The Role of the Therapist, according to my Clinical Psychology program

Last week, I finished my second quarter of graduate school. Two down, six to go!

Starting off with some honesty: this quarter never truly gelled. It wasn’t just me who felt that way. Everyone I talked to said some version of this quarter doesn’t feel like last quarter, and while that might seem like an obvious statement—of course no two classes are alike and therefore various combinations will create a multiplicity of experiences—the shared sentiment was still somewhat sour.

I also struggled with my own mental health during the first ten weeks of the year, as I put one foot in front of the other to create a string of lived-in days that attempted to answer the question, How does one move on after nearly dying from cancer? So to occupy the clinician’s seat, and to learn about the diagnostic criteria and symptomatic presentation of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) while actively experiencing it myself, was a wacky journey of psychological splitting.

That said, I am proud of myself for quite literally staying the course, and for finishing another 4 classes, 30+ discussion board posts, 6 papers in APA style, 2 case conceptualizations, and countless hours spent reading, researching, thinking, reflecting, experiencing, integrating, and otherwise engaging with psychodynamic theories, the processes of both clinical assessment and ongoing psychotherapy, and field study opportunities that expanded my cultural knowledge and personal perspectives.

The breakdown of my classes, with my notes and takeaways, plus links to a few of my favorite readings or videos from my classes, will be for my paid pals under the cut (if you subscribe to read, thank you!!, and please consider doing it from a computer or browser—the iOS app eats all our money, honey!), but first, I want to share some insights into the role of the therapist, which might be affirming and/or surprising!

• Attend to subtle affective cues

• Track interpersonal patterns in real time

• Make empathic hypotheses about client meaning

• Use self-reflection and modulated, thoughtful self-disclosure

• Provide emotional attunement, not advice