This is not the beginning of my career as a therapist, nor of my experiences as a consumer of mental health services. It is, however, a turning point in both of those areas of my life, because it is the first time they’ve collided with such force that I hardly know one from the other. It is the first time I have felt an urge to apologize on behalf of my profession, to those who’ve courageously sought help from a profession borne of the art of listening, and felt unheard. The client and the therapist in me are currently polarized, and the future of my career, and (more importantly) my mental stability seem more ambiguous than a Rorschach inkblot. (More charming psychology references to come.)
At the very least, my future self with be the audience to this writing, and it will transport me back to the fear, frustration, and desire for relief that exists in each of the clients who offer me their time, trust, and truth.
“Is there no way out of the mind?” Sylvia Plath
Both Sides of the Couch 