Posted by Racer on March 1, 2004, at 0:37:56
In reply to Re: WOW! » Racer, posted by pegasus on February 29, 2004, at 17:40:08
Speaking of crooked paths, I have a new one. It's so hard for me to express my feelings, in the sense that I can't tell you that I'm angry or happy or describe even hunger by name. I can offer word pictures to illustrate them, though. Here's one that came to me about life and therapy recently.
There's a maze in Australia, called Ashcrombe, which has a standard 7 foot hedge maze, and a rose maze. The rose maze is made up of walkways, with metal fences around them to keep you on the path. You can see, from any point, the bower in the center, with a bench for sitting, but you can't necessarily get there from here. There were several entrances, and many branching paths, but only one or two led to the center of the maze. That's life/therapy to me. Sometimes the most direct way is not a straight line.
What I think I was trying to say last night -- in a drug induced panic-AND-stupor -- was that you'll bring a new perspective to the field. You've learned one way of seeing the world now, and you won't be unlearning it -- just bringing that perspective to bear on a new subject. There's a lot of environmental science involved in mental health care, and your background can help you recognize signs that the patient is experiencing environmental impairment that another professional without your skills and experience might not.
I experienced a similar revalation in college, although not as profound as yours. Since I read a lot, everyone always told me I'd major in English Lit, so I did. Hell, I was a kid, what did I know? I didn't even know what alternatives there were! Oh, yeah, state school, so nothing useful like guidance counselors -- until AFTER you declared a major. While I'm still not entirely sure what I want to be when I grow up, I can discuss the new rescentions of certain novels, the contextual nuances of the Brontes, and the use of the comma in the novels of Ann Radcliffe. *When* I've found a use for all that, I'll let you know...
poster:Racer
thread:316982
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040219/msgs/318892.html