The Privilege of Being a Therapist
Every Client Inspires Me to Be a Better Version of Myself
I like to say every day is an adventure. Working as an addiction therapist, I never know who or what will cross my path next.
Maybe I’ll need to do a call with Child Protective Services (CPS) to advocate for a client; maybe a client will show up drunk to my therapy group; maybe a client will call me in crisis as she eyes her boyfriend’s poorly hidden stash of cocaine; maybe the first words out of my mouth will lead to a tearful breakdown.
Whatever high-pressure, emotionally charged surprise the universe delivers each day, my partnerships with clients offer a never-ending, dynamic stream of thoughts, feelings and experiences from which to learn, grow and develop.
When my clients share about their childhood trauma, the root causes of their addictive behaviors, the destructive consequences of their active use, strained interpersonal relationships as well as their hopes, goals and aspirations, they are giving me a gift.
It is no small act of faith and trust to open up and be vulnerable with a stranger. It takes tremendous courage to drop the armor and be honest about the tender secrets, painful trauma, corrosive shame and deep insecurities that we’ve been hiding from everyone else.
