What does a typical day of a Therapist consist of?

I work in a private practice setting, with one psychiatrist and two other therapists. My clients are adolescents and adults. A typical day for me is seeing anywhere from 4-8 clients. Normally my day doesn't begin before 11am since adolescents are in school and adults are at work. I have 50 minute sessions with the clients, I return phone calls to parents/school counselors/doctors on behalf of clients or to client's themselves, and I complete paperwork for billing/insurance as well as therapy notes on what happened in the session, what interventions I used, the current level of functioning of the client, and when I will see the client next. I am required to complete 15 CEU's (continuing education units) per year for my license so sometimes I am attending conferences to learn new skills. I also consult with other therapists to get feedback on how to best handle a difficult situation or share resources. My days are fast paced, and no two days are the same.

I have the same licensure as Kristen but do not work in a private practice setting. I work in an "alternative" high school. The students at my school have all been expelled from their regular high school for various reasons. Most people in my community think we are the "bad kid" school...but I have found this to be completely untrue. My students come from very troubled worlds. They have experienced very poor parenting and many, many traumas. Like Kristen, no two days are the same for me. I start work at 7:30 by returning emails/ phone calls to parents, Drs, home school staff etc. Our students arrive from 8:15-8:45. I spend this time making the rounds, saying good morning, checking in on the kids who I know are experiencing personal crisis. After everyone is settled I will have sessions with any students who came in clearly in crisis mode (they can't help but to be crying, they are threatening suicide, they are very angry etc). Once we have managed immediate crisis I will run one of the many groups that I facilitate. This semester I am running: Anger Management, Grief Support, Sober Support, Understanding Emotions, Music and Art Therapy. In the past I have run many other groups, including but not limited too: Absent Parent Support Group, Children of Addicts, Children of Inmates, Sex Ed, Relationships and Co-Dependency etc. After group time I devote my afternoons to seeing kids 1-on-1. This time is special for my students who have been working with me for a long time and are dedicated to the therapeutic process. My students are dismissed at 2:30. Once they go home I return more phone calls/ emails and meet with the schools teachers and admin to fill them in on what's going on with the students I worked with that day. Because I am very passionate about my work, and even more passionate about educating people on the difference between "bad behavior" and traumatized behavior...you can often find me at community events teaching and lecturing on these subjects. My days are very exhausting both physically, mentally and emotionally but the rewards are huge! Making a difference in the life of a child is better than any paycheck I could ever receive.