[ThingWithFeathers]

I'm thinking about it. Has it ever crossed your mind, even as a passing thought?

[growlycat]

All kinds of assessment tests make it sound like I'd be a great counselor.

Oh, lordy, no. I would be a terrible therapist.

Originally Posted by ThingWithFeathers

I'm thinking about it. Has it ever crossed your mind, even as a passing thought?

Yes, I certainly would like to pursue a career in therapy when I am in a better place personally. I have been reading about the benefits of person centered therapy for people with dementia, and my background is in dementia therapy (reminiscence, music therapy etc), so I would probably pursue dementia as a specialism.

[Partless]

I think I would be a terrible therapist. It's odd that the very same things that make therapy a good fit for my personality (my sensitivity to other people's pain, openness, etc), would also make me a terrible therapist. In a way you need to be be tuned into people and sensitive enough to help them open up and feel safe, but at the same those very things make me particularly vulnerable to getting stressed out.

I am totally not the kind of person who would see someone dealing with major trauma or abuse, and then go home and go on to dinner with friends and sleep soundly through the night. I am a sponge for people's pain and misery. Except that I can't do anything with it, except feel overwhelmed with so much pain and suffering in the world.

So I find it a cruel joke that several personality tests I've done typically list becoming a therapist as one of the top five or ten choices for someone with my profile. I suppose it's doable but I'd have to tripple my meds and spend 2 hours a day in therapy myself just not to go crazy! It's too bad because because I like the thinking part of it quite a bit, but I totally can't imagine myself sitting there for half hour watching someone cry their eyes out.

Also I hate not being able to help people in more fundamental way. I can't make a lot of their problems or troubles go away. Can only help them cope better, and not everybody either. I could make mistakes. People could leave early. What if a client committed suicide! I'm so prone to guilt even in normal circumstances, no no no I can't, no matter how I look at it (and I've looked at it several times, hoping to make that possibility work).

[feralkittymom]

No, and I suspect that for some people in therapy, the subsequent desire to become a T might have its origin in a transference desire to become closer to one's T.

No, I would not like that and I wouldn't be good at it. From a purely practical point of view I have a permanent job as a university teacher and researcher, and I'm not planning to change careers for a job that required me to return to being a student for several years. And I'm simply not cut out to work closely with other people in that way.

[Depletion]

Yes I'm interested in it, but I have other plans at the moment.

[Birds of a Feather]

Actually yes, I will be applying to grad schools in a few months to hopefully be accepted into a MFT program to start next Fall.

[anilam]

No.
Even thought I think I'd enjoy it I'd be a really bad T. I'd not be able to just listen and not jump in stating the "obvious". I can't seem to stand ppl's suffering, I act weird when then cry and I start giving advice/take some action.
Plus I don't think I'm that psychologically well to be one :/

[Asiablue]

I've wanted to be an art therapist long before I started my own therapy. That is still my end goal. But I want to get thru the trauma stuff in my own therapy before tackling a degree/masters. But having gone thru my own therapy, and seeing what I put my T's thru/demand of them... I dunno if private practice is for me. Maybe I'll feel differently later when I'm out the other side of therapy.

[JustShakey]

My friends used to tell me I'd make a good counselor. And I was my mom's 'therapist' from the time I was old enough to listen I think I'd be good at it if I ever learn to manage my own needs. I'm pretty good at empathic listening - it was a vital skill with my mom. I don't know if it'd be good for me though. I've spent most of my life living for others. I think it's time I lived for myself.

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[Melodic]

I am on another career path so no. But in my imagination I would have. I think I'd make a decent one but I'd also find it difficult to be so reserved/not make it partially about me. Maybe I'd need to be in a better mind frame. Anyway, in my future job I will still be helping and listening to people, but not in such an intense way. If I ever decided to change career paths I would definitely consider psychology.

[someone321]

I'm afraid that I could be a successful T but I think that I'm too manipulative to really help people and not only to make them thinking that I help them... I've always been told that I should be a lawyer or politician, so I'm not sure if it's a good material for therapist. Thus, I prefer science but I can imagine that being e.g. pdoc might be fascinating...

[blur]

yes, i'd like to go back to school to become an art therapist. currently i'm still trying to deal with my own issues though.

[iheartjacques]

To work with kids and their families so those kids don't end up where I did. Maybe.

[sweepy62]

I would love too, as it is I have people just telling me Thier life story, without knowing me. People say they feel comfortable talking to me.

The only thing is my attention span, I don't think I can sit for and hour and listen, my mind races alot, I get distracted easily and I hate to see people cry. Other than that I'm ok with it.

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[growlithing]

Nope. I could probably do it and be fair. But I don't want to deal with the mental stress of it all, I don't want people falling in love with me, I don't want anyone to idolize me. I don't want to run around trying to collect money.

Nope...not me.

[HazelGirl]

I would make a terrible therapist. I would want to "fix" people too much.

[Asiablue]

Originally Posted by HazelGirl

I would make a terrible therapist. I would want to "fix" people too much.

This is a terrible concern of mine. I can't step back and allow people to follow their own path, if I can see that path is leading down a destructive path. But I'm hoping my training would help me take that step back.

[nicoleflynn]

Yes, I am in school for that. I am also a moderator of an abused survivors' group for the past 10 years.

[HazelGirl]

Originally Posted by Asiablue

This is a terrible concern of mine. I can't step back and allow people to follow their own path, if I can see that path is leading down a destructive path. But I'm hoping my training would help me take that step back.

Exactly. It is way too difficult for me to be able to allow people to make mistakes and hurt themselves. I love helping people, but I don't think I could stand by and allow that to happen.

[JaneC]

I did about 20+ years ago, and began the degree. Then life got in the way. Fast forward, I've been in another registered profession and am now changing my career path and currently studying to be a social worker.

Not a counselling social worker, I'd not want to do that. And besides, I need to sort my own head and trauma stuff out first.

[stopdog]

No. I would not want to be a therapist. I cannot imagine a more awful fate.
I think I would be an excellent therapist, but it sounds like an awful profession to me.

[archipelago]

I wish I had gone to med school, become a psychiatrist, and then an analyst. Then I could do intensive therapy alongside medications. It seems there is a great need there and too few MDs do that type of thing. But I don't know if I would get through med school…organic chemistry?

But I also wish I had gone to journalism school, learned how to use a camera, and become a freelance creative non-fiction writer.