Interesting article
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/39531f9a-c...#axzz4L1Tk1jt2
But not a common career change......

[stopdog]

The link sent me to some buy this newpaper site.
But I certainly would hope it not a common shift.
There is a guy who writes a blog on psych today who lists jd in his credentials.

Sorry, it's from the Financial Times, I forgot about the subscription thing. Here's the guy
Biglaw Attorney Turned Psychotherapist Analyzes the Legal Profession | Above the Law
Interesting what he says about lawyers as clients!

[stopdog]

Sounds like he never should have been a lawyer. I am with the woman who checked him out and did not go back - I would not use him either.

I would have seen him, but I'm much too soft to have been a lawyer. I was in medicine. Academic ability was what drove my career choices but I wish I'd had some advice about behaviours and lifestyle. Not that I'd do psychology if I had my time again. A lotus eater perhaps......

[stopdog]

He certainly bought into the idea of blame the client very quickly.

Psychotherapy is about love? I just don't see it.

[growlycat]

It looks like my new t Kashi once was a drywall salesman. A lawyer instills more confidence somehow.

[atisketatasket]

Originally Posted by growlycat

It looks like my new t Kashi once was a drywall salesman. A lawyer instills more confidence somehow.

Never underestimate good drywall skills.

[stopdog]

More useful than a lot of other jobs, one might argue. The first one I see said she was a baker before. I have no idea whether she was telling the truth or not.

[atisketatasket]

Originally Posted by stopdog

More useful than a lot of other jobs, one might argue. The first one I see said she was a baker before. I have no idea whether she was telling the truth or not.

Are you sure she didn't say baked? As in, half-baked?

I have to admit when I saw the title, my first thought was, "dear god, noooooooo!"

[stopdog]

The crazy thing that I am finding is that, through what I consider to be their brainwashed overprotected upbringings, all my students want to talk about how stuff makes them and (they guess) clients feel.

[stopdog]

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

Are you sure she didn't say baked? As in, half-baked?

I might not be suspicious of half-baked.

Do you think a good lawyer must be objective and not emotional?

Going by his blog, he seems to have hated working in law.

Originally Posted by Little Cat

Do you think a good lawyer must be objective and not emotional?

Every really good attorney I know is at least somewhat dissociative, has strong obsessive/compulsive tendencies and significant control issues. I cannot think of any of them who would be a good therapist.

This guy sounded like he was ill suited to being an attorney in the first place, and doesn't sound like a particularly good therapist if he cannot handle what seemed to be a normal level of distrust a new client might have with a new therapist.

[stopdog]

I agree.

[Yours_Truly]

"Psychotherapy is anti-b***s***. When you are in my office you are as real as you have ever been. I don’t f*** around when I do therapy and I don’t tolerate inauthenticity from my patients. It’s boring and it’s a waste of time. Authenticity means accepting that there’s a little kid in you who’s still there – and you can’t just ignore it when he’s hurting. You need to take that hurt to a safe place – like a therapist’s office – and put your thoughts and feelings – honest, no b***s*** thoughts and feelings – into words. That way you can remain intact, and not let the poison destroy your sense of who you are."

I don't know... he sounds okay to me. I like what he had to say in the interview.

[stopdog]

I guess that is why he has clients - enough people are not put off by his smug attitude.
I don't tolerate therapists who tell me they are not going to tolerate X from clients and who want to yammer on about inner children ********. Anyone who narcissistically strokes themselves by talking about how authentic they are - is not someone I am going to bother trying to tolerate.

[Yours_Truly]

To each their own, he doesn't sound that bad to me. I think he actually sounds okay. It was an interview after all.

[stopdog]

I went and read on his blog. I think he is an asshole. But indeed - to each his own.

[Yours_Truly]

I didn't read his blog, otherwise I might agree. I don't feel like reading it right now, I want to be on PC, and I don't really want to continue this.

[stopdog]

Lawyers actually do things. You have to listen to the client -but then lawyers do. They don't do what this guys seems to want to do-whine about having chosen the wrong career. I do say good job to him for getting out of a job he seems to have hated. But frankly, my office gets filled with people(colleagues, students...) coming in to tell me their woes -so I don''t find him unique in that sense. And therapist is among my 3 bottom choices for what would be a fun job to have. I have known lawyers who quit to become, among other things, grade school teachers, restauranteers and harley davidson mechanics.

[stopdog]

The one truly crazy person I ever dated for about a year, who at the time was a lawyer, is now a licensed therapist of some sort. But she is the only one I know personally who went from lawyer to therapist. I do know a couple of therapists who decided to try to become lawyers. One made it and one did not.