help people with my art.

I think that there is probably a sliver of truth to this, though not nearly to the degree that your aunt believes (she sounds very bitter about her career choice). I wouldn't call classmates "freaks" or say that they are in the career for self serving purposes (though I don't really know that). I do think a lot of people enter into programs because they've been through a lot and want to use their personal experience to help others. That can be a great thing and a not so good thing depending on the person. There are some students who still think their way is the only way because they lived it, and that is irritating. So there might be a lot of therapists who have very narrow ideas about treatment based on their own experience and impose their ideas on clients who may need something very different. My T and Pdoc both stressed to me that I (or anyone) should have my s**t together before I go into practice, because you can't treat others effectively of you are not healthy yourself.

Sorry for the confusion, of course I do not share my aunt's opinion. However, probably I should have mentioned that it was in my homeland where therapies were not (and still are not) popular. It's rather a taboo topic, no one would ever admit that is in therapy, and people are often laughing at Americans (sorry ) for going to therapist with every small issue with which no one "normal" would ever struggle... Thus, it is actually very probably that people go to study psychology in my homeland because they think that it is their only option to get some help as a therapy is either not available or too embarrassing or simply much too expensive...

Well, people in America don't go to a therapist for every little thing. It's pretty taboo here, too.

Yes, I know, I just wanted to mention the stereotype which is common in my homeland but which has nothing in common with the reality as it is the knowledge based mostly on movies...

Interesting topic...I have not asked my T this question, but in a way she has revealed a little bit of herself and her past struggles. She has mentioned things like she was overweight (but she has lost the weight), she struggled with having all her friends get married/have families and not spend much time with her anymore, she has said something like when she was my age she also got a cat to keep her company lol...so most of the things relate to me To me it shows she has struggled with similar issues as me and I feel like I can trust her.
You know what I realized, I have been seeing her for a year now and I don't know her birthday... so maybe I'll wish her a happy birthday next time, whenever it was

When I first started I wanted to know everything about my T, but I realized later on that the relationship is different and one sided for a reason.

Hmmm, I might need to reconsider my career choices...

Ugh. Stereotypes. As an expat living in the US I run into this problem in therapy a lot. I know better, but I still struggle with the idea of being made a fool out of by a bunch of Yanks! (Sorry, sorry! Stereotyping is as bad as insecure attachment it seems, you know better, but the irrational feelings won't go the f*** away!!!)

No idea. I never ask her any questions about herself, she occasionally will tell me little bits of info but nothing overly personal. I think it would be interesting to know though.

I've never asked my T personal questions and feel uncomfortable when he offers personal information.

I tend to ask personal questions until they say "no".

My T said when she was younger she saw her friend be discriminated against when they went to order lunch. She got very upset that they were treated the same. From then on she was interested in helping people.

A friend of a friend became a pdoc because a close friend of hers committed suicide. It really devastated her.

I think my T is nosy about people's lives and became a T so she could hear stories all day.

I don't think being a therapist sounds like an easy job at all. It's more suited to certain types of personalities since it doesn't require advanced math, sure, but always knowing what to say and having to keep your cool when discussing a wide range of difficult, emotional, infuriating topics with clients sounds incredibly difficult. I started out wanting to go to school to be a psychologist, and every career assessment I take says I should either be a doctor, a nurse, a PA, a psychologist, or a counselor. I ultimately just cannot see myself working as a mental health worker, though, because the thought of being on the other end of therapy and having to direct several intense sessions every day sounds terrifying and hard. As the client, you don't have to do anything if you just don't feel like it that day; you can literally just sit there or walk out of the room, and it's no big deal. You have to always be "on" and level-headed as the therapist, though.

Voyeurism.