Being in a helping profession, it seems to be expected that we should know how to effectively and professionally deal with our own pains and sorrows. How does one perform therapy to oneself? In an article my professor shared with me called "The Hurting Counselor," my eyes were opened and my self-esteem was raised back to a point I thought I might not be able to return from. After having suffered a lot through my short lifetime, I've felt immense guilt over the fact that I am allowing my suffering to distract me from my duty to help others. After reading this, I am reminded that "Just because we are counselors doesn’t make us immune to the ills of life any more than an oncologist is immune to the risks of cancer." We must allow ourselves the permission to hurt and heal. Suffering is inevitable - without suffering, I wouldn't be able to help all the ones that I do authentically. While being in a helping profession, it is important that we reflect on our own pains and give ourselves the permission to do so, for suffering is just a reminder that we are ALIVE. It is all of a blessing and a curse to feel everything so deeply and so empathetically. If I can remind myself about the blessings it brings to feel so deeply, I can remember that I can successfully be a professional alongside being human. Hopefully this helps some of my fellow helping professionals <3
https://ct.counseling.org/2018/08/the-hurting-counselor/?utm_source=ciaug30&utm_medium=ciaug30&utm_campaign=ciaug30&utm_term=ciaug30&utm_content=ciaug30thehurtingcounselor
"Despite our knowledge and experience, a crisis blinds us."