Professional Anonymity
Sometimes I think about whether I should just keep what I do anonymous. When people ask what I do, it would be relatively easy to say, "I work with kids doing this and that" or "I'm in education". If we ever moved or suddenly got surrounded by a new group of people, I'm about 75% sure that's what I'd do.
There's really no advantage to telling people what I do - I can't work with friends or friends' friends, so I won't be getting myself professionally networked - and the conversations that pop up are distinct disadvantages. Even without bringing it up, there's enough chatter out there that I'd love to just separate myself from what I do.
People with opinions tend to range the gamut from "mistaken but well-meaning" all the way to "ignorant and offensive". It gets even worse when most people don't even know the difference between a counselor, a psychologist, or a social worker...or for many, even a psychiatrist. Toss in the fact that I'm going into school counseling but also skilled as a private therapist, and people just can't understand what it is I am.
Doesn't keep them from talking, though. I'm going into my internship, and I was offered one which dealt heavily with substance abuse prevention and adolescents. I ultimately turned it down, because I wanted to focus more on the traditional duties and skills of a high-school guidance counselor. I was telling someone about it, and they said, "Yeah, substance abuse is heavy stuff and you're not really trained in it either, so it's probably for the best." I was really taken aback.
Firstly, substance abuse prevention is different than actual substance-abuse clients. Secondly, YES I AM trained in it! I actually had one client during practicum that struggled with compulsive gambling. I didn't specialize in it, but that doesn't mean that I don't have the counseling skills to provide appropriate therapy for it. Grr.
I've been opening my mouth about it pretty regularly, defending my occupation and the things I do that I know are helpful when I see someone bashing them. Like so many
other things, I'm starting to think that I should just keep my mouth closed. It's fine that I have an opinion on it, but that doesn't mean other people want to hear it. Most people just want to see their own opinions expressed. To have people agree with them. They want to be the experts. I guess I'm okay with that. I guess it would be a really good thing to save my opinions for places that they're welcome, with people that think I'm intelligent enough to get some things right.
Okay, this is starting to degenerate into silly teenage-level babbling.
There's really no advantage to telling people what I do - I can't work with friends or friends' friends, so I won't be getting myself professionally networked - and the conversations that pop up are distinct disadvantages. Even without bringing it up, there's enough chatter out there that I'd love to just separate myself from what I do.
People with opinions tend to range the gamut from "mistaken but well-meaning" all the way to "ignorant and offensive". It gets even worse when most people don't even know the difference between a counselor, a psychologist, or a social worker...or for many, even a psychiatrist. Toss in the fact that I'm going into school counseling but also skilled as a private therapist, and people just can't understand what it is I am.
Doesn't keep them from talking, though. I'm going into my internship, and I was offered one which dealt heavily with substance abuse prevention and adolescents. I ultimately turned it down, because I wanted to focus more on the traditional duties and skills of a high-school guidance counselor. I was telling someone about it, and they said, "Yeah, substance abuse is heavy stuff and you're not really trained in it either, so it's probably for the best." I was really taken aback.
Firstly, substance abuse prevention is different than actual substance-abuse clients. Secondly, YES I AM trained in it! I actually had one client during practicum that struggled with compulsive gambling. I didn't specialize in it, but that doesn't mean that I don't have the counseling skills to provide appropriate therapy for it. Grr.
I've been opening my mouth about it pretty regularly, defending my occupation and the things I do that I know are helpful when I see someone bashing them. Like so many
other things, I'm starting to think that I should just keep my mouth closed. It's fine that I have an opinion on it, but that doesn't mean other people want to hear it. Most people just want to see their own opinions expressed. To have people agree with them. They want to be the experts. I guess I'm okay with that. I guess it would be a really good thing to save my opinions for places that they're welcome, with people that think I'm intelligent enough to get some things right.
Okay, this is starting to degenerate into silly teenage-level babbling.