As a first blog post, this topic of "Why did you become a therapist" seemed only fitting. It's a commonly asked question, especially in social settings after someone asks casually, "So what do you do for a living". And my answers have varied, obviously, because sometimes you really just don't want to talk to some stranger about your personal values and life experiences. I usually just shrug and say "I just always knew I wanted to do it". And that's true! There's just more to it than that.
When I was a kid, my parents decided to adopt. They just always wanted more kids but my mom was NOT going through pregnancy again. They fostered, and ended up adopting 2 kids just younger than my sister. Our family struggled for a while after this. It was hard adjusting to new siblings with new and sometimes extreme behaviors. Eventually, family therapy was tried. It was awful. The person conducting it was completely out of her element. In hindsight, she was either new or wildly inexperienced. I literally don't even remember how many times we saw her, but I vividly remember my dad being so appalled by her suggestions that he told her we weren't coming back.
Individually, my sister and I had sessions with an experienced therapist who had been seeing the kids for some time. It was so different. Night and day difference. This therapist created an environment that was safe, and contained. I knew that she cared, and I only saw her one time. THIS was how it was supposed to be. Not when someone comes into your life and demands you change everything immediately. (Like, really lady, you're not going to get my parents to use proper names for private parts. Also, why is this a thing you'd address in the first session??)
As I got older and had to focus my studies on career choices, I pursued that job. You mean I can get paid to listen to someone talk about their life? Heck yes! Sign me up for that. I'm a good listener, why not use my skills? So I planned a course for my education concluding in a master's degree and just DID it. I followed a plan for my career from the time I was 14 and it resulted in this awesome degree and job I love! The end.
