Life Lessons, Part 1-Compassion for Ourselves and Others

Here is some of what I have learned over the past 15 years of practicing therapy!

Sincere concern goes a long way, and is welcomed by just about everyone.
Learning never ends.
I can always find a way to relate to a person who needs help.
The practice of truly listening to another person is a rare, precious, and often transformative gift, for all involved.
Empathy is innate, and I feel it easily for most people.
Compassion transcends disparities in age, race, gender, afflictions, and life experience.
Nothing is personal, though it may often feel otherwise.
Good supervision is essential for a new therapist to have, and it can be hard to find.
A good, strong support system is important for the maintenance of anyone’s mental health.
Self-care practices are essential for everyone, and especially for those who are engaged in helping others.
Teenagers are skilled at detecting insincerity and disingenuousness in adults.
Nothing is worth the sacrifice of your own health and well-being.
If I had been afflicted with all of what ails my clients, then I could be of no assistance to anyone.
We all have problems, whether or not they are apparent to others.
We all have mental, social, and physical limits.
Most of us want to be loved, happy, comfortable, and to feel like we are needed.
I have to keep believing in myself in order to accomplish anything in life.
Witnessing mental illness in a person, in its florid state, makes it much easier to detect when it is present to a lesser degree.
Most people are mostly focused on themselves, and that is partly related to survival.
Mental illness is very common, but varies greatly in terms of severity and treatability.
We cannot expect someone who is sick to act well, nor can we blame them for their symptoms.
People who struggle with mental illness often must choose between their symptoms and the troublesome side effects of their medications.
People are often afraid of mentally ill people in public, but there is usually no reason to be.
It is important to remember that there is only so much one can do for another person.
Many, if not most, struggles with emotional disturbance, are related to past trauma.
There is a significant difference between helping and enabling.
It is essential to continue parenting, forgiving, and encouraging myself.
New therapists are often given the most challenging internships and cases, and are more likely to feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulders.
Experiences that feel untenable at the time often lead to future insights, and make for incredibly valuable learning experiences.
It is essential to retain compassion and understanding for ourselves, as we continue to learn, make mistakes, and go through life!