View From the Other Side

It’s surreal being on the other end of the therapeutic client-counselor relationship. I remember going to therapy before and thinking things like, “My therapist probably thinks I’m a pathetic mess who does nothing but screw up and deserves all the bad things in her life. My therapist doesn’t believe a word I’m saying, and the minutes are probably crawling along at an agonizingly slow speed.” Now, …on the other side of things, when I listen to clients, I think things like, “I want the best for you. I want to help you. It’s unfortunate you have to deal with all these negative forces in your life. I’m impressed that you’re trying to work through your issues even though it’s painful for you and takes a lot of effort.” I cannot stress enough how enlightening this is. <