My style of therapy is very much like other practitioners in my age group in my field - it's eclectic. We pull from history and Psychology's rock stars, from Freud to Perls to Frankl to Linnehan, and we make it our own. We utilize these tools based on what would best assist the client. I also see myself as equal within therapy - I know no more than the client, I may just have a different perspective that may offer some clarity. Therefore, if I am an equal player, I'm certainly allowed to have a life outside of the therapeutic setting, n'est-ce pas?
By nature, I'm a caring person. I try to be conscientious of others and am fiercely protective of those I love. I am also highly aware of boundaries and try to be carefully aware of the feelings of those around me. In starting this blog, I felt conflicted. As a therapist I must be so careful as to what I put out into the world, specifically out into social media. I must try to be as private as possible, in terms of actual privacy settings. I have remain somewhat of a mystery, I suppose, for clients. However, some forms of therapy actually encourage us to avoid being so mysterious. We're all humans, we all have lives outside of the office - we may even exhibit quite a different personality outside of our work setting. If I can find a balance in sharing for purposes of having a creative outlet, and maintain appropriate boundaries, then why not pursue my passion for writing? As long as I constantly keep in mind, 'what would a student/client think if they saw this post?' Sometimes I feel annoyed about this censorship, and I wish I could be one of those awesome pseudo-full-disclosure lifestyle bloggers; but then I redirect my attention to feeling grateful for said censorship. I am grateful for it, specifically since I am super open naturally in my day-to-day life. It allows me to be more mindful, more thoughtful, something that I am trying to remain aware of on a daily basis. Although I value my openness and honesty, I am also enjoying becoming wiser, recognizing I don't always have to be such an open book. There are some things I can save for myself.
xx
S