A friend of mine who teaches at a local university asked me last week
to visit her class and talk a little bit about my career. Since I love
doing this kind of thing, I accepted immediately and found myself in the
middle of a fantastic conversation about my career and how I got here.
It's been a while since I thought about how I became a psychotherapist
and what I imagined that would look like while I was in graduate
school. In telling them about my experiences in graduate school, how I
chose my specialty, the challenging jobs I have had along the way, and
finally the amazing practice I am now a part of,
I realized that my journey was perfect. I wouldn't trade even the
difficult days in the beginning where I felt overwhelmed and that I
wasn't cut out to be a therapist for anything.
All the
challenges made me exactly the therapist I am today. Nothing allows you
to learn faster than trial by fire. It also helped that I had great
supervisors, co-workers, friends, and several other supportive people
along the way.
I love my career, I love my specialty, and I have found myself working with amazing colleagues who have a variety of specialties and who continue to educate me and make me a better therapist.
Reflecting on all of this has also reminded me that these are
great lessons in general. We learn from hard times and what we may
consider "failures." As my life continues to transition and change, I
hold on to the knowledge that everything is a learning experience and
that the challenges will eventually lead you exactly where you need to
be.
So whether you are struggling with family, your career, or personal
issues, know that we are constantly growing and changing. The growing
pains are part of getting to the "good part."
Just remember, we all need
support along the way because those bumps in the road can be hard to
manage alone. There is always help available if you need a little support.
