Why I Want To Become a Psychotherapist
I used to be afraid to tell people that I’m into psychotherapy for personal reasons. As I thought about it more, I realized that if we are all honest with ourselves, we’re all in it for personal reasons. We chose this business because we are sensitive to human suffering. Because we have empathy for others. Because we want to lessen the pain for others, the pain that we ourselves have felt at some point in our lives. I want to challenge myself to become the person I needed when I was younger. I choose psychotherapy because I want to be that person for someone else. I want to rise to the challenge of being the best person I can be. I want to be dependable, wise, mature and emotionally intelligent, and a good psychotherapist is an epitome of these things.
I want to give back. I want to inspire others the way my mental health professionals have inspired me. I want to use my powers for the greater good. I want to pay it forward. I want to keep my therapist's goodness alive. I want to carry on her legacy.
Psychotherapy is all about balance. It's about balancing your compassion for others with compassion for yourself. It's about having a big heart and being empathetic while upholding strict ethical principles. It's about feeling just enough pain to empathise but not enough to stop functioning. It's about being self-aware without being self-conscious. It's about believing in yourself without being egoistic. It's about acknowledging your implicit biases while not letting them run your actions. It's about application of theory while staying open to new interpretations. It's about understanding people without agreeing with them. It's about connecting yet remaining detached. It's about guiding people without directing them. It's about being intellectually curious but also sensitive. It's an art as well as a science. It's about having a practical imagination. It's about having the wisdom and maturity of a sage and the innocence of a child. It is both teaching and learning. It is both feeling and problem-solving.
This is why I love psychotherapy.
