Psychologists Cry Too

Psychologists always talk about the importance of emotions, accepting them as they are, observing them and letting them flow. We invite our patients to express them as they feel. We open the doors of our practice so that those who enter open their hearts to us. We give them permission to feel and, at this, they speak, laugh, cry or get angry if they need to.

In college we learned about assessment, disorders, and techniques, but very little time was spent learning about our emotions in therapy and how to manage them. Although, to be honest, all the time in the world would not have been enough to prepare us for the emotional turmoil that was coming our way.

Before we are psychologists, we are human

We are human, it is our great virtue but also the source of many of the difficulties we face. That human part is what allows us to understand and put ourselves in the place of the other and it is that same part that sometimes decides to manifest itself in the form of tears, without consulting us previously.

In therapy we put aside our needs to give priority to whoever visits us. However, we do not remain indifferent to the reality of the other. Although in a different way, we are also moved by those who share words and intimate experiences with us.

And sometimes, in the face of the other person’s stories, we cry. Sometimes this happens in consultation, in front of the patient, while at other times we prefer to express it in our own privacy.

The patient is always divided into three parts

Professionals take home a part of the patient’s life. After the face-to-face meeting, we reflect on what they have told us and made us feel. We try to distance ourselves, we mentally test all the possibilities and therapeutic approaches, we think about the person and what is the best way to offer them the support and support they need.

Not only do we think about the case from a professional point of view, but it also often affects our emotions and feelings. In some cases we get frustrated, we feel guilty, we get caught up in the “maybe” and the “what ifs …”.

The weight of a glass of water

They often say that it is not the weight that makes the body suffer but the time we carry it. Like the metaphor of the glass of water in which the important thing is not the weight of the glass itself, but the time the person spends holding it in his hand.

Sometimes psychologists carry a glass that is not ours, but which we appropriate for a long time. It is difficult for us to let go and loosen up and, many times, it is necessary that ourselves or a helping hand help us to release our load.

More is less

As far as the weight of the backpack is concerned, sharing it with more people reduces the weight. Professionals also need to feel heard, talk about our concerns and that, for once, our needs are the protagonists.

The saying goes that “sharing is living” and certainly when we talk about emotions that is the case. Because psychologists and psychologists are also people who cry and get emotional. Life does not leave us indifferent and, like others, we deal in our own way with our stories and those of others.