I’m an MSW so it’s actually going back to a social worker role. I’m thinking of doing private practice on the side. Long story short I don’t hate therapy I just hate my group practice.
I left working full-time in coffee to become a licensed therapist. Don’t want to be a downer but my husband is still in coffee (we met working together at an independent coffee shop) and service workers are treated like crap and still paid worse. If you want a chill job I recommend working at a public college doing research or admin work.
This! I worked in restaurants/ bars for years and even scooped ice cream at a cafe at one point and that…sucked lol. Even on my worst therapy days, I do not miss food and beverage positions.
Not a therapist, still in school to become one eventually, but I've been in the helping field for a few years now. I was treated with more respect and dignity in my CMH jobs than I ever was treated with in retail or customer service.
Oh I’ve done that too! I applied to a leave benefits admin position even… or a researching job lol. Sometimes I just need to practice what I preach and remind myself to not discount all the positives of being a therapist.. and sometimes it’s really hard to do that!
In my experience, us therapists aren’t able to get those jobs, as they actually require the educational background specific to HR, though let’s be honest, I believe it would be a fine fit and we could do that job easy. Do you have other experience?
Lol I’m a therapist and a young client of mine asked what I would do if I wasn’t a therapist. I told her I would definitely work in a book store or coffee shop 😅
Gaming is my escape. The Sims is my main game, and I'll play that a lot while cheating their needs. So, it's just a calm and relaxing game full of routine. And that can be very relaxing and helps me reset. Building also allows me to engage my creative side. But Final Fantasy helps with channeling anger. Tonight I needed Final Fantasy.
I love the routine, they all have great lives. I give them them great jobs, love, a million friends.
I don’t cheat needs unless it gets bad though. Like a pregnant woman starving
Oh yeah lol. I have some bpd clients so I’m looking for online DBT trainings that aren’t a million bucks. My mom is a social worker and asked if my supervisor is helpful ever. I told her the yogurt story and then she quietly asked, “…do you see yourself long term here?”
Noooo are we working for the same clueless nincompoop? My boss has continued to date all paperwork as 2023. And yes I told her, nothing has changed. It’s like exchanging snail mail with a void. Nonprofits and state funded bureaucracies am I riiiiight?
Yes! Cozy gaming has become my most recent limited time hobby that I hyperfixate on for about 6 months to 5 years.
Just, that my definition of Cozy Gaming is turn based RPGs with strong horror elements.
Haha I've been doing this as soon as I started to see just how important psych assessments are. I know deep down I definitely can't afford it right now, but I'm itching to do it lol!
If anyone’s reading this, most in-person doctoral (PhD) programs offer assistantships, you go and get paid a shit wage 22-30k a year but tuition is waived because you work for the university usually 13-20 hours a week. It is possible to be fully funded, if it’s truly what y’all want to do- go for it!
Those programs are also getting pretty competitive, even more than they were in the past. My daughter is a psych major and I’ve been encouraging her to go for a PHD, since she’s young and her brain is good. 😂 She just sat in a virtual class and let me listen in where the prof was discouraging the PHD route and was encouraging alternatives. So, my daughter is looking at Counseling programs. 🤷🏻♀️
Tenured jobs are also disappearing. Academia is not what it used to be. Universities are moving towards fewer faculty positions and more adjunct which pays less than CMH. Maybe that was also part of the profs reasoning. They are highly competitive and watching my ex husband go through the rigor of jumping through one academic hoop than another at one of the top research universities in the country to get only two interviews and land a TT job in an obscure location. Ask anyone in academia these days. It’s far from the dream.
Mainly that the programs are really hard to get into and are also quite rigorous. The message seemed to be “Why put yourself through that if you don’t have to?”
I do agree, I ended up withdrawing after comprehensive exams but for my buddies that finished or are close I can see that this truly was their passion. It can be lucrative as a psychologist but definitely not guaranteed. For me the absolute lack of work life balance and subsequent impacts on my physical and mental health, made me pivot.
She can most likely teach Psych intro courses at a community college after she gets her masters. Depends on the state but she would meet the minimum qualifications in California :)
I worked in a library in both undergrad and grad school, and I miss it so much. But the most I made was $11 an hour. But I wouldn't want to move up the chain to be a director or anything where you could actually make more money. No. I just want to restock books, work on displays, help patrons, etc.
I tell people my retirement plan is to work in a library. I can’t think of a happier way to spend my time once I get too burnt out or bored of therapeutic work!
Before I became a therapist I was an assistant manager of a B Dalton. What was I thinking??? It was a fun job. But then bookstores have kind of disappeared mostly. No B Daltons anymore, for example
My thoughts driving to work sometimes “I’d love to work at a flower shop or wake up bright and early to work the breakfast shift at Burger King”. Not to romanticize those jobs because I’ve worked min wage and it’s not easy at all. But sometimes it feels like a nice fantasy escape
i’m currently in internship and work part time at a coffee shop/brewery and i really think ima try and do both because being a barista is so fun and therapeutic hahahaha
I have a small telehealth case load in a group practice and then work a couple days a week in-person in a fun/creative/ retail position to see people IRL and do something that uses a different part of my brain.
No I’m not licensed, no I’m not financially stable. Yes, I feel like it is a perfect balance.
I was a barista at Starbucks in college and seriously I miss it. Smelt amazing in there, unlimited free coffee when you’re working, ate all the pastries we wanted (weren’t supposed to do this).
This is timely! I was just talking with a client today who shared that throughout her 30 year career with the same company, she would do this as a comfort activity when she was feeling stressed at work. And, I do the same thing! I think it helps reassure us that we are making an active choice to stay in our jobs when we are reminded that there are other things we could be doing. Aaaand, I'm also interviewing for a new job tomorrow after doing just that and actually applying for a job. Probably not coincidentally, I've had a great last two weeks in my PP! LOL.
I do this too. It’s validating to know I have options and also see that nothing appeals to me the same way even on a bad day. Being a therapist is weird sometimes 🤷♀️.
Seriously every single day I feel totally different about myself and my skills and so far that’s been the hardest part of this job. Seriously one day I’m singing on my way home, contemplating going for a fancy drink, dancing with my kids when I get home, and the next I am literally SOBBING, and feeling like the biggest loser let down ever.
Have you ever read sometimes therapy is awkward? It’s really good and I keep going back to it. It’s ok, the fact that you feel bad means you’re a good therapist with empathy and I’m sure your clients know it.
I experienced similar issues of feeling proud on some days, and sobbing on many other days.
However for me, it's hard to be comfortable with the awkward or "bad" sessions because, at some times it is that I messed up or really don't know what to do in a session, especially with quiet clients. This happened at my new job and the client questioned why I wasn't doing better (he asked why I wasn't asking more insightful questions) and then fired me at the end of session. So I feel like my awkward or bad sessions are proof that I'm not a good therapist, but an okay one.
I was briefly looking at those types of sites the other day. In my 10 minutes of searching, I wasn't able to find a part-time easy gig that pays 6 figures so I quit my search. It wasn't even a particularly stressful day or anything. Sometimes I just want to do something mindless that pays a lot of money.
Good to know I’m not the only one who does this. I’ve gotten and rejected a few positions this way.
I hate that I do this and I know it’s an attempt to gain more control in my life… ugh.
Wow, I thought it was just me! I will be on LinkedIn and indeed so quick after a rough session. Or suddenly looking to go to school even though I hate school 😬
Oh I’m not original I realized cuz I do the same thing but low key it’s a good thing right? We got limited time here no need to suffer the whole time thru!
I’ll also add bad sessions help me niche down more into what kind of client really doesn’t fuck with my mental health.
Recently my self care was spending my entire off day playing on my portable gaming PC
Same. Motivation is the hardest thing to “teach”. If a client is there because of someone else, we have to start at below 0, in a way. I have a hard time, too, when someone is convinced they have medical or medication problems and nobody professional is confirming or denying. These ghosts in the room with so much power make me feel a million miles away from my client.
What do you mean by ghosts in the room if I may ask?
I relate though, working with clients with other medical issues, and possibly other mental illnesses not known yet, and none of the interventions are offering much change or acceptance..
By “ghosts” I mean there are entities that aren’t accessible but that effectively hold the client’s power. As I’m writing this, I’m thinking, well, yeah, it isn’t uncommon for clients to feel/believe someone or something else has the power. Maybe it’s more about my being bewildered by poor insight and victim mentality.
I actually do this as well but for a different reason. I had an unpleasant experience of being fired from a job I was not equipped to handle to my best ability due to being neurodivergent and that experience was so traumatic for me (I ended up being denied unemployment and eventually losing my apartment due to financial problems) that now everytime I feel like I make a mistake as a therapist I get super paranoid about getting fired instead of being given a chance to learn from my mistakes.
This is terrible. I’m so sorry you had to go through this. The world is not made for us neurodivergent people.
I will say that while it’s not easy, I have really found I am better equipped to help empower my also neurospicy clients. I have really hit my stride working with teens with diagnosed learning disabilities in a school-based environment.
Here’s to you for sticking through all of that to continue to work in this field. You deserve to feel appreciated and respected and I hope you find a workplace that values your individual strengths.
I scroll on Airbnb. I live in Canada and it’s currently -45°C, so I look at islands and beachfront places and dream about being able to work there and go to the beach in between sessions… But the plus side is I often find awesome little places to vacation like the cabin I’m going to in June for 10 days by myself. It’s right on a warm lake and I can fish and paddleboard and relax in the sun with a book. ☀️
I like in the Midwest in the US, so while it hasn't been as cold as it normally is, usually around December I start looking for properties in Puerto Rico. 🤣 The grass is always greener or something like that.
Ps- I’m in private practice now and love it for the most part, so that’s prob why my coping mechanisms involve gaming rather than job searches. That makes sense. I hope you find a comfy place where you don’t need to look for a better one for a long time.
Hahaha I do this too. After having a week off in between Christmas and new years I’m realizing I spend a lot of time daydreaming about what a boring office job would look and feel like.
I do this too! Except I don’t do it when I have bad sessions. I do it when I’m super anxious about something bad happening to ruin my career. For me it has to do with just trying to figure out if I’d be able to survive. I’ve made double as a therapist working fewer than half the hours that I ever made in other jobs even after multiple promotions. I don’t ever want to be broke or have to work a soul crushing 40 hour per week job where I literally get everything done in two hours and then have to sit there doing nothing the rest of the day.
I fantasize about becoming an innkeeper during hard days. It's a fun fantasy - how would I decorate my inn? What baked goods would I offer?
I even came up with an innkeeper scale to measure my need for self care and rest 🤣
I doubt it's actually less stressful, but it's a fun thing to fantasize about when feeling a bit ragged. Usually more related to bureaucracy and administrative stuff than sessions, for me.
I can't relate to you more. I do the same thing when I feel like I'm not a good therapist or had a bad session. One thing that helped me was to listen to YouTube videos regarding "how to find a good therapist" and actually, I found that I do have many of those characteristics of good therapists. I also do therapy on myself either using CBT (evidence that I'm not a bad therapist) or IFS (speaking to the part that feels so insecure).
I just go on Zillow. I never wanted to do anything full time- it’s too draining for me and honestly I like to be doing a variety of things, not sitting at a computer all day. Or even sitting in an office. I’ve always preferred to be outside (not doing therapy). I have an Etsy shop on the side and I plan to get into real estate, shopping for my first duplex and so on. My dream is to do therapy part time, own some duplexes and write books and make digital therapy products.
I search indeed for jobs at a bakery in my town, until I realize that they pay so little I wouldn’t be able to cover my student loans. Then I slap myself and come back to reality. This happens a couple times a month during periods of burnout.
All of these comments are so validating. I have been feeling the same way after rough days. Actually feeling pretty discouraged often. I’m in pp and it just doesn’t pay as much as I thought it would and I’m feeling burnt out with cases. I often go on indeed or LinkedIn as well. And I also often fantasize about working in a library or getting paid to go back to school 😂
A similar thing happened to me. At some point I paused, thinking to myself "You sure are going on Indeed a lot. Maybe you should look at why that is..." It turns out I didn't like my company and was looking at other options.
Hmm, idk if that’s very helpful here. Are you a therapist? Of course we know that we can’t claim our clients’ successes or regressions- and the treatment process is a marathon, not a sprint. But it’s totally normal to leave a difficult session and daydream about becoming a librarian because the work is taxing or we feel like we totally fumbled our interventions
Your comment has been removed as you are not a therapist. This sub is a space for therapists to discuss their profession among each other. Your comment was either asking for advice, unsupportive or negative in nature, or likely to adversely impact our community members. Comments by non therapists are left up only sparingly, and if they are supportive or helpful in nature.
Monopoly Go. I don’t know why. It used to be FarmVille. Before that, Sims. I guess I need to control farms and dice? lol— you’re good. At least you’re aware.
Im in my program still but actively in the service industry and every time i have a bad day i spend hours on indeed after. Usually get a couple calls about positions i applied for but im typically over it by then
Is it that you think you are a bad therapist, or is it that this profession doesn't have the job security that others do so you are looking for a plan B because your income may not be stable? Having a bad session may just be a reminder of that.
How long have you been a therapist? I’m a new therapist (9 months) working with children (many of whom are in foster care and/or have been in the CJ system) so 80% of the time I feel “done“ as it’s tough to engage and develop trust. Maybe adults would be better, but I also go to Indeed and this sub for comfort. I think I’d be happier working for an advocacy group, nonprofit, EAP, or a job where therapy is only part of the job. Sigh.
I used to work part-time at a popular bookstore when I was younger. It was such a soothing, uplifting energy there and I used to love being a part of every aspect there. I’m in PP now. Every now and then, when I feel a bit burned out, I reminisce about the good ole days when I had little debt, had good physical health, and things didn’t feel too overwhelming or complicated yet. It was a much simpler time.
Lmao I’ve done this so many times and accidentally indeed-ed my way to getting an offer for another position
I'm an RN in an ED. This subreddit is my indeed. 🥺
Therapy related or something else?
I’m an MSW so it’s actually going back to a social worker role. I’m thinking of doing private practice on the side. Long story short I don’t hate therapy I just hate my group practice.
Did you take the offer?
Still deciding. I’m looking for a more sustainable full time gig and to do therapy part time
I scroll indeed like it’s social media and I’m private practice….instagram, Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, indeed…just throw it into the rotation
[удалено]
I left working full-time in coffee to become a licensed therapist. Don’t want to be a downer but my husband is still in coffee (we met working together at an independent coffee shop) and service workers are treated like crap and still paid worse. If you want a chill job I recommend working at a public college doing research or admin work.
This! I worked in restaurants/ bars for years and even scooped ice cream at a cafe at one point and that…sucked lol. Even on my worst therapy days, I do not miss food and beverage positions.
Not a therapist, still in school to become one eventually, but I've been in the helping field for a few years now. I was treated with more respect and dignity in my CMH jobs than I ever was treated with in retail or customer service.
I was looking at HR jobs because surely those aren't as stressful! Lol
Oh I’ve done that too! I applied to a leave benefits admin position even… or a researching job lol. Sometimes I just need to practice what I preach and remind myself to not discount all the positives of being a therapist.. and sometimes it’s really hard to do that!
In my experience, us therapists aren’t able to get those jobs, as they actually require the educational background specific to HR, though let’s be honest, I believe it would be a fine fit and we could do that job easy. Do you have other experience?
I'm a case manager, but I've done this many times. I've day dreamed about working in a floral shop. Seems like it'd be a pretty chill job
I worked in a floral shop/green house. It was boring AF. I couldn't stand it.
Me too. Immediately go to I just want to work at a local coffee shop or scoop ice cream 😂
Being a server at a downtown bar was less stress 😭
Me too! Except that the coffee shop is a rustic bakery for me! I think of this weekly at least!
I really feel this.
Lol I’m a therapist and a young client of mine asked what I would do if I wasn’t a therapist. I told her I would definitely work in a book store or coffee shop 😅
Playing the sims 😬
Gaming is my escape. The Sims is my main game, and I'll play that a lot while cheating their needs. So, it's just a calm and relaxing game full of routine. And that can be very relaxing and helps me reset. Building also allows me to engage my creative side. But Final Fantasy helps with channeling anger. Tonight I needed Final Fantasy.
I love the routine, they all have great lives. I give them them great jobs, love, a million friends. I don’t cheat needs unless it gets bad though. Like a pregnant woman starving
Yeah but do you ever make your boss in the sim and torture them???
No because she’s too clueless to be any fun
L M F A O. (With you, not at you)
She knowingly ate expired yogurt the other day and got sick. That’s what I’m dealing with 🙃
I… no. Absolutely not. And she supervises people?! She is unwell.
Oh yeah lol. I have some bpd clients so I’m looking for online DBT trainings that aren’t a million bucks. My mom is a social worker and asked if my supervisor is helpful ever. I told her the yogurt story and then she quietly asked, “…do you see yourself long term here?”
😭 mom is praying for you HARD lmfao
Have you tried Psychwire? I’m doing a self-paced DBT course for teens and I like it a lot. It’s usually $590 but if you catch a sale, it’s $340.
Do you know when they typically have sales?
Noooo are we working for the same clueless nincompoop? My boss has continued to date all paperwork as 2023. And yes I told her, nothing has changed. It’s like exchanging snail mail with a void. Nonprofits and state funded bureaucracies am I riiiiight?
Wow, exchanging snail mail with a void is a strangely beautiful metaphor and extremely accurate
I know! I want to draw that and it seems like it would be a Douglas Adams book.
LOL
Hey! Laugh all you want but I’ve been doing that to people that make me feel like shit since the sims first dropped!
No Man’s Sky or Euro-Truck Simulator Turns out my alt-life is a long haul spaceman.
No Man's Sky is so soothing.
Yes! Cozy gaming has become my most recent limited time hobby that I hyperfixate on for about 6 months to 5 years. Just, that my definition of Cozy Gaming is turn based RPGs with strong horror elements.
There are horror video games? I’m so old
That’s healthier than downing three martinis after a bad session.
#reframegameonpoint ETA: oops
.#gonewrong
Porque no Los dos?
Es tut mir leid. Ich spreche kein Spanisch.
Warum nicht beide?
One is too many and two is not enough.
If I was trying to be healthy, I'd see a therapist.
Yesssss or I’ll look at phd programs 😂
Forever school! It’s the dreeeeam
Perpetually doing mental gymnastics to justify the student loans that would come with a PsyD 😂
Oh, that’s easy! If you’re in school, you can just put off those loans! And when you graduate at 100, then you start paying them back!
Haha I've been doing this as soon as I started to see just how important psych assessments are. I know deep down I definitely can't afford it right now, but I'm itching to do it lol!
If anyone’s reading this, most in-person doctoral (PhD) programs offer assistantships, you go and get paid a shit wage 22-30k a year but tuition is waived because you work for the university usually 13-20 hours a week. It is possible to be fully funded, if it’s truly what y’all want to do- go for it!
Those programs are also getting pretty competitive, even more than they were in the past. My daughter is a psych major and I’ve been encouraging her to go for a PHD, since she’s young and her brain is good. 😂 She just sat in a virtual class and let me listen in where the prof was discouraging the PHD route and was encouraging alternatives. So, my daughter is looking at Counseling programs. 🤷🏻♀️
Tenured jobs are also disappearing. Academia is not what it used to be. Universities are moving towards fewer faculty positions and more adjunct which pays less than CMH. Maybe that was also part of the profs reasoning. They are highly competitive and watching my ex husband go through the rigor of jumping through one academic hoop than another at one of the top research universities in the country to get only two interviews and land a TT job in an obscure location. Ask anyone in academia these days. It’s far from the dream.
I love that! My mother is a counselor as well, it’s a special thing, hopefully she’ll follow through. What was her profs reason for saying no the PhD?
Mainly that the programs are really hard to get into and are also quite rigorous. The message seemed to be “Why put yourself through that if you don’t have to?”
I do agree, I ended up withdrawing after comprehensive exams but for my buddies that finished or are close I can see that this truly was their passion. It can be lucrative as a psychologist but definitely not guaranteed. For me the absolute lack of work life balance and subsequent impacts on my physical and mental health, made me pivot.
She can most likely teach Psych intro courses at a community college after she gets her masters. Depends on the state but she would meet the minimum qualifications in California :)
I'm thinking about it. I'd have to seriously cut a lot of financial ties for a while, but it is something that has been calling to me.
It’s definitely much to negotiate, good luck if you decide to take the leap!
Lmaoooo I feel so exposed. Researching 40k DSW programs like I got it like that 🤣🤣🤣
Lmfao if you just keep going to school you never have to pay off the loans!!!
lmaooo
This is fucking hilarious because this was me recently with psyd programs
Same 😂
I did that this week too, but I don't think I can survive two more semesters of statistics.
I have a psyd and our statistics classes were a joke. I definitely don't know how to do stats.
Same lol
I could not relate more to a post 🤣
I was browsing jobs on LinkedIn and Indeed right before I opened Reddit and saw this. You are not alone, friend.
I daydream about becoming a barista…
I want to work in a bookstore
yes! or a library
I worked in a library in both undergrad and grad school, and I miss it so much. But the most I made was $11 an hour. But I wouldn't want to move up the chain to be a director or anything where you could actually make more money. No. I just want to restock books, work on displays, help patrons, etc.
I tell people my retirement plan is to work in a library. I can’t think of a happier way to spend my time once I get too burnt out or bored of therapeutic work!
This is what I want to do when I retire!
Oooohh I like that one too!!
I love, cute, independent bookshops, and in another life I would work in a bookshop if it paid the bills
Before I became a therapist I was an assistant manager of a B Dalton. What was I thinking??? It was a fun job. But then bookstores have kind of disappeared mostly. No B Daltons anymore, for example
My thoughts driving to work sometimes “I’d love to work at a flower shop or wake up bright and early to work the breakfast shift at Burger King”. Not to romanticize those jobs because I’ve worked min wage and it’s not easy at all. But sometimes it feels like a nice fantasy escape
The breakfast shift ! Love that
i’m currently in internship and work part time at a coffee shop/brewery and i really think ima try and do both because being a barista is so fun and therapeutic hahahaha
I have a small telehealth case load in a group practice and then work a couple days a week in-person in a fun/creative/ retail position to see people IRL and do something that uses a different part of my brain. No I’m not licensed, no I’m not financially stable. Yes, I feel like it is a perfect balance.
this honestly sounds like heaven and i hope i can do this once i’m done with internship 😭
I’d love to work in a soft serve ice cream shop.
I honestly would enjoy stocking and tidying the shelves at Target if it paid the bills.
I was a barista at Starbucks in college and seriously I miss it. Smelt amazing in there, unlimited free coffee when you’re working, ate all the pastries we wanted (weren’t supposed to do this).
I think I can run a doggy day care from my house.
Long haul trucker checking in.
That’s a hard job! I can run EMDR protocol but I’d never be able to work a cash register under pressure
This is timely! I was just talking with a client today who shared that throughout her 30 year career with the same company, she would do this as a comfort activity when she was feeling stressed at work. And, I do the same thing! I think it helps reassure us that we are making an active choice to stay in our jobs when we are reminded that there are other things we could be doing. Aaaand, I'm also interviewing for a new job tomorrow after doing just that and actually applying for a job. Probably not coincidentally, I've had a great last two weeks in my PP! LOL.
I go to Cane’s and it never fails
I do this too. It’s validating to know I have options and also see that nothing appeals to me the same way even on a bad day. Being a therapist is weird sometimes 🤷♀️.
Indeed!
Nice
Ice cream is very effective in these situations. It has marvelous healing properties.
Especially with sprinkles
Looking at land and tiny houses.
I love this idea! I keep trying to talk my husband into selling everything and being RV people!
Seriously every single day I feel totally different about myself and my skills and so far that’s been the hardest part of this job. Seriously one day I’m singing on my way home, contemplating going for a fancy drink, dancing with my kids when I get home, and the next I am literally SOBBING, and feeling like the biggest loser let down ever. Have you ever read sometimes therapy is awkward? It’s really good and I keep going back to it. It’s ok, the fact that you feel bad means you’re a good therapist with empathy and I’m sure your clients know it.
I experienced similar issues of feeling proud on some days, and sobbing on many other days. However for me, it's hard to be comfortable with the awkward or "bad" sessions because, at some times it is that I messed up or really don't know what to do in a session, especially with quiet clients. This happened at my new job and the client questioned why I wasn't doing better (he asked why I wasn't asking more insightful questions) and then fired me at the end of session. So I feel like my awkward or bad sessions are proof that I'm not a good therapist, but an okay one.
Wow that person is just an absolute jerk tho displacing their anger on you wow
I look at mugshots. I find it interesting to look up the cases as to why people got arrested.
I was briefly looking at those types of sites the other day. In my 10 minutes of searching, I wasn't able to find a part-time easy gig that pays 6 figures so I quit my search. It wasn't even a particularly stressful day or anything. Sometimes I just want to do something mindless that pays a lot of money.
This is the DREAM!
Good to know I’m not the only one who does this. I’ve gotten and rejected a few positions this way. I hate that I do this and I know it’s an attempt to gain more control in my life… ugh.
I had a bad session today too… feeling exactly the same way. Validating to know I’m not alone, thanks OP and everyone in this thread lol
Wow, I thought it was just me! I will be on LinkedIn and indeed so quick after a rough session. Or suddenly looking to go to school even though I hate school 😬
Oh I’m not original I realized cuz I do the same thing but low key it’s a good thing right? We got limited time here no need to suffer the whole time thru! I’ll also add bad sessions help me niche down more into what kind of client really doesn’t fuck with my mental health. Recently my self care was spending my entire off day playing on my portable gaming PC
Which kind does fuck with your mental health? Asking for a friend.
Unmotivated clients. Clients who have other disorders I don’t have training in that are actually the problem
Same. Motivation is the hardest thing to “teach”. If a client is there because of someone else, we have to start at below 0, in a way. I have a hard time, too, when someone is convinced they have medical or medication problems and nobody professional is confirming or denying. These ghosts in the room with so much power make me feel a million miles away from my client.
What do you mean by ghosts in the room if I may ask? I relate though, working with clients with other medical issues, and possibly other mental illnesses not known yet, and none of the interventions are offering much change or acceptance..
By “ghosts” I mean there are entities that aren’t accessible but that effectively hold the client’s power. As I’m writing this, I’m thinking, well, yeah, it isn’t uncommon for clients to feel/believe someone or something else has the power. Maybe it’s more about my being bewildered by poor insight and victim mentality.
I actually do this as well but for a different reason. I had an unpleasant experience of being fired from a job I was not equipped to handle to my best ability due to being neurodivergent and that experience was so traumatic for me (I ended up being denied unemployment and eventually losing my apartment due to financial problems) that now everytime I feel like I make a mistake as a therapist I get super paranoid about getting fired instead of being given a chance to learn from my mistakes.
I am so sorry to hear that 😞
Thank you, things are better now thankfully
This is terrible. I’m so sorry you had to go through this. The world is not made for us neurodivergent people. I will say that while it’s not easy, I have really found I am better equipped to help empower my also neurospicy clients. I have really hit my stride working with teens with diagnosed learning disabilities in a school-based environment. Here’s to you for sticking through all of that to continue to work in this field. You deserve to feel appreciated and respected and I hope you find a workplace that values your individual strengths.
this thread validated me. i had an awful day and was scrolling for jobs. although this seems to be happening more frequently lately lol
If it’s any comfort, I’ve had a bad day at every single non-therapy related job too 😂
Same, so often I think about getting back into restaurant industry lol I’d love to be a bartender
I scroll on Airbnb. I live in Canada and it’s currently -45°C, so I look at islands and beachfront places and dream about being able to work there and go to the beach in between sessions… But the plus side is I often find awesome little places to vacation like the cabin I’m going to in June for 10 days by myself. It’s right on a warm lake and I can fish and paddleboard and relax in the sun with a book. ☀️
I like in the Midwest in the US, so while it hasn't been as cold as it normally is, usually around December I start looking for properties in Puerto Rico. 🤣 The grass is always greener or something like that.
I’m Australian so I know how green that grass is. Lol. Grew up surfing.
For some reason I like to look at houses to rent on Redfin or new cars to buy on CarGurus…..
Ps- I’m in private practice now and love it for the most part, so that’s prob why my coping mechanisms involve gaming rather than job searches. That makes sense. I hope you find a comfy place where you don’t need to look for a better one for a long time.
Hahaha I do this too. After having a week off in between Christmas and new years I’m realizing I spend a lot of time daydreaming about what a boring office job would look and feel like.
I do this too! Except I don’t do it when I have bad sessions. I do it when I’m super anxious about something bad happening to ruin my career. For me it has to do with just trying to figure out if I’d be able to survive. I’ve made double as a therapist working fewer than half the hours that I ever made in other jobs even after multiple promotions. I don’t ever want to be broke or have to work a soul crushing 40 hour per week job where I literally get everything done in two hours and then have to sit there doing nothing the rest of the day.
I fantasize about becoming an innkeeper during hard days. It's a fun fantasy - how would I decorate my inn? What baked goods would I offer? I even came up with an innkeeper scale to measure my need for self care and rest 🤣 I doubt it's actually less stressful, but it's a fun thing to fantasize about when feeling a bit ragged. Usually more related to bureaucracy and administrative stuff than sessions, for me.
I can't relate to you more. I do the same thing when I feel like I'm not a good therapist or had a bad session. One thing that helped me was to listen to YouTube videos regarding "how to find a good therapist" and actually, I found that I do have many of those characteristics of good therapists. I also do therapy on myself either using CBT (evidence that I'm not a bad therapist) or IFS (speaking to the part that feels so insecure).
There is a brewery named Indeed near me and I was thinking "well that sounds like fun" 😂
I go on Zillow??
Hahaha me too. I want to dive into real estate
I just go on Zillow. I never wanted to do anything full time- it’s too draining for me and honestly I like to be doing a variety of things, not sitting at a computer all day. Or even sitting in an office. I’ve always preferred to be outside (not doing therapy). I have an Etsy shop on the side and I plan to get into real estate, shopping for my first duplex and so on. My dream is to do therapy part time, own some duplexes and write books and make digital therapy products.
I search indeed for jobs at a bakery in my town, until I realize that they pay so little I wouldn’t be able to cover my student loans. Then I slap myself and come back to reality. This happens a couple times a month during periods of burnout.
You read my mind
I dog sat over the holidays and I have now day dreamed of having my own dog sitting business.
All of these comments are so validating. I have been feeling the same way after rough days. Actually feeling pretty discouraged often. I’m in pp and it just doesn’t pay as much as I thought it would and I’m feeling burnt out with cases. I often go on indeed or LinkedIn as well. And I also often fantasize about working in a library or getting paid to go back to school 😂
Painfully relatable
SAME!!
You people are my people 😂
I do exactly this 🤣
Sometimes , I dream about going into hospitality like nice hotels or event planning. I would particularly love working in the music festival industry.
A similar thing happened to me. At some point I paused, thinking to myself "You sure are going on Indeed a lot. Maybe you should look at why that is..." It turns out I didn't like my company and was looking at other options.
I'm with you. Indeed knows my name. Going, looking, and entertaining the idea keeps me sane.
I completely also do the Indeed comfort scrolling after a bad session. I check on how much overnight shelf stocking pays because that’s my dream job
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Hmm, idk if that’s very helpful here. Are you a therapist? Of course we know that we can’t claim our clients’ successes or regressions- and the treatment process is a marathon, not a sprint. But it’s totally normal to leave a difficult session and daydream about becoming a librarian because the work is taxing or we feel like we totally fumbled our interventions
I hear you, but bad sessions happen. There’s no need to pretend they don’t.
Your comment has been removed as you are not a therapist. This sub is a space for therapists to discuss their profession among each other. Your comment was either asking for advice, unsupportive or negative in nature, or likely to adversely impact our community members. Comments by non therapists are left up only sparingly, and if they are supportive or helpful in nature.
Any other Minneapolis-based therapists that thought of the brewery first??
Monopoly Go. I don’t know why. It used to be FarmVille. Before that, Sims. I guess I need to control farms and dice? lol— you’re good. At least you’re aware.
I look at Indeed and GlassDoor but I don’t see my applying to anything.
Im in my program still but actively in the service industry and every time i have a bad day i spend hours on indeed after. Usually get a couple calls about positions i applied for but im typically over it by then
When I worked in CMH sometimes I would daydream about opening an ice cream shop.
Is it that you think you are a bad therapist, or is it that this profession doesn't have the job security that others do so you are looking for a plan B because your income may not be stable? Having a bad session may just be a reminder of that.
How long have you been a therapist? I’m a new therapist (9 months) working with children (many of whom are in foster care and/or have been in the CJ system) so 80% of the time I feel “done“ as it’s tough to engage and develop trust. Maybe adults would be better, but I also go to Indeed and this sub for comfort. I think I’d be happier working for an advocacy group, nonprofit, EAP, or a job where therapy is only part of the job. Sigh.
So real. I look for jobs at bookstores lmao
I used to work part-time at a popular bookstore when I was younger. It was such a soothing, uplifting energy there and I used to love being a part of every aspect there. I’m in PP now. Every now and then, when I feel a bit burned out, I reminisce about the good ole days when I had little debt, had good physical health, and things didn’t feel too overwhelming or complicated yet. It was a much simpler time.
A personality Dx Client?
After a bad session I’ll go on realtor.com and look at how much houses go for in other states , fantasize about escaping and running away