What I Wish I Knew When I Became a Therapist

You know, I’ve been doing some thinking recently and I want to share with you the number one thing I wish I had known when I started my career. If I go back, if I had known this one thing, it would have completely changed my career and stop me from experiencing loads and loads of problems. And I think it’ll do the same for you.

At the very, very beginning of my career someone said something completely discouraging to me about what I could accomplish in this field. And they weren’t the only one to say it. But what happened was I got my bachelor’s degree and I was really, really so excited. I’d never really thought I’d have this degree. I don’t come from an environment where a whole bunch of people get a whole lot of degrees.

And at that time in my life, I was starting to think about what would I do next? And I got a job working at a halfway house for youth, so people who had spent time in youth prison were released to this halfway house. And I was a group facilitator at this house. This was my very first job in this field as an educated professional.

And I was thinking about, what would I do next? Now that I have this bachelor’s degree? Will I stay in this job forever? Will I stay at this level forever? And I started having dreams and visions of becoming, you know, a licensed Psychotherapist. Didn’t really know at the time, what shape that would take. Didn’t know what degree path I would go.

Do you need a master degree to doctorate degree? I just wanted to be a licensed Psychotherapist. And I told my boss at the halfway house that this was what I envisioned for the future. And she told me, I don’t think that’s a good plan. And I said, Oh, how come? And she said, “Because no one pays for individual therapy.

That’s a thing in the past. And this was in 2005. Anyway, she said, no one pays for individual therapy, no one would pay for individual treatment. And I had heard that message like limiting beliefs about being an individual practitioner, people saying that that was the thing in the past, but that was my dream job. Now, obviously I’ve gone on to have a career that completely disproves that I ran an individual psychotherapy practice for many, many years and was completely inundated with clients. So the one thing I wish I had known at the beginning of my career is that anything and everything you could possibly imagine is attainable. Whether it’s, you want to write books. You want to give lectures.

You want to work from home and do your therapy online. You want to have a practice and have a private practice in some city. All of it, all of it is possible. What I really held true to, was I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. My aims were not driven by financial goals or status goals, or my ego. My aims were driven by my desire to make a difference in people’s lives. And it started like I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. So as far as I could see was having a Therapy practice. So I opened a therapy practice and then I wanted to reach even more people because I realized the only people I was helping other people come to my office.

So I started writing books because my books could reach more people. And then I wanted to reach even more people. So I started giving lectures and then I wanted to reach even more people and I started teaching online. And so the audience kept growing and I was able to make a living. I was able to build a team I’ve been able to travel around the world.

So all of those limiting beliefs that all the people told me for all those years and and my boss and that first job telling you what wasn’t possible, they just weren’t accurate. Most of the time when people tell you that your goals aren’t possible is because they’re imagining using their skillset to accomplish your goals. So just remember when people tell you what’s not possible once they hear what you’re trying to achieve, remember that they’re talking about their limitations, not yours and everything in this field is attainable.

So you know what I want you to do? I want you to be bold. I want you to be brave. And in the comment section of this video, wherever you’re watching it, my website, my YouTube channel, my Facebook page, my Instagram, I the comments I want you to write what your biggest dream imaginable is in this field.

Like if you imagine giving a Ted Talk, writing a New York times bestselling book, buying a house for your Mom and Dad to repay them for the wonderful parenting you received. Doing keynote lectures in wonderful countries, whatever it is, I want you to imagine the biggest dream possibly imagined, and then leave it in the comments section below in this video, because I want to support you because I’ve done so many things that so many people told me weren’t true. I want you to hear for me that the dream that you have is attainable is achievable and you can do it. And in the comment section below I’d love to respond to you.

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