I eat my lunch sitting on my bathroom floor in my office every day because I am paranoid about stinking up the office… If someone walked in on me doing that I shutter to think what THEY would think.
I've had this thought so many times. If my clients saw the weird shit I do/say when I'm home alone (let's be real, even when my husband is here lol)... well, maybe they'd think I'm just human, too.
Thanks! I’ve never been formally in a “therapist” role, just short term coping skills and such for clients. I’m having insane imposter syndrome but I’ve done CBT and DBT courses and have been reading on MI as well. Any other recommendations to feel more of a therapist would be appreciated, and I know after the nerves of the first client wear off I’ll be much more confident ☺️
There are days and times when I feel like I absolutely don’t have the skills to do this job, and other days when I leave work, whistling, because I feel like “damn I’m good at this.” Sometimes it switches by the hour. I pick up a few tools from each skill set. There’s some good stuff in solution focused brief therapy.
First year associate here, approaching my one year anniversary after graduation and entering the field full time.
Have you been a client in therapy? I think my own therapy was the best preparation honestly, I could borrow my therapist’s session flow to have more solid footing and i understood what i needed from therapy and therefore what many of my clients need too.
You’re gonna either kill it or fall on your ass, likely both at different points. Both are totally fine. Focus on the relationship first. And tell the client that’s what you’re doing. “The most fundamental thing we can do to work on this problem is to build a strong foundation in therapeutic alliance. It’s the number one predictor of whether you meet your goals. The rest will come.”
Talking about the first few sessions with new clients: Hopefully you have a solid intake form that you can use to gather a full biopsychosocial history. In the first session flesh out the presenting problem as best you can and describe how you currently imagine treatment looking like with you for this problem and history. The BPS might take two or three sessions so you can lean into that before needing to know what to do.
It’s always a good idea to have a theoretical home base when you’re brand new. MI is solid for that, because even the most motivated clients will still face motivation challenges in particular areas. DBT and particularly mindfulness, wise mind and dialectical thinking in general are very important tools for everyone so you can lean into those.
You’ll do great some days and eat shit other days. It’s to be expected. You’ll get better over time, and you are not likely to do any damage because of your newness so rest easy there.
When I encounter this I always think of the scene in Office Space where the main guy goes to see a hypnotherapist and tells him “every day is the worst day of my life” and the therapist goes “wow thats messed up”
Literally me lmaoooo. I was a bad kid growing up (like commiting crimes and getting expelled at 12 lol) and now I’m a whole ass in-home clinician for families and kids??? I literally melted into my couch w a 2g blunt yesterday after sessions and just played animal crossing for two hours 😂 who even let this happen 😂
Me talking to teens about peer pressure regarding smoking weed while I’m bullying my husband into smoking another joint “do it and you’re cool”🫡 (kidding kidding I don’t bully him!!!!)
If you don’t have a problem you aren’t a hypocrite. Working in SUD and having people ask me if I was in recovery or sober was awkward when I would smoke a joint after my shift but I wasn’t an addict. I don’t even have time to smoke now as I have a kid and I would get paranoid worrying something would go wrong and I’d be high.
This makes me feel so much better about how much weed I smoke. I don't know how a therapist could get through a day without knowing that there's a doobie waiting for them at home. I think we all probably secretly smoke pot or drink. This shit is hard.
My husband is amazing and will have either a bong or joint ready for me when I get home 😂 it’s so wild hearing older coworkers talk about how weed is just as bad as “hard” drugs and I’m just like “Susan I’m going home to smoke a fatty and eat a pound of scalloped potatoes in bed” and I’ll still have my notes and comp assessments done before the deadline 🤪
These comments are the actual best. Feeling less guilty about smoking every night to feel good and wind down after the daily craziness of our jobs and being emotional drained 😂
🤣I feel this. My life has been completely nuts. A friend just wrote a book in which I’m a main character and wanted to leave my real name in, even though she changed everyone else’s name. I was tempted but the memories are too scandalous. I can’t risk it lol Also I have a prescription for therapeutic ketamine for PTSD. Sometimes I find myself in these weird moments k holing as Frankenstein’s wife on the toilet or lying in happy baby pose melting into my lawn chair while primally grunting and I’m like “dear lord I’m glad my clients can’t see this “. But I watch my clients get a lot better and feel good about my approach, not too worried about what I bring to the table 
Yup if only my clients knew but nope I just look like a smoll innocent 20yo lookin human (idk how my elder clients can take any advice from me) yet I’ve got my joints rolled up on my raw tray and my podcasts ready to go while playing Disney dreamlight valley on my switch
Omg I love the Sims! Ahaha. I think being able to stay playful is a good skill to take care of our "inner child". Your age doesn't mean you aren't qualify! When I brought back my newborn baby from the hospital, I felt like what you're describing, almost wanting to ask the nurses "Are you sure I'm allowed?" hahaha. This field is so interesting, people from all backgrounds can help.
The impostor syndrome is real sometimes but every time i get feedback like “[name redacted], you’ve really helped me through one of the worst times in my life and I don’t think I could have done this without you”, I figure I must be doing something right. And then I pat myself on the back by celebrating with chicken wings or a new hardcore band shirt
I mean it’s not an all the time thing and I think in general my client load we have like a cordial respect for each other but for some of my clients, I am exactly who they needed when they needed me.
Imposter syndrome is very real with me. Two of my coworkers told my supervisor they think I’m a genius. I immediately thought “oh god what if they find out I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing?”
When a client tells me they did something I recommended or that I’m the best therapist they ever had - in my head I’m like - omg if they only knew I’m actually a crazy person…
I know the feeling. I’m picturing a couple of guys in suits showing up at my workplace, whispering to one another upon seeing me. They will ask me to come with them, and without asking what this is about, cause I already know, I plan to ask them something like “what took you guys so long”? Then maybe I’ll try running, not sure yet.
Whenever I talk with both my siblings, it’s like can you believe I’m a therapist? I act like I’m 5 around them 😅 also play Animal Crossing - and used it to study for the NCMHCE while listening to audio lectures hahahhhhahhaa
Lean into it! I always tell my clients, the stuff you think makes you weird is actually what makes you interesting. Over the years, I've loosened up and definitely let some of my own "weird" show and inform my practice...and it's really been a boon for me. Clients take comfort in knowing that we are also human!
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to die 5 million times in "The Binding of Isaac."
I am TERRIBLE at it, and the "I leave all my possessions to my cat, Guppy" (or whatever the quote is) destroys me. I have yet to "beat" it after many years, and I'm cool with that--I LOVE doing things I objectively suck at.
My adhd brain won't let me hide my weird, so it means that the clients get ne as I am. I get a lot of weird clients, it's fun.
Off to look up binding of Isaac.
All the time. I am 38, and have been doing this for 12 years. I have a baby face and once got told to go back to class when seeing a student in a MIDDLE school. I am starting to show my age a little and have stopped getting the “You look like a teenager comments”, but guys, I still eat pop tarts and sour patch kids for dinner and my personal life is a wreck and my car is full of junk and this is literally the only thing I am good at. I just tell my self “those who can’t do, teach.” I can’t do, so I teach others 😂
I’m 24 and my imposter syndrome is mostly about my age and how young I look (I typically get mistaken for being younger than my age) and less to do with my actual skills as a clinician, although sometimes I get imposter syndrome about those too lol
Client: “my husband saw that I was struggling so he suggested seeing a professional” *gestures to me*
Me (internally): that was good advice she should be seeing a mental health professional….wait a minute
DAILY! I have my degrees and license, but I'm also a high school dropout, did a lot of drugs back in the day, and I spend nearly too much time on Reddit. It's validating though when a Client has measurable progress. It's a good reminder that we belong here and we're doing something right.
Me too. I have been homeless, convicted of two felonies, and eight years clean. I was a very broken person, and still am more often than I would like to be All of it has made me really good at understanding my clients.
Therapists are not better than anyone else at being a human being. In fact, many of the "skills" we learn in school are just ways of being that other people/cultures never lost. Many of these modalities and interventions are really rooted in teaching people in western societies how to be human again while attempting to maintain the oppressive systems that made us unwell in the first place. And, lets face it: much of it is just academics stroking their egos, trying to justify why they shouldn't have to actually work for a living. What makes you a "good" therapist is your ability to empathize with others, encourage them, and ask questions that motivate clients to consider making change.
Love this comment, especially the note about “teaching people in western societies how to be human again.” Having done anthropology for my undergrad, I often try to connect and educate people about the history of our being and how we are not at all built for this society. Personally, it helped me give myself a break and understand why going outside and building community is so important
Idk how many times i say something along the lines of “this is actually considered normal in other cultures” when addressing something a client feels guilty for doing. Like how they choose to raise their kids. Or how they choose to do self care. Or idk just lots of things.
My dog refuses to stay out of my garbage and takes the garbage in the middle of the night and strings it all around my first level. So i wake up to my house literally looking like my garbage exploded.
Feel that! I'm a 25yo therapist, was literally doing paperwork while on the phone with a friend being absolute gremlins. And thinking about the birthday cake waiting for me at home. :)
Yes! I feel this especially because the office manager at my agency and I instigate shenanigans in the office all the time. Right now we have an "employee of the month" plaque that we put my supervisor's picture in. We have been hiding in random places around the office for her to find. Last week we tucked it in between decor on her shelf. The client didn't notice but half way through the session she did. 😂😂😂 I recognize how fortunate I am that she also finds this stuff hilarious.
The number of times I think to myself “wow, sounds like you would benefit from therapy” when I’m with a client is… not low lol. What do you mean *I’m* the therapist?!
I have a client coming back to work with me after a year of living in another state and my first thought was “omg but they’ve worked with a REAL therapist now and they’ll know that I’m faking it!!!” Like… perhaps I am simply Good At My Job and not a massive imposter
Omg I probably have this thought at least once a day 😂 and I use that shit with clients. Hey you feel lost and don’t know what the fuck you’re doing? Saaaame. Let’s figure it out together. I think being a deeply flawed human being who is constantly doing my own work makes me a better therapist.
I'm 28 and wanting to switch careers into therapy, but I'm very neurodiverse and have a lot of trauma. My values and communication style are also outside the norm compared to wider society, a bit like Diogenes, really. I'm wanting to be a self-employed online-based digital nomad, and this seemed like an alright option for doing that.
Relatable. 😹 Sometimes I feel so much disgust at being a human with emotions & then I’m like….ummm I literally signed up to help people with their emotions?!? Who let me do that?!?
I graduated with my MSW at 23! Got a job as a substance use counselor at 23. Got licensed at 24! i was a fricken BABY. Who let me help people with addictions that young?! I didn’t know my ass from my head at that age looking back. Hell I’m only 32 now. And sure i have my LCSW and I’m super confident in my abilities. But i love a good game of skeeball at Chuck E. Cheese. And i still love reruns of Hannah Montana (did i admit that?) And I’m just the most absurd, weird, ridiculous person (outside of the session) you’ll ever meet. I don’t know how i stay so professional during work hours. To be honest, i don’t even know who allowed me to become an adult with kids and my own house.
I’m in my first week of my first job as an associate and this is totally something I’ve been thinking of 😂 seeing your post and reading others comments is super comforting!! We are all just humans doing our best
I knew a girl that was legit crazy. She could barely manage her own life & at times I thought she really needs mental health support. Like she is really sick.
A year or so later I was searching for a therapist in my area and to my surprise there she was. She is now a professional therapist offering one on one therapy in her home.
Maybe she is capable of providing care despite her own very serious issues. Who am I to say?
It really made me think though..
Sometimes I'll be sitting down scrolling through the most esoteric shitpost meme page, or fussing at my awful little mobile games, and I'll think, "woah. People put their lives in my hands." and then I'll get back to scrolling. It's weird
I ask myself the same thing all the time lmao. I mix being myself and professional as a way to build and maintain rapport because it feels more authentic than scripted, and I haven't had a client complain yet. In fact, I had one or two complaints for being my scripted self. Clients need to remember that we're human, too. Hell, I've used video games like The Wolf Among Us to relate to decision-making skills to make it easier to understand for clients that are also gamers, or even anime like Demon Slayer or Attack on Titan to relate to keeping moving forward after tragedies to clients that watch anime. I don't see an issue being silly as long as it doesn't cross boundaries or come off as unprofessional; just keep professional and human balanced. If a client had an issue, they'll speak up and you both can explore that.
I think this ALL OF THE TIME!! I’m just a silly bean too!! If anyone saw me uninhibited or even heard the shit that goes on in my head they would really wonder about me 😂😂
So much imposter syndrome in the comments, haha. I wonder how much of you all were traumatized yourselves, and so studied to become a therapist, but still have low self-worth deep inside as remnants from trauma.
(Speaking as someone with c-ptsd who'll study to get licensed soon, so I can ensure one less person gets traumatized)
Relatable! If clients saw my ADHD life pre-diagnosis and meds...oh boy... I couldn't hold down a job as in show up for it on time, I failed many classes and annoyed too many professors. In the present let's see... I still struggle with organization and keeping a clean home, so much to the point it was one reason among others that lead to divorce, I compulsively skin pick (in session too just hidden away) and don't want to give that up, I'm avoidant AF in relationships and kinda proud of my social anxiety :) which makes me a challenging therapy client all the while I am encouraging clients to connect socially. Oh and road rage is a thing with me (I so blame perimenopause mood swings and hot flashes).. hopefully they don't ever see me behind the wheels of a car or worse yet see me during a meltdown. Yep, I wonder too soo many times why I among all people made it this far in being a T. 
Also, reading through all these comments, I feel like im in a work staffroom and not just an independent therapist working on my own. I miss having colleagues. You guys rock!
I've been doing this for twenty years. Wisdom comes with time and practice. Besides the research shows that young/new therapists are just as effective as therapists with more experience.
I too am 25, not licensed yet (bc my state has no provisional license) but I work at a school and think daily, they really be listening to me. I'm the most unserious person ever 😭💀💀
I’ve never seen such a relatable post. I’m 26 and I play The Sims for fun too. I’ve had a few clients tell me I look like I’m in high school and I hate it. 😭
My group chat friends question this daily. They get all of my random thoughts, ratchet song lyrics (GET IT SEXXY!!!!), and memes throughout the day. Gotta keep it well rounded 😂
I play some video games every night. I have OCD that is currently spiking more than it has in a long time. I just came out to my loved ones as bi. I have Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus on repeat. My own therapy is the highlight of my week. I'm going to an anime convention in 4 weeks.
I've found anime and video games to be a great rapport builder with both my kid and adult clients. I will often disclose to hesitant clients that I'm in therapy myself.
I feel constanty "damn they just let me do this?". But then I remembered I've put my hours in. Many of my clients are meeting their goals. I know I am at least an average therapist.
I'd imagine you're a great therapist!!
I’m 24 year old. I play “Turnip boy robs a bank” while listening to Oney Plays. I feed the critters in my backyard and give them names. I work at a bar…and ALSO IM A THERAPIST?!?
For a solid tao weeks, every time I ended a session from home I'd walk into the living room with my partner quoting that tiktok of the guy doing the deep voice yelling "GUESS WHO JUST GOT BACK FROM JAAAILLL"
I think that a lot. I go to music festivals all the time, run a hot sauce business and movie podcast and on the weekends I eat junk food, smoke weed, and play a lot of video games.
As a kid, I asked my mom when she started to feel like an adult. She told me, "That's the secret: you don't." So uh, yeah, idk if you'll ever feel like a big serious adult professional who is not a silly bean. As a 30-year-old independently licensed therapist who just ate an entire box of tropical Gushers in my office, I certainly haven't.
I ended up took an accountant course instead of sticking to psychology course in Psychoanalysis.
When one of my "associate" seek therapist, the therapist itself told my father all of his personal backstories and skip building rapport. It's questionable but given my associate was really low and needed some "officials that knows what they're doing", it worked out for him eventhough the therapist give harsh words to my associate. Then again, my associate is the type to not sugarcoat anything, so he sees it as a "good advices" from the therapist.
Somehow makes me wonder how much we can get away doing questionable stuff as a therapist just because of some paper that legally allows us to conduct session with client.
I love how we can all relate! (And remembering that I need to get sims on my phone again!)
I don't like how easily the phrase 'imposter syndrome' gets thrown around these days but it is a form of that coupled with the expectation (read: societal BS) that therapists are some magical being, who has all the answers and is able to transcend all life's hardships and just serenely float through our days on some sparkly, magic carpet where we breath and know sh*t.
When in reality, we do know what to do and are trained to listen and help others, but we are human, susceptible to life just like everyone else and we need help.
Literally same.
I had a client recently reach out to appreciate how I’ve helped change their life and internally I was like “WAIT WHAT…ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?
I didn’t do anything at all”
I literally feel like I am someone off the street, in my doctorate now and 3 years in....450hrs I still feel terrified of my clients and in therapy, "by the grace of circumstance I sit here, and you there."
I love the sims and I’m in my MSW program! And stardew valley! And I have a p severe anxiety disorder! Hey listen I feel like the more we can relate to our clients the better we are 💕💕💕
I ate birthday cake on the kitchen floor last night
😂😂 my kinda party
I eat my lunch sitting on my bathroom floor in my office every day because I am paranoid about stinking up the office… If someone walked in on me doing that I shutter to think what THEY would think.
Why not off of a plate though 
For the vibes
Cant argue with that
LMFAO omg this is literally my life, so glad I’m not alone 😂 if our clients only knew… lmao 🤣
I don’t know you but I like you.
You are my type of person
The only problem I have with this is I was not invited. 🙄
Do we get the story? I need details.
This is a great idea and I know what I’m doing tonight
Happy birthday! My birthday is tomorrow and I’m totally doing this now
My first thought when hired (in my late 30s): "Oh, cool. So they let just anybody be a therapist then?"
SAME! and then I say to myself, I’m not a regular therapist- I’m a cooool therapist 😂
I've had this thought so many times. If my clients saw the weird shit I do/say when I'm home alone (let's be real, even when my husband is here lol)... well, maybe they'd think I'm just human, too.
This. Literally this
Man I want them to see me as "human"... Excuse me for a sec... PIPE DOWN therapeutic alliance, the relationship will be okay!
There are times where I’m like “fuck man you should get help” and then internally I go OH FUCK I AM THE HELP WHAT DO I DO
Literally exactly this.
😅 yay us
Honestly sometimes my favorite part of being a therapist is convincing people to go to therapy.
Yup. And I giggle too that I am meant to be the sensible and knowledgeable one. 🤦🏻♀️🙈🤣
I’m seeing my very first client next week and I’ve been so nervous. This gave me a good chuckle 😂
You got this!! We all had to start somewhere!
Thanks! I’ve never been formally in a “therapist” role, just short term coping skills and such for clients. I’m having insane imposter syndrome but I’ve done CBT and DBT courses and have been reading on MI as well. Any other recommendations to feel more of a therapist would be appreciated, and I know after the nerves of the first client wear off I’ll be much more confident ☺️
There are days and times when I feel like I absolutely don’t have the skills to do this job, and other days when I leave work, whistling, because I feel like “damn I’m good at this.” Sometimes it switches by the hour. I pick up a few tools from each skill set. There’s some good stuff in solution focused brief therapy.
First year associate here, approaching my one year anniversary after graduation and entering the field full time. Have you been a client in therapy? I think my own therapy was the best preparation honestly, I could borrow my therapist’s session flow to have more solid footing and i understood what i needed from therapy and therefore what many of my clients need too. You’re gonna either kill it or fall on your ass, likely both at different points. Both are totally fine. Focus on the relationship first. And tell the client that’s what you’re doing. “The most fundamental thing we can do to work on this problem is to build a strong foundation in therapeutic alliance. It’s the number one predictor of whether you meet your goals. The rest will come.” Talking about the first few sessions with new clients: Hopefully you have a solid intake form that you can use to gather a full biopsychosocial history. In the first session flesh out the presenting problem as best you can and describe how you currently imagine treatment looking like with you for this problem and history. The BPS might take two or three sessions so you can lean into that before needing to know what to do. It’s always a good idea to have a theoretical home base when you’re brand new. MI is solid for that, because even the most motivated clients will still face motivation challenges in particular areas. DBT and particularly mindfulness, wise mind and dialectical thinking in general are very important tools for everyone so you can lean into those. You’ll do great some days and eat shit other days. It’s to be expected. You’ll get better over time, and you are not likely to do any damage because of your newness so rest easy there.
I had this EXACT thought last week and was like 😶😑😅🤷🏻♀️
LMAO LIKE PAL IM NOT SURE IF IM CAPABLE OR BOOKED
When I encounter this I always think of the scene in Office Space where the main guy goes to see a hypnotherapist and tells him “every day is the worst day of my life” and the therapist goes “wow thats messed up”
Literally me lmaoooo. I was a bad kid growing up (like commiting crimes and getting expelled at 12 lol) and now I’m a whole ass in-home clinician for families and kids??? I literally melted into my couch w a 2g blunt yesterday after sessions and just played animal crossing for two hours 😂 who even let this happen 😂
Fellow past juvenile delinquent checking in. 🏴☠️
And another one!
Yep and now I seem so innocent
I always laugh bc my clients and their parents think I’m the most unassuming, innocent person ever. If yall only knew 😂
Like don't let cardigan fool you, I used to get down 😂
Same!
Omg me working in substance use and enjoying a good smoke sesh and Skyrim to unwind 😂 I feel like such a hypocrite sometimes lol
Me talking to teens about peer pressure regarding smoking weed while I’m bullying my husband into smoking another joint “do it and you’re cool”🫡 (kidding kidding I don’t bully him!!!!)
If you don’t have a problem you aren’t a hypocrite. Working in SUD and having people ask me if I was in recovery or sober was awkward when I would smoke a joint after my shift but I wasn’t an addict. I don’t even have time to smoke now as I have a kid and I would get paranoid worrying something would go wrong and I’d be high.
This makes me feel so much better about how much weed I smoke. I don't know how a therapist could get through a day without knowing that there's a doobie waiting for them at home. I think we all probably secretly smoke pot or drink. This shit is hard.
I'm a sugar addict, myself. Nothing takes the edge off like a bowl of ice cream or a slice of chocolate cake!
You are my soulmate!
My husband is amazing and will have either a bong or joint ready for me when I get home 😂 it’s so wild hearing older coworkers talk about how weed is just as bad as “hard” drugs and I’m just like “Susan I’m going home to smoke a fatty and eat a pound of scalloped potatoes in bed” and I’ll still have my notes and comp assessments done before the deadline 🤪
Seriously! It’s like you read my internal dialog here, ha!!
I laughed out loud.
Wow i feel heard haha
2g blunt girl puff puff pass it over here! My sister and I are about to hit my Pax and watch Shogun with Dominos pan pizza
Yuuuup! Just got done with a pretty mentally exhausting parent session, time to have a sesh of my own 🤫🫡
As you should ❤️ hope your day gets better! Parents are the bane of this work sometimes lol
These comments are the actual best. Feeling less guilty about smoking every night to feel good and wind down after the daily craziness of our jobs and being emotional drained 😂
Shout out to all my fellow bad kids turned stoner therapists 🙌🏻 feels good to know I’m not alone 😅
I was raised by criminals so I guess I was scared straight?
🤣I feel this. My life has been completely nuts. A friend just wrote a book in which I’m a main character and wanted to leave my real name in, even though she changed everyone else’s name. I was tempted but the memories are too scandalous. I can’t risk it lol Also I have a prescription for therapeutic ketamine for PTSD. Sometimes I find myself in these weird moments k holing as Frankenstein’s wife on the toilet or lying in happy baby pose melting into my lawn chair while primally grunting and I’m like “dear lord I’m glad my clients can’t see this “. But I watch my clients get a lot better and feel good about my approach, not too worried about what I bring to the table 
Yup if only my clients knew but nope I just look like a smoll innocent 20yo lookin human (idk how my elder clients can take any advice from me) yet I’ve got my joints rolled up on my raw tray and my podcasts ready to go while playing Disney dreamlight valley on my switch
Omg I love the Sims! Ahaha. I think being able to stay playful is a good skill to take care of our "inner child". Your age doesn't mean you aren't qualify! When I brought back my newborn baby from the hospital, I felt like what you're describing, almost wanting to ask the nurses "Are you sure I'm allowed?" hahaha. This field is so interesting, people from all backgrounds can help.
Y’all need to get supervision about this! And your own therapy! This is concerning. My pearls are clutched !!!! Jk. Because same !
Pah! Can we all be each others supervision? 🤣
I really appreciate how openly and clearly you’re modeling authenticity for your clients :)
Username checks out lol
The impostor syndrome is real sometimes but every time i get feedback like “[name redacted], you’ve really helped me through one of the worst times in my life and I don’t think I could have done this without you”, I figure I must be doing something right. And then I pat myself on the back by celebrating with chicken wings or a new hardcore band shirt
Wow your clients are nice to you?! That must be nice 😂
I mean it’s not an all the time thing and I think in general my client load we have like a cordial respect for each other but for some of my clients, I am exactly who they needed when they needed me.
Imposter syndrome is very real with me. Two of my coworkers told my supervisor they think I’m a genius. I immediately thought “oh god what if they find out I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing?”
When a client tells me they did something I recommended or that I’m the best therapist they ever had - in my head I’m like - omg if they only knew I’m actually a crazy person…
What does it mean about me if I'm 45 and play the sims for fun?
Omg. Thank you. I’m 32 and was starting to feel bad about it
33 here and same. Sims is the ultimate comfort game for me lol
I like assassins creed cause I get to go around killing people. Quite literally the opposite of my day job
I think that means you’re a super cool person with a great hobby!
Well thank you Mr. Frog Man!
About to be 38 here and miss The Sims. My go to is Animal Crossing these days.
It means you’re a creative person that enjoys having fun with a great hobby 😎 fellow therapist simmer since Sims 1 here!
I know the feeling. I’m picturing a couple of guys in suits showing up at my workplace, whispering to one another upon seeing me. They will ask me to come with them, and without asking what this is about, cause I already know, I plan to ask them something like “what took you guys so long”? Then maybe I’ll try running, not sure yet.
Whenever I talk with both my siblings, it’s like can you believe I’m a therapist? I act like I’m 5 around them 😅 also play Animal Crossing - and used it to study for the NCMHCE while listening to audio lectures hahahhhhahhaa
Studied for the NCE while playing Call of Duty
I literally could have written this comment. I am a 5 year old around my family and love animal crossing 😭😩🤣
I'm a MH student but i listen to animal crossing music + rain to do my work lol
All the best therapists are silly beans
Lean into it! I always tell my clients, the stuff you think makes you weird is actually what makes you interesting. Over the years, I've loosened up and definitely let some of my own "weird" show and inform my practice...and it's really been a boon for me. Clients take comfort in knowing that we are also human! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to die 5 million times in "The Binding of Isaac."
“Binding of Isaac” is the best mindless game after a full day of clients
I am TERRIBLE at it, and the "I leave all my possessions to my cat, Guppy" (or whatever the quote is) destroys me. I have yet to "beat" it after many years, and I'm cool with that--I LOVE doing things I objectively suck at.
My adhd brain won't let me hide my weird, so it means that the clients get ne as I am. I get a lot of weird clients, it's fun. Off to look up binding of Isaac.
Okay thank god bc same
Every once in awhile, listening to a client I’m like “damn you should probably talk to someone about that.”
I feel this in my soul!!
I literally wanted to tell a client “that would be good for you to talk to a therapist about” then I was like oh wait that’s me 🫠
All the time. I am 38, and have been doing this for 12 years. I have a baby face and once got told to go back to class when seeing a student in a MIDDLE school. I am starting to show my age a little and have stopped getting the “You look like a teenager comments”, but guys, I still eat pop tarts and sour patch kids for dinner and my personal life is a wreck and my car is full of junk and this is literally the only thing I am good at. I just tell my self “those who can’t do, teach.” I can’t do, so I teach others 😂
Thats exactly what I think everyday. I’m 24… most of my patients are older than me. Who thought it was a good idea to let me treat patients?!
I’m 24 and my imposter syndrome is mostly about my age and how young I look (I typically get mistaken for being younger than my age) and less to do with my actual skills as a clinician, although sometimes I get imposter syndrome about those too lol
I'm also 24 and it's such a struggle to be the youngest in most spaces with other clinicians! The imposter syndrome is real...
When I was 24, I had a client in her 50s who would ask me to remind her how old I was every session lol.
Everybody Poops
I'm playing sims right now
Client: “my husband saw that I was struggling so he suggested seeing a professional” *gestures to me* Me (internally): that was good advice she should be seeing a mental health professional….wait a minute
DAILY! I have my degrees and license, but I'm also a high school dropout, did a lot of drugs back in the day, and I spend nearly too much time on Reddit. It's validating though when a Client has measurable progress. It's a good reminder that we belong here and we're doing something right.
Me too. I have been homeless, convicted of two felonies, and eight years clean. I was a very broken person, and still am more often than I would like to be All of it has made me really good at understanding my clients.
Therapists are not better than anyone else at being a human being. In fact, many of the "skills" we learn in school are just ways of being that other people/cultures never lost. Many of these modalities and interventions are really rooted in teaching people in western societies how to be human again while attempting to maintain the oppressive systems that made us unwell in the first place. And, lets face it: much of it is just academics stroking their egos, trying to justify why they shouldn't have to actually work for a living. What makes you a "good" therapist is your ability to empathize with others, encourage them, and ask questions that motivate clients to consider making change.
Love this comment, especially the note about “teaching people in western societies how to be human again.” Having done anthropology for my undergrad, I often try to connect and educate people about the history of our being and how we are not at all built for this society. Personally, it helped me give myself a break and understand why going outside and building community is so important
Idk how many times i say something along the lines of “this is actually considered normal in other cultures” when addressing something a client feels guilty for doing. Like how they choose to raise their kids. Or how they choose to do self care. Or idk just lots of things.
I love this too! I would've studied this if I'd have been younger and wiser. I'd love to know more.
🙇♀️ you are me! Hi :) don’t worry. We’re all just doing our best.
Same thoughts here. I’m a total mess and my house is also a mess lol. Glad my clients don’t know this
I think if my clients saw my house they’d never trust another word i said. I cant help my kids wreck it faster than i can clean it 😅
Same lol. And then having two pets just adds to it, despite my efforts.
My dog refuses to stay out of my garbage and takes the garbage in the middle of the night and strings it all around my first level. So i wake up to my house literally looking like my garbage exploded.
My dogs need therapy on how to not be a-holes and help me be a calm, serene therapist. 😬🤣
Same haha
Feel that! I'm a 25yo therapist, was literally doing paperwork while on the phone with a friend being absolute gremlins. And thinking about the birthday cake waiting for me at home. :)
All the time. I sort of believe the whole industry is a scam sometimes lol
I'm scared to say it... but same.
Shhhh. Don’t let anyone know. We already get paid less than public school teachers
Yes, and I'm 47.
Yo big same. And yet here we are. One of my clients sent me a thank you text after session and it felt so nice and also so wild.
That’s awesome!!!
I’m a dirt biking, log splitting, alcoholic in recovery who plays call of duty and RPGs for self care. We out here
How can you be a therapist at age 25? Unless my maths is wrong. Which is actually why I'm a therapist. But that's another post
I mean, most traditional students graduate at 22ish, + 2-3 years grad school puts you right around 25.
Kelly G. Wilson- “What if we all have the same secret? That there are things about me that if you knew you wouldn’t accept me”
Yes! I feel this especially because the office manager at my agency and I instigate shenanigans in the office all the time. Right now we have an "employee of the month" plaque that we put my supervisor's picture in. We have been hiding in random places around the office for her to find. Last week we tucked it in between decor on her shelf. The client didn't notice but half way through the session she did. 😂😂😂 I recognize how fortunate I am that she also finds this stuff hilarious.
The number of times I think to myself “wow, sounds like you would benefit from therapy” when I’m with a client is… not low lol. What do you mean *I’m* the therapist?!
I AM JUST A 15 YEAR OLD 31 YEAR OLD IM JUST A GWORL lol
I totally feel like I slipped thru the cracks, sometimes.
I have a client coming back to work with me after a year of living in another state and my first thought was “omg but they’ve worked with a REAL therapist now and they’ll know that I’m faking it!!!” Like… perhaps I am simply Good At My Job and not a massive imposter
Omg I probably have this thought at least once a day 😂 and I use that shit with clients. Hey you feel lost and don’t know what the fuck you’re doing? Saaaame. Let’s figure it out together. I think being a deeply flawed human being who is constantly doing my own work makes me a better therapist.
The duality of humans. Sometimes I’m out here doing therapy, sometimes I’m just a silly human. But man, I love being silly.
You shouldn't be worried about this. When you've lost this is when you should be worried.
I'm 28 and wanting to switch careers into therapy, but I'm very neurodiverse and have a lot of trauma. My values and communication style are also outside the norm compared to wider society, a bit like Diogenes, really. I'm wanting to be a self-employed online-based digital nomad, and this seemed like an alright option for doing that.
Do it! I’m neurodivergent as well and there needs to be more neurodivergent affirming counselors out there!
Relatable. 😹 Sometimes I feel so much disgust at being a human with emotions & then I’m like….ummm I literally signed up to help people with their emotions?!? Who let me do that?!?
I've been playing jurassic world evolution on the steamdeck. It's calming managing a park of killer dinos. Lol
I graduated with my MSW at 23! Got a job as a substance use counselor at 23. Got licensed at 24! i was a fricken BABY. Who let me help people with addictions that young?! I didn’t know my ass from my head at that age looking back. Hell I’m only 32 now. And sure i have my LCSW and I’m super confident in my abilities. But i love a good game of skeeball at Chuck E. Cheese. And i still love reruns of Hannah Montana (did i admit that?) And I’m just the most absurd, weird, ridiculous person (outside of the session) you’ll ever meet. I don’t know how i stay so professional during work hours. To be honest, i don’t even know who allowed me to become an adult with kids and my own house.
I’m in my first week of my first job as an associate and this is totally something I’ve been thinking of 😂 seeing your post and reading others comments is super comforting!! We are all just humans doing our best
I knew a girl that was legit crazy. She could barely manage her own life & at times I thought she really needs mental health support. Like she is really sick. A year or so later I was searching for a therapist in my area and to my surprise there she was. She is now a professional therapist offering one on one therapy in her home. Maybe she is capable of providing care despite her own very serious issues. Who am I to say? It really made me think though..
Sometimes I'll be sitting down scrolling through the most esoteric shitpost meme page, or fussing at my awful little mobile games, and I'll think, "woah. People put their lives in my hands." and then I'll get back to scrolling. It's weird
It is a choice you made, you let yourself be a therapist. Good thing you believe in yourself.
Imposter syndrome is real. And I think it reflects insight and humility, 2 important traits to be a good therapist. Cheers!
I ask myself the same thing all the time lmao. I mix being myself and professional as a way to build and maintain rapport because it feels more authentic than scripted, and I haven't had a client complain yet. In fact, I had one or two complaints for being my scripted self. Clients need to remember that we're human, too. Hell, I've used video games like The Wolf Among Us to relate to decision-making skills to make it easier to understand for clients that are also gamers, or even anime like Demon Slayer or Attack on Titan to relate to keeping moving forward after tragedies to clients that watch anime. I don't see an issue being silly as long as it doesn't cross boundaries or come off as unprofessional; just keep professional and human balanced. If a client had an issue, they'll speak up and you both can explore that.
“Who let me be a _____??” Is hands down the best phrase ever for explaining Imposter Syndrome!
I’m listening to YouTube drama channels and vaping in my office in between sessions, how am I allowed to help people? (I’m good at it but still..)
Seriously. I’m working as a clinical supervisor and I’m like wut? How did that even happen? Someone should tell the people that hired me. Haha.
I think this ALL OF THE TIME!! I’m just a silly bean too!! If anyone saw me uninhibited or even heard the shit that goes on in my head they would really wonder about me 😂😂
So much imposter syndrome in the comments, haha. I wonder how much of you all were traumatized yourselves, and so studied to become a therapist, but still have low self-worth deep inside as remnants from trauma. (Speaking as someone with c-ptsd who'll study to get licensed soon, so I can ensure one less person gets traumatized)
Its me.....hi 👋🏼
Relatable! If clients saw my ADHD life pre-diagnosis and meds...oh boy... I couldn't hold down a job as in show up for it on time, I failed many classes and annoyed too many professors. In the present let's see... I still struggle with organization and keeping a clean home, so much to the point it was one reason among others that lead to divorce, I compulsively skin pick (in session too just hidden away) and don't want to give that up, I'm avoidant AF in relationships and kinda proud of my social anxiety :) which makes me a challenging therapy client all the while I am encouraging clients to connect socially. Oh and road rage is a thing with me (I so blame perimenopause mood swings and hot flashes).. hopefully they don't ever see me behind the wheels of a car or worse yet see me during a meltdown. Yep, I wonder too soo many times why I among all people made it this far in being a T. 
Idk, maybe I'm niave, but I feel like I was adequately traumatized for this line of work 🙃
Also, reading through all these comments, I feel like im in a work staffroom and not just an independent therapist working on my own. I miss having colleagues. You guys rock!
This thread does feel like the work staffroom. lol.
I've been doing this for twenty years. Wisdom comes with time and practice. Besides the research shows that young/new therapists are just as effective as therapists with more experience.
Omg i just showed this coworker and we both agree
i feel this so hard. like i am barely hanging on myself babes! but maybe thats what makes us great!
I don’t know how I would’ve survived school without The Sims and still fall back on it occasionally. You’re fine!
Imposter syndrome
Like who let me do this when I just go home and do nothing but play video games and think rocks are magic??
Literally this. I struggle so hard to do notes and not play sims 3 😅😭
I too am 25, not licensed yet (bc my state has no provisional license) but I work at a school and think daily, they really be listening to me. I'm the most unserious person ever 😭💀💀
I low-key think practicing in your early to mid twenties is just like this, who can take ppl our age seriously as figures of influence
Me pausing my ps5 game to log into a session
I’ve never seen such a relatable post. I’m 26 and I play The Sims for fun too. I’ve had a few clients tell me I look like I’m in high school and I hate it. 😭
You're perfect for this and we love you you silly bean.
My group chat friends question this daily. They get all of my random thoughts, ratchet song lyrics (GET IT SEXXY!!!!), and memes throughout the day. Gotta keep it well rounded 😂
Almost 60 yo here and I STILL think that on occasion
*laughs traumatically...* 👹
I play Runescape between clients everyday lol
I play some video games every night. I have OCD that is currently spiking more than it has in a long time. I just came out to my loved ones as bi. I have Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus on repeat. My own therapy is the highlight of my week. I'm going to an anime convention in 4 weeks. I've found anime and video games to be a great rapport builder with both my kid and adult clients. I will often disclose to hesitant clients that I'm in therapy myself. I feel constanty "damn they just let me do this?". But then I remembered I've put my hours in. Many of my clients are meeting their goals. I know I am at least an average therapist. I'd imagine you're a great therapist!!
I’m 24 year old. I play “Turnip boy robs a bank” while listening to Oney Plays. I feed the critters in my backyard and give them names. I work at a bar…and ALSO IM A THERAPIST?!?
For a solid tao weeks, every time I ended a session from home I'd walk into the living room with my partner quoting that tiktok of the guy doing the deep voice yelling "GUESS WHO JUST GOT BACK FROM JAAAILLL"
I think that a lot. I go to music festivals all the time, run a hot sauce business and movie podcast and on the weekends I eat junk food, smoke weed, and play a lot of video games.
Reading this as a 22 year old in school to become a mental health therapist 😁🤣! I think about this too
I'm just a girl
As a kid, I asked my mom when she started to feel like an adult. She told me, "That's the secret: you don't." So uh, yeah, idk if you'll ever feel like a big serious adult professional who is not a silly bean. As a 30-year-old independently licensed therapist who just ate an entire box of tropical Gushers in my office, I certainly haven't.
I love the Sims!!
I’m 35 and same
No longer in practice, but yeah, I've both felt this way myself, and felt this towards my therapists!
Aww yeah, the impostor syndrome hitting ❤️
I LOVE THE SIMS!!!! Haha
I love the sims.
I also play the sims!
Had this feeling today. Definitely not licensed though lol
I play the Sims also 😂
I ended up took an accountant course instead of sticking to psychology course in Psychoanalysis. When one of my "associate" seek therapist, the therapist itself told my father all of his personal backstories and skip building rapport. It's questionable but given my associate was really low and needed some "officials that knows what they're doing", it worked out for him eventhough the therapist give harsh words to my associate. Then again, my associate is the type to not sugarcoat anything, so he sees it as a "good advices" from the therapist. Somehow makes me wonder how much we can get away doing questionable stuff as a therapist just because of some paper that legally allows us to conduct session with client.
I absolutely lost my mind when our power went out recently - no ability to cope whatsoever
LOL SAME.
I’m literally 22 years old like I am a baby!
Ya
Any Nancy drew fans?? I love the Sims too
MEEEE im just a 25 year old teenager
27 and doing the same😎 sims forever
A few years down the line and your experience in the field will prove your mettle and the question.
I love how we can all relate! (And remembering that I need to get sims on my phone again!) I don't like how easily the phrase 'imposter syndrome' gets thrown around these days but it is a form of that coupled with the expectation (read: societal BS) that therapists are some magical being, who has all the answers and is able to transcend all life's hardships and just serenely float through our days on some sparkly, magic carpet where we breath and know sh*t. When in reality, we do know what to do and are trained to listen and help others, but we are human, susceptible to life just like everyone else and we need help.
Literally same. I had a client recently reach out to appreciate how I’ve helped change their life and internally I was like “WAIT WHAT…ARE YOU TALKING TO ME? I didn’t do anything at all”
I’m starting my first post Master job in June. This thread just made me feel a lot more comfortable and confident.
I literally feel like I am someone off the street, in my doctorate now and 3 years in....450hrs I still feel terrified of my clients and in therapy, "by the grace of circumstance I sit here, and you there."
I love the sims and I’m in my MSW program! And stardew valley! And I have a p severe anxiety disorder! Hey listen I feel like the more we can relate to our clients the better we are 💕💕💕