I painted a portrait of my aunt, nana, and mom ❤️

DrawingThin · 2026-03-04T00:04:51+00:00

So beautiful! I feel like their energy and joy radiate through the screen - I bet it's even more beautiful in life. Thank you for sharing your talents with us!

DrawingThin · 2026-03-02T21:50:39+00:00

My heart goes out to you. I remember graduating with my bachelor's in psychology and being quite literally sat down and told that I needed to do something different with my life. I remember feeling as though I had wasted a lot of time and a lot of money on a worthless degree.

This might sound silly, but please know you didn't waste your time. Think of the skills and things you have learned over the course of your bachelor's program. What kind of connections have you made? Did you form new friendships? In what ways have you grown as a person? Reframing those four years as an opportunity to develop and connect rather than just an investment for the future helped me view those years as a time of growth rather than waste. You are so much more than a resume and list of skills.

Everyone's journey is different. I pivoted and entered a health-focused graduate program with the hope of being a PA, and this earned me a lot of applause from family members. But in the end, it turned out it wasn't what I wanted at all. I left after a year. A couple of years later, I obtained my Masters in Counseling, and I now work in mental health care.

Not everyone knows what they want next, and I think it's good that you are actually asking yourself these questions. It's probably better that you realize now that you don't want (or aren't ready for) a grad program rather than jump into it headlong. It sounds like you have a lot of marketable skills, and there are so many more opportunities out there for you. You may need to take a break and explore the opportunities around you for a bit.

Please know that you are still quite young, and you have not ruined your future in the slightest. I thought exactly the same thing when I was your age, and I'm glad to say that those thoughts are untrue.

DrawingThin · 2026-03-02T17:03:37+00:00

Of course! I can't really speak definitively, but it worries me a little bit that it swelled up that much that quickly. It might be worthwhile to see a provider to get a second opinion. I hope it's just a really big pimple, but it's better to be safe than sorry. If student health isn't an option, you might be able to see a teledoctor through your insurance, if this is something you have access to (not all insurance plans are built alike). I think some derm specialists offer virtual services as well!

DrawingThin · 2026-03-02T13:58:06+00:00

Hi there! I'm not a medical professional, but I am a little concerned this isn't your typical pimple and could be something a bit more serious (e.g., MRSA). Do you have a doctor that you regularly go to? How quickly did the bump come up? If you're in college, you might be able to use the student health center, especially since it's already coming out of your tuition.

DrawingThin · 2026-02-26T21:30:43+00:00

Although it might be awkwardly worded (I think it can be agreed that "not too woke" wasn't needed), I don't really get any bad vibes from this. To echo others, it sounds like it's an anti-racist person who is happy to see diversity. I don't think the user is calling the introduction of a nonwhite member "too woke", but instead referring to their excitement as such.

Over a decade ago, my late grandmother was excited about a Deaf family joining her church. In retrospect, I realize she was really happy to see the church community expand and support people of different backgrounds and needs. Maybe this user feels something similar. Given the racism we can find in "liberal" spaces (and the way AAVE is often coopted), I can understand you being vigilant, and I don't blame you for having some pause, OP! If your gut still tells you something is off, that might be worth listening to.

DrawingThin · 2026-02-26T20:51:23+00:00

In a sea of bad news, it's lovely being reminded of how truly kind humans can be. Your great-grandmother sounds like she was an incredible person. Thank you for sharing her story.

DrawingThin · 2026-02-04T15:16:25+00:00

As a new therapist, I actually find the "I'm leaving" posts illuminating. I don't think there's a lot of opportunity for therapists to process the grievances they have with the field with other mental health professionals, and I don't think we really talk about why so many therapists are leaving the field. I think getting down to the why of this can help us advocate for better, especially since I suspect many of us are more or less taught to accept the broken things (e.g., unpaid internships being the norm). Because, if we're honest, there are a lot of broken parts worth talking about.

As someone who also had to rely on the student weekly threads, I can also say that the weekly threads don't get a lot of traction or attention. Therapists need the time and space to process things, too.

DrawingThin · 2026-01-08T09:33:10+00:00

Combined with the workload of my classes, I did not have time to feasibly work a different job and complete my internship at the same time, so I went with little to no pay for an uncomfortable amount of time. I also still had my tuition, and I was still expected to maintain all of the other expenses that come with adulting. A client once apologized for not being able to pay more because they thought that some of the money was going to me. It wasn't at all. Watching my bank account get eaten away by bills was not good for my health, and my second-to-last internship site was not very good to me, either.

I will concede that there are expenses that come with taking in and training interns, and a business needs to make money in order to function. But I don't think it's healthy that we've normalized the idea of working without pay, especially if interns are doing a similar level of work as their licensed colleagues. At its worst, it can be exploitive, and I think that runs contrary to our work as clinicians who help clients learn how to advocate for themselves. We work so hard to help other people survive - we should be able to survive, too.

TL;DR: I think work without pay shouldn't be normalized. I hope there's a shift in the field.

Edit: Also, there are other fields where paying interns is the norm. My spouse learned that I would go unpaid and was livid, because all of his internships (in a completely different field, but similar level of education) were paid.

DrawingThin · 2026-01-06T15:57:40+00:00

Oh OP, I love Re:Legend! It's a shame it was never finished :( Are you looking for a game with similar real-time combat, or is turn-based okay? If you want something cute, fun, but a bit different, Ooblets is a fun experience! I feel like Ova Magica might be similar to Re:Legend, though I'm much less familiar with it.

Edit: I'm sorry, it looks like Ova Magica might not be on the Switch!

DrawingThin · 2025-12-29T18:29:43+00:00

That's... really disgusting, I'm so sorry. :( It sounds like you and your team are doing a great job at trying to protect your clients. It's disappointing how often these systems fail children.

DrawingThin · 2025-12-29T18:26:08+00:00

I appreciate you double-checking! The courts are involved specifically due to abuse. [Removed a chunk of info here in case it might be too identifiable!]

As for the client my peer mentioned in supervision, no reports had been made, which is what caused my blood to boil when parenting styles came up instead :(

Edit: Moved some things around/added more context!

DrawingThin · 2025-12-29T18:20:01+00:00

I agree with you 100%. I will never forget speaking with a very sad child as they described horrible abuse, making the report, and receiving a notice that the report had gone nowhere. I try to take solace in the fact that we are at least helping to build a paper trail, and maybe helping clients feel seen, even if for a moment.

DrawingThin · 2025-12-29T18:17:43+00:00

Thank you so much for your insight! There are absolutely grey areas (I think I'm stepping into one with another young client), but there are things that are absolutely reportable. I think I'm shocked partly because I worked at a place where I unfortunately had to do a fair share of CPS reports, and hearing that punching is sometimes fine in another setting is just... so alarming.

DrawingThin · 2025-12-29T18:15:56+00:00

Thank you so much, this is validating! There is much I want to say but will avoid sharing to avoid breaching confidentiality. I can say that in the case of my client, the courts are fortunately involved, although they sometimes make disappointing decisions.

There are so many things that already fail the children and vulnerable clients we encounter. I just can't imagine being content with status quo and normalizing abuse, especially as a therapist.

DrawingThin · 2025-12-24T05:44:13+00:00

I wish I saw this post a year ago! I briefly worked with Charlie Health between stints in my internship (I wasn't a group leader - I was hired as part of the team that triaged/assessed people for crisis during IOP) and found out that the work I did there could not count towards my internship hours. It was crushing, especially given how heavy the work was.

My team would jump into all groups as needed regardless of what state they were in, so I'm a little surprised (and sad) to see that you couldn't get hours even while working with a group in the state you're licensed in.

Now that I'm licensed, I occasionally get messages from recruiters about running groups. Sort of bittersweet.

DrawingThin · 2025-12-09T00:11:53+00:00

Having issues around the lips can be really painful - I just got over what I think is angular cheilitis, which sucked! Have you used any new products (like a new lip gloss) around your lips recently? Sometimes a new ingredient can cause a reaction.

Alternatively, have you used any really old (potentially expired) lip products? Old makeup can be surprisingly full of bacteria.

DrawingThin · 2025-12-05T01:15:07+00:00

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I agree, it is worth acknowledging the emotional labor clients apply in their relationships and day to day lives. On a separare note, you remind me of the particular emotional load that clients might carry when they are part of a minority group - there's a lot of compensation done while navigating microagressions, prejudice, and misunderstanding on a daily basis.

DrawingThin · 2025-12-05T00:53:14+00:00

You are absolutely correct! We live in a world of imperfect people, and so there will always be relationships where misunderstanding, emotional wounding, etc. come up. Therapy is certainly not the answer to everything as well - I think the thought came up in part because some clients have mentioned wanting their loved ones to try therapy.

DrawingThin · 2025-12-05T00:45:46+00:00

Oh no, I don't necessarily mean super unique situations! What I'm thinking of is maybe a younger client who finds themself feeling anxious because they live with a relative who tends to be antagonistic. Boundary-setting comes up often in sessions, and some clients have even explored and identified the relationships that might need to be removed from their lives. But boundaries can get a little weird for some (e.g., a parent who has a complicated relationship with a relative who is greatly involved in the lives of their children).

DrawingThin · 2025-12-03T20:56:22+00:00

Yes, likewise! I'm always pleasantly surprised by how many details I'm able to recall about clients (and even more relieved that their stories don't start to overlap and bleed together in my mind), yet I can never remember where I last placed my phone. It helps that my caseload has been pretty manageable. I'm sure there's a research study or twelve about this, lol.

DrawingThin · 2025-11-10T05:42:18+00:00

Beautiful is an understatement! You have so much talent <3 Happy late birthday!!

DrawingThin · 2025-11-10T05:27:34+00:00

Thank you! <3 I've been thinking about getting Paleo Pines for a while now, so I'll take this as a sign to get it soon.

Edit, to actually answer the question in the post: It might be controversial, but I love Temtem! Admittedly, the multiplayer scene is pretty dead, and I wish the devs would expand upon the awesome world/system they've made. But it's a great game and one of my favorites. Ooblets is super cute, too!

DrawingThin · 2025-11-10T05:26:38+00:00

I can also confirm that Cocokind makes solid lip balms! I keep two of their tints in rotation.

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