The Education of a Psychotherapist…

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You know, Everyday I work with children and their families. They come to us  (I use us…as I am part of a cohort of an awesome group) for help for something that seems to be bothering them, emotionally hurting them, moreover, someone hurting them.  And in the years I have worked in this field I have learned that Therapy is more than just providing mental health services… Therapy.  A lot has to do with the education about mental health we provide the children and families we work with. Like, What is Mental health? how does therapy work? are there consequences to being in therapy?

Various questions are always asked. So today, I applaud my fellow therapist. Because we educate. We may not be the scholarly awesome school teachers, but we are the people that educate you and yours how to label an emotion. How to better control yourself. We educate your parents, and if you are a parent we help you how to work with your child. We guide you to find your own insight and have you find your solution to your problems, issues, glitches, hiccups, mask… call it what you may. We actively listen to you, at times we are emotional punching bags for you the one grieving, hurting, in pain, even when you succeed. We applaud your success… educate you that being happy about something may not be wrong and sometimes it may not be appropriate.

So when I think of education, I think of what I do, every day! In session, with children and families. We psycho-educate you and yours with what Mental Illness is and what Mental HEALTH is. Yes, Health…as in the healthy part of you. What allows you to be a human and help you go through things you never thought you would be able to go through. So to my psychotherapist friends… I applaud your educational skills, more precisely, your psycho-educational skills. You are educators too.

And Let me not forget… we thank you for teaching us how to work with you too. 🙂 

Props.

Smile (if you want to)

Jes Sofia

8 comments

  • Yes, what you all do is so important! Not any less important than a teacher, doctor, etc. Congrats to you for all the wonderful ways you help improve lives of people.

  • I have nothing but the greatest of respect for those in your field! It is a good thing you all do and very educational! Congratulations!

  • Oh I have lots of thoughts on this. I suffer from panic attacks and for the longest time resisted getting “help”, I thought I could take care of it on my own with breathing, exercise, and meditation. Then I got pregnant with my first child and the anxiety and panic attacks were awful. I thought I was losing my mind and ended up in the ER. I am grateful that I had an awesome Ob-GYN that got me in to see a counselor. I got help and it made me realize I should have gotten help so much sooner in my life.

    It’s like I was making myself suffer out of shame. If I had any other “chronic” illness I would have gone to the doctor, but somehow I thought it would be weak to get help for my mental health. I was also very anti-medicine. Now I am medicated and although, I would rather not need it, I am unbelievably grateful that I have the option.

    So thank you for what you do!

  • I love this post. When my dad died 10 years ago, i went into therapy and i learned to identify and find the root of my feelings. without that help, i would not be nearly as mentally and emotionally sound as i am now

  • Fantastic. I have an adult friend that has some emotional and unstable issues… she see’s a therapist once a month and I see how much it helps stabalize her… just wish for her and her fam that she weren’t on so many meds…

  • Bravo! Keep up the fine work of helping those in need. Educate all that walk through your door! 🙂

  • I applaude all of you. Life is no walk through the park for MANY, MANY people, and you make their lives better and give them TOOLS to help themselves. It really is priceless!

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