When I Need A Pick Me Up, by my friend Ryan King

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Revolutionaries Wait For My Head On A Silver Plate

I've been getting A LOT of criticism lately on my various job performances whereupon I recieve my dough. Not a comfortable feeling.

Last week I ditched out on a psych meeting in NJ after securing the knowledge that the person who initiated it was fully present. But I ditched it to make another appointment in NYC at the counseling center, which I was early to and the other person was late. Not the right thing to do, but I had to do what I had to do. So my nice boss in NJ really socked it to me on that one.

Then of course there's the drama of the counseling center director continuing to give me grief about clients who cancel appointments, as if I were directly responsible, which if I am, I'd rather they stop coming than me force them to stay.

But more than a small part of me hates to admit that I'm doing something wrong. Even though lately long-term clients have been rescheduling with me, and yes, they might be getting tired of coming after we've already worked out some primary things that they first came to me for, but that's not really a reflection of anything I'm doing wrong, is it? I'd say it was a reflection of something I'm doing right. This damn director's got me feeling like I'm failing when I'm probably succeeding. All signs point to succeeding. I took a position in this man's center because I thought he was a nuturing person who'd guide me and help me be a better therapist. But I'm experiencing the exact opposite.

And then again, my own defensiveness could be getting in the way of identifying a problem in my ability to provide therapy for my clients, and I'm not learning what I should learn to help them better. Which ends up being something that again--I'm doing wrong.

Bleah.

Okay. I got that out. I'll stop being so damn vulnerable, suck it up, learn what improvements I can make, and dismiss the rest as the director's economic paranoia. I'm a good therapist. But I can be better.

6 comments:

Trixie said...

There's always room for improvement, in everyone. Just take the criticism on the chin and rise above it!

bulletholes said...

Yeah, Alan, just let it roll off your back.
When I was a Chef there were two things that kept me going....

Never be afraid to make a mistake

and

If you think you are NOT part of the problem, you ARE part of the problem

GrizzBabe said...

I so get the way that you are feeling. I usually don't like to think I'm doing anything wrong either and I sometimes bristle at the hint of criticism.

But you are handling it the right way. To be able to recover from the sting of criticism to honestly evaluate your performance is a mark of maturity.

Me said...

Thanks folks. I do appreciate it.

David A Price said...

I was thinking of what I could say, but grizzbabe summed up my thoughts.

Me said...

You are my friend Dav;d A Price. Thank you.