Can a person with these negative and neutral traits be a therapist?

[ExAmateurEconomist]

I have ASD, ADHD, possible OCD, anxiety, borderline traits which seem to be going away with time, and which one therapist didn't believe exist but believe was likely just effects of trauma combined with asd but which my psychiatrist believed to be there, and I'm high in sensory processing sensitivity which gives me an edge because it makes me more empathetic. (I'm an hsp, or "highly sensitive person") . could I be a psychologist?

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[Justanothergrad]

Regardless of what type of 'negative traits' (I assume you mean characterological traits and diagnoses which negative impact your daily functioning, so that we are clean on my operationalization of the term you used) you are talking about when you ask if someone is appropriate for the role of therapist, those things need to get handled and managed so that you can be effective. That means not taking on other peoples stuff, not putting your stuff on other people, and being able to form strong therapeutic relationships. if you have a lot to unpack/work on, you're not ready yet in my eyes. Its not that those with mental health issues can't be good therapist, its that I strongly advise people to be healthy before trying to help others. If your stuff isn't handled, I promise being a therapist will not make it easier because you WILL be exposed to things that make stuff harder for you

 

[ExAmateurEconomist]

Regardless of what type of 'negative traits' (I assume you mean characterological traits and diagnoses which negative impact your daily functioning, so that we are clean on my operationalization of the term you used) you are talking about when you ask if someone is appropriate for the role of therapist, those things need to get handled and managed so that you can be effective. That means not taking on other peoples stuff, not putting your stuff on other people, and being able to form strong therapeutic relationships. if you have a lot to unpack/work on, you're not ready yet in my eyes. Its not that those with mental health issues can't be good therapist, its that I strongly advise people to be healthy before trying to help others. If your stuff isn't handled, I promise being a therapist will not make it easier because you WILL be exposed to things that make stuff harder for you

Thanks!

 

[bluecolourskies]

You can be a psychologist but if you are highly sensitive, it almost seems like you would be more prone to burnout and would need to really think about your boundaries and limits. Just something to think about if you haven’t already.

 

[summerbabe]

I second what everybody has written. I’d also add that many characteristics can serve as a strength in this field and that every strength can also potentially be a weakness at other points, as @bluecolourskies pointed out.

How is your ADHD managed right now during undergrad? Disorganized ADHD can lead to issues with documentation (which can potentially create legal issues), improper billing and coding, double booking yourself, forgetting apts/meetings or important deadlines like renewing a license, etc.

If that’s something you’re struggling with currently, grad school will be even more difficult as your layers of responsibility will only increase. And things like a single lapse in protecting patient health care appropriately followed by an inability to remediate that problem can lead to being dismissed from training sites and sometimes even your program outright.

 

[SaraLance]

I have ASD, ADHD, possible OCD, anxiety, borderline traits which seem to be going away with time, and which one therapist didn't believe exist but believe was likely just effects of trauma combined with asd but which my psychiatrist believed to be there, and I'm high in sensory processing sensitivity which gives me an edge because it makes me more empathetic. (I'm an hsp, or "highly sensitive person") . could I be a psychologist?

Some great points already made above. I'll add that this would also highly depend on what type of role you hope to work in. There's a big difference in how some of these features would affect your work as a consultant vs a full-time therapist. For example, one thing that comes to mind is how your views of being highly sensitive would affect your self-evaluation as a therapist (e.g., would you be more resistant to feedback from therapy supervisors, does it make you prone to rigidity in how you conceptualize cases). All things that can be worked on but challenges regardless.

If your stuff isn't handled, I promise being a therapist will not make it easier because you WILL be exposed to things that make stuff harder for you

And interfere with the quality of your patients' treatment.

 

[borne_before]

I have ASD, ADHD, possible OCD, anxiety, borderline traits which seem to be going away with time, and which one therapist didn't believe exist but believe was likely just effects of trauma combined with asd but which my psychiatrist believed to be there, and I'm high in sensory processing sensitivity which gives me an edge because it makes me more empathetic. (I'm an hsp, or "highly sensitive person") . could I be a psychologist?

Yes. You can become a psychologist. Beware, most who set out on the path do not make it, regardless of diagnoses and psychopathologies. Your diagnoses can be stimulus for growth and personal exploration, and a unique way to connect with patients. However, if they are too impairing, maybe psychology may not be the best fit.

 

[cara susanna]

If someone entering this field has borderline traits, I would definitely encourage them to keep an eye out for boundaries and making sure that they are kept. I mean, that's true for any therapist, but especially in this case.

 

[futureapppsy2]

If someone entering this field has borderline traits, I would definitely encourage them to keep an eye out for boundaries and making sure that they are kept. I mean, that's true for any therapist, but especially in this case.

Definitely.

Along those same lines, I would encourage those with autism/strong autistic traits to get specific feedback on how they are reading and responding to client nonverbal cues and indirect language.

 

[Sanman]

Anyone that is able to go to school and be licensed can be a therapist. A better question might be how would you feel managing an additional 30-50 interpersonal relationships in your daily life? Often these relationships will be troubling and high stress. It may be best to test this with volunteer or other work prior to investing time and money in an education. Without ever meeting you, it will be difficult for anyone to answer this question.

 

[WisNeuro]

Definitely.

Along those same lines, I would encourage those with autism/strong autistic traits to get specific feedback on how they are reading and responding to client nonverbal cues and indirect language.

I'd encourage everyone to seek out this feedback. This is rarely brought up in supervision. Often when I bring up these types of issues with trainees at the internship and postdoc level, they say it's the first time that someone has brought it up to them.

 

[PsyDr]

SCIENTIST AT WORK: ALBERT ELLIS; From Therapy's Lenny Bruce: Get Over It! Stop Whining! (Published 2004)

Ninety-year-old psychologist Albert Ellis participates in weekly Friday night demonstrations of his confrontational technique at Albert Ellis Institute in Manhattan; is regarded as major icon of 20th century and ranked as second most influential psychotherapist by survey of clinical...

www.nytimes.com

 

[WisNeuro]

SCIENTIST AT WORK: ALBERT ELLIS; From Therapy's Lenny Bruce: Get Over It! Stop Whining! (Published 2004)

Ninety-year-old psychologist Albert Ellis participates in weekly Friday night demonstrations of his confrontational technique at Albert Ellis Institute in Manhattan; is regarded as major icon of 20th century and ranked as second most influential psychotherapist by survey of clinical...

www.nytimes.com

I've actually seen Albert do these a few times, at conferences and he was kind enough to do one during his 90yh bday party. Extremely entertaining.

 

[BuckeyeLove]

SCIENTIST AT WORK: ALBERT ELLIS; From Therapy's Lenny Bruce: Get Over It! Stop Whining! (Published 2004)

Ninety-year-old psychologist Albert Ellis participates in weekly Friday night demonstrations of his confrontational technique at Albert Ellis Institute in Manhattan; is regarded as major icon of 20th century and ranked as second most influential psychotherapist by survey of clinical...

www.nytimes.com

Unrelated: remember those Gloria videos? Did she ultimately say Albert's session yielded the most potential for change?

 

[cara susanna]

Unrelated: remember those Gloria videos? Did she ultimately say Albert's session yielded the most potential for change?

Oh yeah, I think that she personally would have chosen Ellis but then the story was she chose Perls (wasn't that because Perls was involved with the video series or something like that?)

 

[foreverbull]

Oh yeah, I think that she personally would have chosen Ellis but then the story was she chose Perls (wasn't that because Perls was involved with the video series or something like that?)

She chose Rogers and stayed in contact with him for the rest of her life (she died in her 40s, sadly). She felt coerced into choosing Perls and disliked him (in the video he makes fun of her, patronizes her, and calls her “phony”—not a great way to build strong rapport).

Ellis for his part said he felt pressured to move quickly so he said he wouldn’t have been as didactic/pushy if it hadn’t been a 30-minute session, if I recall.

 

[psych.meout]

Oh yeah, I think that she personally would have chosen Ellis but then the story was she chose Perls (wasn't that because Perls was involved with the video series or something like that?)

IIRC her therapist (Shostrom), who made the video, was a devotee of Gestalt therapy and knew Perls personally. I've seen some people accuse them of stacking the deck behind the scenes, but I don't know all the details.

 

[borne_before]

I feel so stupid, but I've never been able to wrap my limited mental resources around gestalt therapy.

 

[futureapppsy2]

SCIENTIST AT WORK: ALBERT ELLIS; From Therapy's Lenny Bruce: Get Over It! Stop Whining! (Published 2004)

Ninety-year-old psychologist Albert Ellis participates in weekly Friday night demonstrations of his confrontational technique at Albert Ellis Institute in Manhattan; is regarded as major icon of 20th century and ranked as second most influential psychotherapist by survey of clinical...

www.nytimes.com

One of my favorite random bits of psychology trivia is that Ellis got kicked out of his own institute for being insufferable. Also, Steve Hayes' third (?) and current wife is a former grad student of his.

 

[WisNeuro]

One of my favorite random bits of psychology trivia is that Ellis got kicked out of his own institute for being insufferable. Also, Steve Hayes' third (?) and current wife is a former grad student of his.

It was a little more complicated, and sad, than that.

 

[psych.meout]

It was a little more complicated, and sad, than that.

Say more about that....

 

[WisNeuro]

Say more about that....

Not in a public setting.

 

[PsyDr]

One of my favorite random bits of psychology trivia is that Ellis got kicked out of his own institute for being insufferable. Also, Steve Hayes' third (?) and current wife is a former grad student of his.

Uhhhhhh. It's a lot more sad than that.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Uhhhhhh. It's a lot more sad than that.

Indeed--my bad! Ellis kicked off board of institute he founded | The National Psychologist I guess I shouldn't have taken my professor at his word.

 

[PsyDr]

Indeed--my bad! Ellis kicked off board of institute he founded | The National Psychologist I guess I shouldn't have taken my professor at his word.

Now go look up the age and degrees of his wife at the time....