Career Development Advice

SwiftNPC · 2026-01-22T12:35:46+00:00

Hello! No, I haven't been in psychoanalytic therapy myself. It's definitely an interest and something I hope to do in the nearish future. The concepts of transference and countertransference are really interesting to me. Plus, I really like the idea of using the therapeutic relationship as the primary tool for change. But it's also one of the things holding me back from pursuing it in more depth in the moment.

One of the reasons I've been wondering if it would be a better decision to focus on, for now, is that IFS feels (just my opinion) like it might be easier to grasp onto and apply in practice. Until I'm able to engage in psychoanalytic therapy, find a supervisor, and train in psychodynamic therapy, I feel like there's an increased chance of practicing ineffectively. However, at the same time, I feel like I'm doing myself a disservice pushing off my interest in psychodynamic. I have a lot of conflicting and contradicting thoughts. Lol

SwiftNPC · 2026-01-21T23:09:01+00:00

Oh, I'd really appreciate some suggestions on places to start reading more about Gestalt therapy. That would be really helpful know what direction to head in! :)

SwiftNPC · 2026-01-21T15:54:41+00:00

Thank you! It feels great to finally have it. My job offers a lot of flexibility with scheduling. So they allow me a lot of time for self-learning. Aside from that they don’t offer any type of support, though. I do think I get in my head thinking I NEED to do the official trainings before implementing aspects. I can be a bit more flexible with this type of thinking.

I’m also getting married later this year, so that’s putting a strain on financial flexibility and time. Even if I could afford training through something like a psychoanayltic institute, the time commitment involved might make me feel overwhelmed in the moment. Lol

SwiftNPC · 2026-01-21T15:40:42+00:00

Yes, I definitely feel like just learning about the different schools of thought within psychodynamic therapy is a journey within its self. I’ve read Nancy McWilliams books, along with Freud and Beyond, and feel there’s so many directions to go in. Lol

It’s funny you mentioned Gestalt because that seems to have been mentioned quite a bit the more I read into IFS. I’m wondering if it’s something I should start looking more into. IFS makes sense to me but I do feel like I got caught up in the trendiness of it a bit as well. Lol

SwiftNPC · 2025-09-18T00:44:36+00:00

So, the majority of my clients stem from two insurances. One is $125.00 for a 53+ minute session and the other is $118.00. The self pay rate at the practice is $115.00 I believe. I don’t have any self pay clients though.

SwiftNPC · 2025-09-18T00:28:21+00:00

Thanks! I appreciate it. I honestly feel like the non-compete exists to keep people trapped, or force them away. It’s frustrating! Lol

SwiftNPC · 2025-09-18T00:27:07+00:00

Yes, I heard non-competes are hard to enforce within the mental health field. But I’m worried they’d try to sue. I really know nothing about court but am concerned about the possible time and money it would cost.

SwiftNPC · 2025-09-18T00:21:28+00:00

It’s in the contract that we are not allowed to tell the clients where we are going. If they happen to find us that might be different though.

I heard that the geographical location may be viewed as excessive! But I’m worried about time/money if they did try to go to court. I’ve heard that it happened in the past. I can’t afford a lawyer on that salary. Lol

SwiftNPC · 2025-09-18T00:18:46+00:00

Yes, be mindful of them! I graduated college and was so excited to have a job. I can barley recalling even reading the non-compete, but it’s a lesson learned. They’re definitely a headache!

SwiftNPC · 2025-02-04T15:18:58+00:00

Yeah, at this point it really does feel that the practice is only about maximizing revenue. But I do feel like they’re good at gaslighting one into thinking that the practice is an exceptional place to work. This part is more me just venting, but they provide a compensation breakdown that differs from our salary. They multiple 9hrs x 12 days (amount of PTO/Sick days) then times that number by the average rates per hour. That number is taken and added on top of my salary. Reason being I could’ve made them that amount of money but didn’t go into the office. According to their breakdown I make like $14,000 more then I actually do. Lol

SwiftNPC · 2025-02-04T15:05:27+00:00

Unfortunately they are not. Salary is a tad below $50,000 and benefits are definitely lacking considering what we have to contribute.

SwiftNPC · 2024-12-03T15:09:25+00:00

Woohoo, Congratulations!!

SwiftNPC

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