A South Asian Therapist in Training
Just like any other minority group in the United States, the South Asian community needs culturally competent therapists to aid the growing need for mental healthcare. Whether this blog post inspires you or not, I hope you have something to take away from it.
Due to the content of this blog post, I, the writer, am choosing to stay anonymous. The reason for this anonymity is because, as a therapist, my clients may search my name on the internet and become uncomfortable with this glance past my professional demeanor, present and future. I will be sharing my experiences as a therapist in training and I want to be as authentic and uncensored as possible for anyone who may be magically inspired from my experiences and say, "I too wish to become a therapist for my underserved population!"
Not Perfect, Just a Beginner
As a therapist in training in graduate school, I have an almost perfect GPA and knowledge of a variety of counseling theories and techniques stuffed in my brain from the past 2 years. Now, as I am one month into my internship, I can assure you I have no idea what I'm doing. This doesn't mean I am incompetent but it simply means that theory and practice are two very different concepts. As I continue to sit in front of my clients with a knowledgeable presence, everything I learned blurs as I try to find the right words of wisdom to share.
One thing is for sure, being a therapist, and a good one, is not a piece of cake. Many may think that sitting in front of a client while they share their hardships should be easy since they think all I have to do is listen and nod in acknowledgment. Those stereotypical therapists you see on TV are not an accurate depiction of the therapeutic process. Healing takes a lot of work and time from both the client and the therapist but, as an inexperienced therapist, I worry that I'm letting my clients down. Each client comes with their own unique challenges and experiences. They depend on their therapist to guide them to healing.
I am truly grateful to my clients for letting me join them on their path to healing while at the same time, I sit there neck deep in my ocean of imposter syndrome navigating my way to a successful therapy experience for my clients. Though it may scare you, this experience is a shared one amongst my cohort and other beginner therapists. Just like with all other professions, it takes time and practice to build a new skill and be good at it. Many expect therapists to be perfect and always have the right answer to all their questions.
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
Spoiler alert: therapists do not have answers on how to fix your life and all its problems. Instead, we can offer knowledge, support, and empathy to the client and work collaboratively on processing trauma and experiences when it is difficult to do so alone. But I empathize with those who simply want the answers to life and how to be happy because I was that client too.
It may seem like therapists don't also go through mental health issues, but we do! Therapists are human, not all-knowing beings. Throughout my program, my professors emphasized the importance of taking care of our mental health because, if left unattended, those issues will come up in our sessions and affect our competency. Personally, it was easy to brush this advice aside as I over-confidently denied that I would need help and, luckily, I found my way to therapy as a client myself. It takes time to admit we need help and I'm glad I sought it out before starting my internship. You know how airlines have safety instructions and recommend that you help yourself before helping others? This reciprocates for therapists to seek help before helping others. It's a crucial part of conducting successful therapy and even more so as a South Asian therapist in training with clients of similar backgrounds. There are times when my clients trigger my past trauma and, if I wasn't working on it in therapy, it could affect my therapeutic relationship with my clients.
Therapy ≠ Cake
Becoming a therapist takes time, patience, and the will to work on oneself. It requires effort, self-awareness, and being able to deal with failure and disappointment. There is even discomfort involved. I can list countless qualities a therapist must learn to have and they are all equally important. In my sessions, I noticed I was afraid to challenge my clients for fear of them leaving therapy feeling upset with me. After careful consideration and supportive feedback from my supervisors, I learned that it is not my job to agree with everything my clients are saying. Progress occurs when there is a good blend of supportive reflection and cognitive challenging among other interventions.
The field of therapy is one that continues to amaze me as I learn the power it possesses. It can heal the unhealable and liberate those who may feel crippled by the mental health issues they face everyday. Though I may feel like I don't know what I'm doing, I know that, with practice and patience, I can be a great therapist one day. Until then, I strive to help my clients and guide them to healing one session at a time.
If you need mental health information, visit the National Institute of Mental Health. If you are looking for a therapist but don’t know where to start, consider visiting southasiantherapists.org. If you are in the Houston area and seeking for local resources, try SAYHU's support services page (we welcome your additions) and find more information on our forthcoming Mental Health Resource Page (this August). If you need support, or if you are having any suicidal thoughts, we encourage you to call and talk to someone at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).