Mom is Always Right

May 11, 2023

May is Mental Health Awareness month. We’ve jumped by leaps and bounds over the past decades, trying to remove the stigma from mental health, and seeing a therapist is no longer considered a taboo. It does make me feel like my job is seen as valuable and appreciated. The demand for services has dramatically increased during the pandemic (not that we’ve ever had a lack of patients flow), but it’s become increasingly pressing to accommodate more and more people.
As a sole practitioner, it gets stressful and even lonely at times as I’m managing it the lonely wolf style. One of my coping strategies is humour. You gotta look at the lighter side of life.

Therefore, I have to extend my warm congratulations to all the mothers on the upcoming Mother’s Day and thank them for keeping my work flow active.

Most of my patients told me they’re going home for Mother’s Day weekend, so there’ll be lots to talk about during next week sessions. Mom’s always right though (or is she?)!

One way to cope is to eat a lot of yummy foods. I can definitely get behind this support group.

Life of a therapist is never easy. Sometimes you feel like a master magician.

I have to remember all the family members names, all boyfriends and all nemesis of all my patients. If I meet you 10 years from now and still remember everything you’ve ever told me, don’t be surprised. It’s my superpower!

Sometimes we swear in sessions. A lot! Because life is hard.

There’s very little that still shocks me. I’ve heard some wild shit!

I’ve forgiven all the crazy stuff my patients ever done. You have to let it go to remain (semi) sane.

If I had a penny for every patient who self diagnosed themselves with random issues after watching some TikTok, I’d not have to work anymore.

Considering that I’m very antisocial and introverted, I don’t know how I ended up in a profession with intense social interactions. I don’t even like people that much!

My favorite coping technique at the end of the day is to dissociate, aka daydreaming.

Afina keeps me company while I work, but all the human drama gets to her too.

The best part though I get to hang out with her at the end of the day.

So, here’s a daily PSA from your friendly shrink and her support dog: feelings are visitors, but you as a host gets to say how long they stay. It’s not appropriate to not open the door to your guests, so you need to let them in and converse with them for a bit. Some guests require a prolonged stay to contemplate the depth of their existence in your life, and some other visitors only need a quick but friendly hello and out the door should they go.