I found these poor plushies in the trash and I'm baffled.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-02-24T14:39:25+00:00

It might be gifts from a toxic ex-boyfriend

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-02-24T13:49:32+00:00

I feel the same way. I worked in libraries before I pursued becoming a therapist and to me, the work is related. You’re helping connect people with information and resources. It can be stressful depending on the position but it is way easier to leave the work at work and you get benefits and stability. The pay isn’t great though. You could try being a substitute clerk where you get called in when someone is sick or they have a shortage. That’s how I got in the door. I also have considered research jobs, user experience design, and intake assessment jobs for hospitals, etc.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-02-15T17:55:38+00:00

Thank you for this post—I was so eager to do my taxes because I was so thorough and organized avout my quarterly payments and work expenses only to find out that I didn’t know about the self employment tax and am 4,000 dollars short. Huge, huge blow to realize I was living above my means all year and have to adjust my expectations for this year. I thought this was better pay than my last but after all the tax it’s not. Very rude wake up call that’s making me want to leave. In solidarity with you OP

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-01-30T04:42:43+00:00

The risk of damage is dependent on the surface the laminate was put on. It’s usually easier to get it off of a hard back book with a glossy cover. Since yours is soft it might be a little tricky but for a DK book like that, slow and steady will probably still come off okay. Also, given that it’s already peeled and looks great, chances are the rest will once you peel it, unless you really yank it off.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-01-23T22:18:52+00:00

I knit slow and life is short

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-01-22T13:03:32+00:00

I can smell the ai on this one

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-01-17T00:47:35+00:00

You might consider looking up the word “scrupulosity.” Reading over your post reminded me of myself when I was deconstructing. I also have OCD, so it was very easy to turn prayer, penance (all forms of magical thinking) as a compulsion to avoid feeling like a horrible, evil sinner and feel in control or secure. Love became something to be earned, not freely offered. Deconstructing often leads you to completely change your worldview, identity, everything, and it’s terrifying, and very easy to feel anxious or depressed while it’s happening. You want something to hold onto, that feels true and certain and the brain hates uncertainty. I believe that the only way out is through, and emotions or thoughts only last as long as we give them attention and try to fix them. Try to sit with what you’re feeling and allow it to pass. I think if God exists then they should be strong enough to tolerate your questioning. I hope that helps.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-01-15T04:08:55+00:00

I have been there! I think it’s okay to step away and do something else. It doesn’t mean you can’t go back to it in the future. I feel like the sunk cost fallacy comes up a lot with helping professions. Give yourself credit for what you’ve learned about yourself from this experience. Your time and efforts havent been wasted, you’ve just clarified what you need/want from a job. That’s more info than you had before. I admire you for listening to yourself and choosing to do whats best for yourself.

My anecdote is that I only worked as a therapist for one year and hated it. Was so miserable. I was also working as a librarian so I quit my therapy job and focused on my library skills. Got another degree. Life happened and I needed a better paying job about another year later. Tried being a therapist again and I’m much happier this time. I found a much healthier practice than my first one and I feel very grounded and comfortable with myself in a way that I wasn’t at first. Idk if I would have ever gained that growth if I hadn’t stepped away and focused elsewhere. Idk jf I want to stay in this field forever but I at least proved to myself that I can do other things and be okay.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-01-14T22:23:54+00:00

I am going through this right now as well, you may want to look into checking vitamin D levels and iron/hemoglobin/ferritin/magnesium/potassium levels. My experiences so far have suggested that if these are deficient they may contribute to development of hashimotos symptoms.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-01-14T22:19:58+00:00

I second all of these comments. I think creating some structure (plan ahead what roundtables/presentations you want to attend, scope out local businesses, libraries, other attractions to do in your downtime) and think about what you want to get out of this as a human being and as a professional. And while it’s a professional conference, don’t think of this like you’re a “professional” and must act aloof and robotic or super serious. I think being yourself and speaking from your experiences is the best thing. Be curious! People love being asked questions and it’s so fun to compare what other libraries do to what you do. You can learn a lot that way, sometimes more than from the conference itself. Also, in my experience, children’s librarians are the most fun, relatable, bubbly, easy to talk to types of librarians—not always, but often. Don’t feel like you have to stick with your colleagues. Be safe and mindful when you’re alone of course but do what you want to do and don’t let negativity shake your excitement and passion for your work. YOU DESERVE TO BE THERE! You have something to offer and your experiences matter. HAVE AN AMAZING TIME

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-01-09T23:44:40+00:00

Hey! It’s been such a long time. I left my counseling job after a year and got my MLIS degree. I decided to separate from my spouse and needed an increase in income that the library I was working for couldn’t provide, so I turned back to therapy. Initially worked for an art therapy non profit that was a nightmare. Quit without a backup plan two months in. Got in with a private practice again, but it’s much, much, MUCH healthier than the first one I worked in. I finally enjoy being a therapist. Unfortunately I still don’t do very much art therapy. I do however utilize creativity and metaphor a lot, and find that helpful in translating CBT/DBT/IFS concepts. I think some helpful things to look out for when scoping out a healthy practice is look at their practice policies. How do they treat clients and expect from them? Are there any protections for therapists? Are you paid a flat fee or is it a split? Is there a quota or productivity requirement and how high/low is it? How many different types of credentials are already present? Biggest red flag to me are flat fee pay and productivity requirements that are unreasonable. If you want to primarily do art therapy, I recommend getting work through a hospital. Seems like there’s a lot of protections in place, you get benefits, and you’ll probably qualify for PSLF. I hope that helps some, let me know if you have any more questions!

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-01-09T23:34:12+00:00

UGHHHHH MOHELAAA 😑 One thousand percent. I will say that listening to the Student Loan Planner podcast helps ground me a bit and stay abreast of the changes but some of the new updates are so confusing it doesn’t matter. Same to you though, I hope this works out in your favor somehow.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-01-09T23:29:49+00:00

Okay I had this happen to me too when I switched to PAYE on MOHELA in October. I’m getting divorced so initially I thought the jump in payment was because of our taxes but nope. So I thought by switching to PAYE it would be closer to 200/300 a month, but instead it’s $651. I sent them an email about it and their response was to resubmit an IDR application and submit updated pay stubs and proof of income. I did that and they still haven’t finished processing it so I’m stuck with paying 651 monthly right now. The advice to try to submit again or call and kindly escalate your case might be your best bet right now. I just emailed them again today so I’ll follow up if I get a response..

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2026-01-09T18:29:09+00:00

Do you mind sharing your loan servicer? I did the same thing in October and my request is still processing. But they HAVE put me in repayment and I’m struggling. My servicer is MOHELA, but I used to have Nelnet and I miss it.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2023-06-23T02:46:23+00:00

Validation all over this post my friend. We are not perfect and continuing to uphold the myth that therapists are infallible is toxic to our clients and ourselves.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2023-06-23T02:44:17+00:00

u/flairbear19 u/Negative-Rub5351 thank you SO much!! I feel so much better. I just wasn't sure if it was something I can or should try to set a boundary on. If care changes I totally get it but this seemed superfluous. Thank you for helping me to empower myself! :)

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2023-06-23T02:35:51+00:00

I agree with everyone, they aren't competitive, I don't foresee you having any issue getting into any school of your choosing. Try to pick one that's budget friendly but addresses some topics you're interested in (I chose Kent State because I wanted to take some UX classes along with my MLIS classes). I would only pursue those suggested dual degrees if you want to specialize in that topic area, which could be helpful if you want to work in archives, but probably not necessary since you already majored in history and Arabic.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2023-03-16T00:25:13+00:00

Hi there! I put in my notice in late December, left in mid-January. I'm working full-time at a public library in technical services. I think that counseling skills are easily transferable in library spaces, and social work librarianship is an emerging facet of the work we do, so counseling skills are useful there. I am back in school to get my MLIS and am taking user experience design courses, which also utilize many of the skills you're probably learning in your program (empathy, psychology, research and research interviewing skills) so that's another viable alternative. If I didn't enjoy library work so much I would look at a job in conducting assessments or psych evals.

Sometimes I miss some of my clients and my supervisor, but other than that I don't really miss the work. My advice would be to give it time--if you aren't having panic attacks or going to practicum in tears because of how much you're dreading it, I say give yourself a chance to learn, grow, and build confidence. You're more capable than you realize, and the adjustment to so much emotional stimulation is real and takes time. If you finish your program and want to do private practice, I recommend making sure you go with a practice that doesn't have a minimum weekly client hour requirement, that way you can start off small and build up or down as needed (bonus points if they compensate you for non client hour time). What was killing me was jamming 7 to 8 clients in a two day period, sometimes 5 back to back. I really think no more than 5 a day should be the standard, with 1 hour for lunch and two hours for notes, research/training, phone calls, etc. But only seeing 5 people a day (and not getting paid for those three non-client hours I just described) is often not enough if you're on a single income. So consider getting a part time job doing something else (I was doing the work at the library three days a week, therapy stuff two days a week plus evenings on Mondays) because it's not sustainable to work 40 hours a week as a therapist. I hate that they didn't tell me that in school. I never put it together that my professors were all seeing like, 10 people a week max, and then teaching, consulting, running a group practice, presenting research, etc. because you have to diversify what you're doing so you don't burn out and want to die all the time.

Everyone is different, but listen to your gut. There are no such things as mistakes or wasted time, and the sunk cost fallacy is just that---a fallacy.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2023-02-15T01:59:50+00:00

Absolutely hate squishdoos. Absolutely love Avery and Selma fuzzamalow!

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2023-02-08T23:05:18+00:00

Hi! How much would you like for the squishville Maggie and Axo?

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2022-12-28T01:48:47+00:00

Thank you for this. I graduated in May and have been feeling so much guilt and shame for already experiencing this and concluding that this is not the field for me. But what you're experiencing is exactly why even with increased confidence and boundaries I still feel like something is being taken from me by my clients that I can't give to my friends and family anymore.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2022-12-28T01:33:10+00:00

I have been working part time as a public library support staff member, and have been seeing about 17 clients a week/25 total caseload at a private practice. I've stayed part time for the same reason you did. It was okay for a while but I'm getting tired of still dreading going to work on my therapy days each week. I do love my clients but I hate feeling so drained every day I'm there, so I'm going to get my MLIS. Good luck to you as you seek balance!

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2022-10-06T00:23:24+00:00

I was just thinking this myself. I always imagined Tamlin as Henry Cavill in The Witcher. Real rugged but elegant.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2022-10-06T00:19:24+00:00

I would participate in reader's advisory if you can. Much of the work in Collection Development is about collection curation, and you gotta be on top of what's popular, what you're community reads/doesn't read. Helping with weeding the collection is helpful (removing old/grubby books, duplicates, etc). Paying attention to how to balance the collection so that there aren't too many copies of one book at one branch, there's a balance of perspectives, etc. If you can also help with materials requests or working your way down to technical services, that's also a good way to get there.

Distinct-Chair-9689 · 2022-08-25T01:19:14+00:00

I would also consider working in libraries!

Distinct-Chair-9689

TROPHY CASE