Letter to My Client

Dear fellow being,

As your therapist, you have trusted me in the task to accompany you in your journey, a truly humbling privilege. Therapy itself is often shrouded in mystery or carries a stigma, but I noticed how stronger and more courageous you all have become, and decided to take the step forward to reach out for support, celebrate yourself.

As your therapist, I want you to know a few things that I often don't have the time to explain. Here it goes:

I am human too. I do make mistakes, and I do not have a perfect life. It is normal to assume that your therapist never faults; they have all the answers in therapy, so why wouldn’t they have them in life? Yes, I am well-trained. As your therapist, I have interpersonal skills, insights into the human condition, skills to manage distress, and yet I am not perfect. Sometimes I have a tough time taking my own advice! Sometimes I say the wrong thing, and I too get myself into unpleasant situations and need to claw my way out — just like you.

I rely on you. Often, I make recommendations, often I rely on you. I am the expert in our respective fields, but you are the expert on you. I rely on you to set your goals, to be honest with us, and to tell me about your experience. I also rely on you to attend your therapy with an open mindset, willing to engage with me, your therapist and do the work - even when it feels terrifying.

Sometimes I try to do too much. I am in this profession because I care a lot. I take pride in helping others; admittedly, sometimes I try too hard to “fix" things.

I understand your suffering. I, too, have had individual experiences with suffering, which is part of the human condition. Although I may or may not disclose my own experiences, as a therapist, I went into this profession for a reason. I, of course, can never know your exact experience, but I want you to know that I feel empathy and compassion, I care about your suffering, and I can sit with you in your time of need.

At last. It is important to understand that your therapist is a human being who cares for you and wants you to succeed, in whatever form that takes. I feel most privileged to work alongside fellow humans, for this I want to Thank You for opening yourselves up to me, and for allowing me to hold space for you to grow, to develop and increase your own self-internal motivation.

Best,

Monika