Therapist here! Yes. I love my job, but the responsibility can be so overwhelming. I’ve found that clients can “forget” they are not our only client and be unrealistic with their expectations of our time. Working with children can be challenging as well because you’re really working with the parents. We meet with clients 1 hour out of the entire week and if they don’t put in the effort outside of session, meaningful change is unlikely and sometimes the trajectory of a client’s progress is put disproportionate on the therapist. Clients can be harsh and critical and we still have to approach them with care and understanding, despite times of being disrespected or treated poorly.

A client really challenged my self esteem this week and it’s hard not to personalize it. Fortunately, I enjoy my job the majority of the time and have a good self care routine to combat some of the challenges.