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grace
Student
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Question
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What is the hardest part about being a mental health therapist ?
hi, i am a jr high student from crane middle school and i have some questions for a therapist. what is the hardest part about being a mental health therapist? i also would like to know if i would choose my clients or would they give them to me.
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2 answers
Tanaz Arteaga
Faculty and Administrator
8
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Los Angeles, California
Updated
Tanaz’s Answer
Hi Grace!
First of all, good question!
Most professions have both pros and cons, as well as things that are hard. We also have to remember that every person who becomes a therapist might find different things more difficult than others because we are unique humans, too. But that's probably true of everything you might choose to do in the future, right?
So, I will answer based on my own opinion and then share what I have heard from those I have supported in becoming mental health professionals.
Mental health professionals, including therapists, play a crucial role today. A mental health professional can help in two main ways: to help people understand themselves better AND by helping treat mental health issues or situations. Everyone who seeks therapy is not always dealing with a mental health disorder or crisis- some people are also just exploring themselves to live their best lives through the guidance of a therapist. Talking with someone trained can help you explore your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
However, many people seek therapy when they have serious issues in their lives, minds, and/or bodies- basically when something is wrong. We are seeing the highest levels of depression, anxiety, and other challenges in young people right now- and a therapist can help someone with talking through their feelings, helping guide them toward coping skills, directing them to more support and further medical care as needed. In my opinion, watching amazing young people struggle is one of the hardest parts of working in mental health. We see how amazing these young people are and want so much to help them that it can sometimes be hard. Some mental health issues are also more difficult to treat- like addictions- and we can't just fix people; we can only guide them. So, it's hard to watch the people we work with struggle. We train therapists to be professionals who can handle this, but that doesn't mean it is easy.
I have heard other therapists say some of the hardest things include:
~ burnout: it is easy to burnout when you are working with lots of people who are struggling each day
~ boundaries: sometimes there are challenges with boundaries with clients (for example, sometimes you just want to give someone a hug, but it might not be the best thing to do depending on the situation) and boundaries in your own life (for example, if you take a lot of the emotions of your clients home with you, it can also emotionally drain you as the therapist- so self-care is also really important for therapists!)
~ ethical obligations: sometimes you have to do things to protect the client that can initially upset them (for example, if someone might harm someone else, you might have to tell the authorities)
~ expectations about therapy: sometimes people come to a therapist to "fix" them, but getting better can take some work and more than just one session, and that can be frustrating for the client, so a therapist has to be upfront from the start about this
~ repeated unhealthy behaviors: listening to people make the same mistakes again and again can be challenging as therapists cannot stop someone from doing something or make decisions for their clients; unfortunately, many people fall into patterns of behaviors that can be hard to break even when they are unhealthy which is frustrating for everyone
~ outside impacts: dealing with things surrounding therapy- like insurance benefits to pay for the treatment, other family members and friends, sometimes outside things get in the way
Even though there are many hard things about being a therapist- it is also one of the most fulfilling jobs out there! Nothing is better than knowing you are helping people survive and thrive in their lives.
I included a few more websites below that you might want to read for more info.
Hope this helps answer your question!
:-) Tanaz
Visit this website to hear from a few other mental health professionals about the hardest part of being a therapist: https://psychcentral.com/lib/therapists-spill-the-hardest-part-about-therapy#5
Visit this website to see a list of the top challenges faced by therapists: https://www.talkspace.com/blog/counselor-challenges/#:~:text=7.-,Confidentiality%20and%20Ethical%20Dilemmas,to%20harm%20themselves%20or%20others.
Here's an article from the APA (American Psychological Association) about how Psychologists Promote Health and Well-Being Throughout Our Nation: https://www.apa.org/health/promote-well-being#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20mental%20health,co%2Dexist%20with%20physical%20disorders.
And finally, if you are interested in becoming a therapist in the future, check out this website: https://positivepsychology.com/how-to-become-a-therapist/
First of all, good question!
Most professions have both pros and cons, as well as things that are hard. We also have to remember that every person who becomes a therapist might find different things more difficult than others because we are unique humans, too. But that's probably true of everything you might choose to do in the future, right?
So, I will answer based on my own opinion and then share what I have heard from those I have supported in becoming mental health professionals.
Mental health professionals, including therapists, play a crucial role today. A mental health professional can help in two main ways: to help people understand themselves better AND by helping treat mental health issues or situations. Everyone who seeks therapy is not always dealing with a mental health disorder or crisis- some people are also just exploring themselves to live their best lives through the guidance of a therapist. Talking with someone trained can help you explore your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
However, many people seek therapy when they have serious issues in their lives, minds, and/or bodies- basically when something is wrong. We are seeing the highest levels of depression, anxiety, and other challenges in young people right now- and a therapist can help someone with talking through their feelings, helping guide them toward coping skills, directing them to more support and further medical care as needed. In my opinion, watching amazing young people struggle is one of the hardest parts of working in mental health. We see how amazing these young people are and want so much to help them that it can sometimes be hard. Some mental health issues are also more difficult to treat- like addictions- and we can't just fix people; we can only guide them. So, it's hard to watch the people we work with struggle. We train therapists to be professionals who can handle this, but that doesn't mean it is easy.
I have heard other therapists say some of the hardest things include:
~ burnout: it is easy to burnout when you are working with lots of people who are struggling each day
~ boundaries: sometimes there are challenges with boundaries with clients (for example, sometimes you just want to give someone a hug, but it might not be the best thing to do depending on the situation) and boundaries in your own life (for example, if you take a lot of the emotions of your clients home with you, it can also emotionally drain you as the therapist- so self-care is also really important for therapists!)
~ ethical obligations: sometimes you have to do things to protect the client that can initially upset them (for example, if someone might harm someone else, you might have to tell the authorities)
~ expectations about therapy: sometimes people come to a therapist to "fix" them, but getting better can take some work and more than just one session, and that can be frustrating for the client, so a therapist has to be upfront from the start about this
~ repeated unhealthy behaviors: listening to people make the same mistakes again and again can be challenging as therapists cannot stop someone from doing something or make decisions for their clients; unfortunately, many people fall into patterns of behaviors that can be hard to break even when they are unhealthy which is frustrating for everyone
~ outside impacts: dealing with things surrounding therapy- like insurance benefits to pay for the treatment, other family members and friends, sometimes outside things get in the way
Even though there are many hard things about being a therapist- it is also one of the most fulfilling jobs out there! Nothing is better than knowing you are helping people survive and thrive in their lives.
I included a few more websites below that you might want to read for more info.
Hope this helps answer your question!
:-) Tanaz
Tanaz recommends the following next steps:
Robert Fiorella
Have been a teacher, counselor, professional comedian and a few more.
9
Answers
Amherst, New York
Updated
Robert’s Answer
You always have the option to treat whomever you like. If for any reason you decide that you can’t meet their needs or if you simply don’t feel good about them don’t treat them.
Funny but this might be the most difficult thing about being a therapist. It’s really hard to know if you’re really helping them or if they’re just telling you what you want to hear.
Funny but this might be the most difficult thing about being a therapist. It’s really hard to know if you’re really helping them or if they’re just telling you what you want to hear.