[Psyche_Hector]

I was just wondering. thats all

[Perna]

They can be helpful tools in figuring one's self out. They're right up there with teachers; mentors; favorite bosses; good doctors, friends, and relatives; those one loves; etc. My life has certainly become much richer and healthier because of my relationship with mine.

[pegasus]

Mine is the best, ok.

[Psyche_Hector]

Kooh

[Mouse_]

Psyche, how do you feel about therapists?

[Psyche_Hector]

Well, I respect what they do, and I feel that it is an awesome thing to do with your life, I want to do that personally, hopefully I do, Im always trying to help people with thier problems, and I enjoy doing it.

[Mouse_]

oh ok.

[Psyche_Hector]

and you?

[Mouse_]

Each persons experience is unique. If your asking how we each feel about our therapists then I'd say I am very happy with mine.

[MissCharlotte]

About therapists in general? I think it's a necessary, noble and worthy profession.

About my therapist -- I think he's great--very professional, well trained, strong boundaries, unflappable, supportive, flexible, responsive and smart.

Hmmmm yeah, i love him.

My therapist is wonderful. Even though I am distressed about our relationship now, I would do it all over again. He's the best.

I've had horrible, horrible therapists. I thought the profession was bogus and worthless.
Later I found the best therapist in the whole world. Now Im out to work in the field. It is a wonderful profession when the right people work in it!

[krazibean]

they are the most amazing people, the good ones are anyway. spending everyday helping others. just think what this world would be like if everyone was a therapist...we would all understand one another

[Christina86]

Sometimes you love them, sometimes you hate them... Right now I love mine (most of the time, lol)

I'm ambivalent...

I guess I think that the profession is generally well intentioned. Sometimes it gets caught in traps... But I think that it is generally well intentioned, yeah.

I guess I feel the same way about particular people who are therapists. Personally... I guess I think there could be more stringent criteria on who gets to be a therapist. But I guess that is more about 'bad matches'. I guess I think there should be more safeguards to prevent those (or to end them instead of continuing on and %#@&#! the client and / or therapist up worse).

[sunrise]

I guess I wish there was more information out there about therapy for the know-nothing like me, the average joe on the street who has no experience with therapy. Sure, there is tons of stuff on the Internet, and lots of books, but I guess I am wishing there was more positive, colloquial knowledge floating around. I wish I had gone to a therapist long before my life got desperate. It just never occurred to me. I think they can really help. Right now, in addition to my personal therapist, I occasionally see a licensed therapist who is a child specialist and is helping us with concerns about our kids during the divorce. I wish I had had someone like her in my life for the last decade or more. Someone who is an expert in parenting and children and adolescents and who could give advice every few months on an as needed basis. I think I (and my kids!) would really have benefited from this. I think therapists, as a profession, need to get the word out to the common man about how they can be helpful in one's life, and to normalize the experience of therapy. It really NEVER occurred to me to see a therapist until I was at the bottom of the pit.

[tulips30]

I used to think that it would be nice if everybody sought their help on a regular basis. Kinda like the dentist.

Now that I have a truly horrible. life -altering experience behind me with one of them, my feelings have changed......The good one's, can make all the difference in the world , but unfortunately can be SO addictive. The bad one's can set you many paces back and hurt you so badly that one would be MUCH better off with a good, reliable friend.

Final thought, choose your therapist well. It truly is a life-altering relationship and NOT to be taken lightly!

[sidony]

I have a huge amount of respect for anyone who chooses to help others as their life calling. I have a fantastic therapist who is making a huge difference in my life, a true healer. I just wish I'd thought to seek out therapy before I made a mess of things.

I had intended to work primarily on communication problems when I started therapy. All sorts of life issues have come up since then and I'm extremely thankful that I found a therapist to help me work through them. I don't know how I'd even be functioning right now without his help.

Sidony

I think that before therapists came along people probably seeked out social supports in their communities. If you wanted help or advice on child rearing then you probably went to talk to a grandma who had successfully reared many children. If you wanted to talk to someone because you were feeling sad then you might go talk to the spiritual / religious leader. If you wanted to feel better you might play sports etc etc.

Now... We consider people to have 'medical problems' and we consider that they require 'professional help'.

I'm ambivalent about the professionalization of helping. While it might be necessary when people can't get their needs met IRL I think that professionalization of helping can also become the first port of call such that people don't even try and get their needs met IRL. And that... Can be more harmful than helpful, I think. For the person seeking help... And for the grandmother who may be helped by helping - she isn't past her use by date, she is a valued and worthwhile member of the community.

Ambivalent...

[Hopefull]

I had one annoying T. I am glad that she left the office because I love my current T. She is real good about following the ethical code of the profession, very encouraging, sweet and gentle in her therapy style. (I need a gentle therapy style and the other T had more of a blunt/probing therapy style.)
But, I am also intimidated by the idea of becoming an addiction counselor. I lead group for the first time last week and I didn't do real hot. I have a good idea for my next group. Yet, I worry because I tend to still get shocked by what the clients say and show it. I don't want to show it because my counselor's ability not to react to me makes me feel safe to share whatever I need to share. I worry that they might think that this means that I can't relate to them but I know what it is like to loss a job, loss a close relative to death, struggle with depression and finances. So, I think that I can relate to them.

Have you done any mindfulness meditation? I'm thinking in particular of 'observing' exercises. Exercises where you do stuff like imagine that your thoughts / feelings / sensations are in these little carts that chug along in front of you (into your attention... then out of your attention). I'm thinking that those exercises help us gain control of our attention such that we can OBSERVE our emotions, thoughts, and sensations WITHOUT REACTING TO THEM.

Could help?

(I need to do more of these too because I have a heightened startle reflex that I find embarrassing sometimes... And also because I have very obvious emotional expressions. Would like to have better control...)