Who Am I to Be a Therapist when I Don’t Have it All Figured Out?

Sometimes I think that I should have myself and my life completely figured out to be a therapist. The judgemental crevices of my mind whisper, “Who are you to help other people when you can’t always help yourself?”

That little whisper actually holds the key.

Therapy is helpful because it offers an outside perspective on our lives. It is a chance to sit down with a neutral individual to share what we struggle with and gain new insights.

I need an outside perspective on my life. When I’m stuck in my own mind, I need outside assistance. I need a friend, a colleague, and/or a therapist to offer a new way of looking at my thoughts, my life experiences, my questions, and more.

I cannot always help myself, and that is ok. It is normal and human to need other people.

There are also aspects of my life I don’t have figured out. When I’m lost in a dark detour (you can read about that here), my mind somehow forgets about all of the great therapy moments I’ve facilitated and all that I am capable of in a therapy room. My judgmental critic whispers, “How can you help people who are trying to figure out themselves, when you don’t even have everything figured out?”

My critic has a point. If I was steeped in a constant state of depression, depletion, exhaustion, and hopelessness, I would not be in the best state to provide therapy.