What do you think the best part of being a therapist is?

What do you think the best part of being a therapist is?

(I am curious about what people see as the best part - but this is not meant to be all that super serious.)

Variety. Otherwise I would get bored when I saw the umpteenth person with the same issue - different characters, same plot.

When a client makes a "breakthrough"---understands something they didn't know, becomes aware of what they needed to know.......makes strides toward overcoming their issues.

I really couldn't see myself as a therapist

I mean, it requires so much people interaction... I couldn't cope. also my own views and my own mental health would get in the way when it came to certain topics

the best part of being a therapist is deffenetly the fact it is indoors.

But isn't this the same no matter what? There are different variations on a theme perhaps, but most things fall into a few categories as far as I can see. Even with all the plays and novels written - basically there are the same themes and struggles - same words put in a different order.

Absolutely, but good authors are able to put new and interesting twists on old stories.

I suppose it's really the different characters that create variety and make things interesting. So I need clients not just with different stories but different personalities.

I couldn't deal with people and their problems all day either. I voted for "autonomy" (though only for those in private practice, I guess). I've talked to my T about some of the stress of my job, and he's pointed out that that's a lot of why he wanted to run his own business. Lucky him!

I chose autonomy.

I also would say autonomy. You don't have to share nothing of yourself if you don't want.

I'm a helper--a people person. It's what I do. It's ultimately why I chose my profession. So, that would be the best part for me.

Probably second would be the variety of interacting with different individuals which is also what I love about my profession. Each day, heck, each class period, is fresh and new because of the interactions with the individuals in my classroom. I'd be miserable in a profession where I did the same thing all day and didn't have a variety of people to constantly interact with.

I completely agree. Listening to people's problems all day long would drain me. My therapist works from home, works 4 days a week and I don't think that she has more than 15 clients. So she must not work more than 4 hours a day. Pretty relaxed. Her husband is a big shot lobbyist who must earn a lot of money so there's that as well. She doesn't need the money.

When I've envied my T's job, it's been for the autonomy of the position. I think working with a variety of people would be refreshing, too.

I guess it's like real life short stories book, almost never ending, in an 8 hr, day or more you get to hear different chapters of people's lives, it's huge, bizarre, secrets, ect..,

I think the chance to experience meaningful things with clients and sometimes to help them would be the best part. Second best might be the culture of a profession that emphasizes self care. I don't know if there are professions other than this one where being overly busy would not necessarily be seen as a good thing.

For me I think it would be similar to what I also get from my profession. I am a scientist and enjoy the puzzle solving aspect of my job best -- I think it would be the same working with people as a therapist, trying to understand them as whole. Probably the relationship with some clients would also be rewarding and when I we can come up with something useful for them. I think I would also enjoy the role of being a confidant, like I usually do in my everyday relationships. And learning about myself through working with clients.

The same thing I find noisy challenging about it...the deep connection with other people.

Having your own bathroom. And kitchen. And couch. And a door that locks.

I put other because I have no idea. I couldn't choose any options I agreed with, nor could I think of any. Thought provoking.