u/EnchantedEnchantix

Hi hi again!

I’m graduating from my MSW from Western University and I’ve been job searching as I’m wrapping up, but there’s like virtually nothing available for a decent pay around here! Has anyone had any luck finding jobs in London or surrounding areas for 70K+ ? I’m starting to think it’s unrealistic to aim for that, but at the same time, this is my third degree and it’s a masters. I feel like it should not be this difficult or too high of an ask? Idk, I might be deluded.

Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated!! The only thing I know 100% I don’t want to do is counselling (at least not full time). I’m worried about high acuity crisis work outside of a hospital and substance abuse treatment only because I don’t have much experience there and worry about causing more harm than good. Otherwise, I’m just desperate for employment.

TYIA!!

Helloooo

Recently got the birthday cake Chobani creamer and the cookie dough one (don’t have them in my country). I have an original nespresso machine. Does anyone have any combos that they like?

Hi hi, grad student here,

I guess I’m asking this more for myself than a client (I hope that’s okay). We’ve learned about “resistant” clients in school, which I don’t love as a term, but it seems to be used as an umbrella term, and I’ve definitely had clients I’ve struggled with helping. I had one in particular who never initiated conversation and mostly responded with one word answers or the classic “I don’t know.” I completely understood the circumstances they were in and why they presented that way. When I’d ask for help around this client, I’d get a lot of “don’t work harder than the client” or “if they don’t want to be there, terminate.” I know there’s a time and place for that, but it doesn’t sit well with me personally. I think that’s because I’m that client.

I’ve been in therapy for 7 years and have always struggled to speak in sessions. I genuinely look forward to the warmth of therapy, but I also have severe anxiety around feeling exposed. It’s not about a specific therapist either. It’s been this way with every therapist I’ve had, including the ones I really liked. I typically wait for them to initiate conversation or ask questions. I won’t expand past what I’ve been asked in fear of saying too much, and I tend to answer with a lot of “I don’t know” when I’m scared of being honest or can’t identify my feelings. Dissociation definitely doesn’t help.

I know sessions like that can feel frustrating or discouraging for therapists. Even in my own work, I sometimes feel at a loss for what to do or how to help, and it leaves me wondering if I’m doing something wrong or being ineffective. But as a client, hearing therapists talk about people like me as frustrating or as clients to terminate makes me feel even worse in my own therapy. I constantly worry that I’m at risk of being terminated because I’m not “doing therapy” well enough.

My therapist also knows I’m in grad school and doing placements in therapy clinics, so there’s this added narrative in my head of, “How is she supposed to be a therapist if she can’t even talk in therapy herself?”
I’ve done a lot of reading on dissociation and quiet clients, and I resonate with so much of it, but I haven’t seen much understanding of it in practice. I also haven’t had clients who present quite like me or to this severity, and my professors don’t seem to fully understand the clients I’ve had who are somewhat similar either. The advice is usually just to terminate.

So I guess I’m curious. Do you have clients like this? Sometimes I feel like I’m not real or I’m an anomaly. How do you manage the frustrations that come up for you? How long are you willing to sit with this kind of dynamic? And what’s your human reaction to clients like this, not like a ‘polished therapist answer’, but your actual internal dialogue?

If context helps, I’m in therapy for CSA, emotional neglect (not primarily but it comes up here and there), body image, and self esteem.

Hi hi

I do have custom orthotics and wear my sneakers most of the time. However, some summer days I want to wear cute sandals or flats that don’t hurt. Does anyone have any brand recommendations? Bonus points if it’s under $100 as I’m a student and don’t work 😭

I really like the look of ballet sneakers or ballet flats but all the ones I’ve seen are hard and flat.

TYIA!

I’ve watched Criminal Minds since I was 11. Maybe it’s because I’m 25 now and have a better grasp on responsibilities and the realities of the world, but MAN does this episode HURTT. I honestly didn’t know who to root for. The poor unsub just wanted to be with his kids. It was a systemic issue that was keeping him being with his boys. My heart breaks because if Bill had the support he needed, Charlie would still be alive and Bill would be with his boys.

I just feel really sad because I imagine how many people are in similar situations and are driven to do things they normally wouldn’t (obviously this being more extreme).