Life is a therapist...

I think that most people who pursue a career in psychology do so, at least in part, because they are caring, compassionate, and concerned for the mental and emotional well-being of others. They "want to help people", cliche as that sounds. They want to help others overcome emotional hardship and to come out of therapy feeling stronger and more confident than they went in. While these are the reasons I was personally drawn to psychology, they are also the reasons I have often struggled with the hard, cruel, frustrating, ever-present reality... You can't always make it better. Not that I ever expect to be able to "fix" anybody. I get that that isn't my responsibility. I understand that people need to take control of their own lives and destinies and I generally consider myself to be a facilitator more than anything, standing beside my clients as they embark upon their own journeys of self-discovery and healing. I use various therapeutic skills to empower m...

Life is a therapist...and so am I. Welcome to my blog. I recently became certified as a psychologist after five years of undergraduate studies, a two year Masters program, and a nearly two year registration process consisting of two grueling exams and almost 2,000 hours of on-site, face-to-face, supervised training and experience. I am now working full-time as a psychologist in a forensic (correctional) setting, and also work one or two evenings a week at a private practice office in the community. I became registered only six short months ago, and although I have gained several years of experience prior to that through my schooling as well as volunteering for a suicide/crisis intervention hotline, I recognize that I am still very new to the field of Psychology. The learning curve has been a steep one and I often feel as though my wings were given to me prematurely -- I don't quite feel ready to take off and fly on my own without the comfort and security of a supervisor (or, mo...