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Is being a child therapist emotionally difficult?

Is being a child therapist emotionally difficult for you?

psychology counseling mental-health-counseling child-psychology
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Jerome’s Answer

It is at times (I have family members who are therapists). But you also get the tremendous satisfaction of knowing you've had a positive impact on a child's life. That can easily outweigh the negative aspects, if you're careful to watch for burnout - you have to learn to take care of yourself and not let your clients' issues overwhelm you. There's also different types of stress depending on whether you're in a private clinical practice or working in a public setting (for example, your state's Department of Social Services or equivalent). Both are wonderfully rewarding careers in different ways.
Thank you comment icon Well said, Jerome! Thanks for this great answer. Alexandra Carpenter, Admin
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Marisol’s Answer

This is a great question to consider when pursing a career as a Therapist , Counselor, or in any helping profession. One of the largest components of being a competent counselor is having self awareness. In the counseling process, you come in with your own unique set of experiences, biases, and beliefs. Some of our own personal experiences shape how we navigate stress or other emotional responses to everyday situations. Being aware of these components is vital. You will have clients sharing intimate parts about their life and it will impact your overall well-being. Finding ways to be intentional about self care and creating opportunities to process with others, including colleagues, will benefit you in the long run. Counselor burnout and compassion fatigue exist in our field. Exploring these items during your course of study and professional experience will support you in this area. Hope this helps! It is extremely rewarding to be part of the process of someone’s journey and make profound impacts on the lives of others.
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Alexander’s Answer

It's about self-care and your perspective on the world. I know this may sound cynical, but here goes. I learned pretty early on in my career that there is a lot of good people suffering, I can't save them all, sometimes my job is just to alleviate the suffering a little bit, and that people have to want to change. I offer my skills and experience, but it's not my job to force them upon another. The stress of wanting to save the world is replaced by I'm playing my part to alleviate the suffering of the world. Furthermore, the deeper my understanding of suffering in my life, the less I suffer. The less I suffer, the more I can help others.

In regards to children, it helped me to keep in mind that there are a lot of children doing well and that I can't just generalize what I see in my office to everyone. Not all parents are neglectful. Not all children are going to end up in jail. AND by helping children at younger ages, my impact can be magnified.

In short, I play my part. I heal what I can, in myself and in others, and I balance my perspective in hopes of seeing the world as it really is in all its glory and filth.
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