I have been blogging my ideas for American Counseling Association. Help spread awareness about the importance of mental health! Many great authors (all therapists) on there so check it out!! :
Enjoy ; ) -
Just Like Me SD
I have been blogging my ideas for American Counseling Association. Help spread awareness about the importance of mental health! Many great authors (all therapists) on there so check it out!! :
Enjoy ; ) -
Just Like Me SD
Just Like Me: Do you think age matters when working as a therapist or psychologist?
(Be honest; our feelings wont get hurt!) If so, how can we “compensate” for this?
Karina Lapa, LMHC – South Florida Counseling Agency: Is the therapist’s age really an issue? Is this really a matter of transference or countertransference in the therapeutic setting, or is it really important? The more I grow older, and the more I acquire experience, the more I continue to think about that. Well, I graduated at 21, and at 22 I was working in a psychiatric hospital. To be totally honest, I have only been asked and challenged by clients regarding my age a couple of times, and I believe that I have answered appropriately and was therapeutically correct in answering their questions. Or so I believe, as the client returned the following weeks…LOL.
I’ve seen poor clinicians at the age of 60, as I’ve also seen competent ones at the age of 25; therefore, competence has no age. So what do I think really matters? A combination of academic background, life experiences, training in your area of expertise, exposure to and people, and most importantly being comfortable in your own skin at whatever age you’re in. Now… does all of that take time to acquire? Absolutely. But don’t be fooled by looks, or preconceived ideas that a young therapist is not competent to do their job, and that an old one is more skilled. Like I used to say, a therapeutic process involves way more than just the therapist’s age. My advice for the novice therapist is prepare yourself, know how to answer the question of “how old are you?” in the session, and be open to life, experiences, and to people. Do I think that age matters? It may, but it may not be of any our clients. When someone seeks therapy, they are looking for someone who inspires trust, who understands his/her struggles, and who can offer effective help and ease their pain. Be mindful of that! At whatever age you’re in!
SHOUT OUT TO THE U!! ; )
Link to Interview from www.athleticmanagement.com by Kyle Garratt:
“Kirby Hocutt’s resume reads like that of someone 20 years older than he is. The 38 year-old University of Miami Athletic Director took over in South Florida in February 2008 after three years in the same position at Ohio University. In this interview, Hocutt talks about the lessons he learned from the great men he’s worked with, being a young athletic director in a big program, and cleaning up the image of Miami’s football program.”
Catching up with the Head Hurricane: http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2010/07/01/kirby_hocutt_qa/index.php?referer=ed1666bcd4f79beb005e2193c32f753e
Karina Lapa, LMHC, South Florida Counseling Agency: http://southfloridacounseling.net/
1-At what age did you enter the field?
I graduated from college at the age of 21 and at 22 , I was already working in a public psychiatric hospital. One year later, I started working in a private psychiatric hospital, treating the mentally ill, where I worked for another year and a half.
2-What has been the most difficult part of getting to where you are today? What about the most rewarding part?
Many things were challenging, especially in the beginning when I needed to promote myself, advertise, and attend networking events. Not only did I need to be known in the community, but also be know as someone who “knew what she was doing,” and that people could rely on as a “good professional.” Also, learning the “business of private practice”, which I did by reading books, attending seminars, and talking to other therapists who were in private practice. It was also challenging to start building my clientele. It only happened with time, and with the best advertisement ever known—word of mouth. But, it is extremely rewarding when I see my clients getting ready for termination and knowing that something about them is transformed, and that whatever they’ve accomplished will have a huge impact on their lives. It is also rewarding when I receive a letter, email, or a thank you card from someone I helped thanking me for the gift of therapy. That is priceless.
3- What advice do you have for people just entering the field? How to get an internship or job? The Mental Health field is not an easy one! First you really have to have passion for what you do and for the human being, as this is the job of empathy and understanding of the psyche. Then, you must obtain knowledge for the area you want to work with which means studying, studying and studying some more. Attending workshops, conferences, whenever possible, and in the areas you are most interested in or feel inclined to is also helpful as is networking with professionals who are already in the field in many different areas, just so you make sure you’re on the right track, and to learn the keys to success from the “pros”. Also attend supervision. Supervision does not only need to happen when you are doing your internship. It can go beyond that. There will always be one case or another you may need to consult with other therapists. And the most important piece of advice I could give anyone entering this field is to undergo their own PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC PROCESS! This not only will help you look into yourself in ways you may never had before and resolve any “unfinishedbusiness”, but will also give you a perspective of you as the patient and the subliminal and beautiful aspects of therapy.
4- Do you have any advice as to how to prevent therapist burnout? Take good care of yourself and “don’t bring your clients home with you!” And this is something that only experience allows you to do. Leave your clients at work. Not only due to confidentiality reasons, but also because you need to live a healthy life outside your office. Practice some sport, go shopping, talk to friends, go have a manicure or pedicure, eat out, date, go to the movies,drink a beer, you know… live your own life.
5- What has private practice taught you?
That I really love what I do! LOL. And that’s not a bogus statement. I really look forward to going to work. Every day is a new and different challenge. Although I sometimes need to get out of my comfort zone, and learn some more, help some more, and be a “super therapist” (which is a term I use to say that a therapist does not only need technique and knowledge, but needs to go beyond those frames and become as human as possible). This is when magic in the therapeutic setting happens!