A new week begins!

It was a crazy busy weekend: Sarah and Gary were up with their adorable daughter Sophia, who we were lucky enough to have here on her first birthday. She loved her presents, all, and took off walking with her new stroller/walker. She'll be taking her first steps soon. We always enjoy having Anna and Lance's children here, they are all so cute, and ALL busy. Being a grandma is great, you get the best parts and only SOME of the worst parts of parenting. (And yes, then you get to send them home!)


So now a new weeks starts. As a mental health therapist, so many people ask, "How do you DO what you do?" Or they tell me, "I could never do what you do." I admit, sometimes I wonder myself WHY I do what I do. At the community mental health agency where I work we get some of the most critically mentally ill, as well as those with more "normal" mental health issues we all struggle with from time to time. Issues range from depression and anxiety (and who doesn't on occasion have these? including ME!) to schizophrenia, dissociative disorders, bipolar disorder. Some have hallucinations on a regular basis, or have been horribly abused. Truthfully, though, I learn a LOT from clients. (And I'm not just saying that because I'm blogging.) I have thought, briefly, about writing a book entitled, "What I've Learned from My Clients." Mostly, I'm so impressed with many of my clients' ability to hang in there despite SO hard of challenges! I feel privileged to work with them. I'm not always sure what I would be like if my life had been as difficult as some of theirs.

AND let me tell you, I try not to do this alone. Though it's difficult to admit, because like most of us, I DO keep my religous/spiritual feelings fairly well hidden (okay, not to my own family so much), I get a lot of help from Heavenly Father. So many times I'm on my way downstairs to pick up a new client, and I find myself praying, "Okay, Heavenly Father, I really don't know what to do with this one, will you help me?" And He does. I get thoughts of what to say, or a direction I need to take with the client that day. And I'm grateful for that.

So there you go, I start off talking about how it feels to be a therapist, and launch into my spiritual beliefs. BUT part of the reason I'm doing this blog is so that I CAN share some of my beliefs, that generally speaking, I keep well hidden. With clients, we talk about how spirituality impacts their lives (it's a growing field in mental health counseling, fortunately). But generally speaking, I don't bring up my beliefs. With co-workers, it's actually written INTO the code of conduct at work not to talk about religion. Even with my family, they know Mark and I attend church religiously (that's a pun); but I rarely share with them my deeper feelings. And interestingly, though we live in a community that is probably 80% LDS, and VERY active, other than in church, religion doesn't get talked about much. What's up with that?

So back to therapy, I LOVE doing it! I constantly wish I were better at it, and I know I have SO much to learn. But I think that is part of the reason I love it, and every client is a new opportunity to share what I know, to help him or her, and to learn from the client about how they have survived. (There are definitely times when therapy IS the worst job, however, like when a client decides NOT to survive anymore. I've lost one that way, which was SO difficult, but that's another blog, maybe, for another day.)

So for the most part, however, for one who needs variety in life, this is the perfect job, because no two clients are just alike. And do I bring their lives home with me? Sometimes, when a session has been very difficult, but generally speaking, I come home and put the therapy behind me. I do something completely different, like clean my house (that's always fun--not); or scrapbook, or exercise, or talk to my kids, grandkids, and hubby. Generally, clients' lives do NOT affect me like my own family members' lives do--and that's probably good, or I wouldn't be able to keep doing this. I'm just grateful to be able to be a therapist, but more important, a wife, a mom, a daughter of God, and well, me. OH, and just so you know? I don't therapize family members or friends, well, hardly ever! Once I've left the office, I leave that behind me, and become just a regular ol' person who tries not to think too much! It's better that way.

So, happy Monday, all!

Karen