Your path is the right one.....

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.