An interesting outcrop of being a survivor and being a therapist: you feel like you have to keep it a secret – from everyone. Even people who have master’s degrees and PhD’s in psychology. It’s like you’re not allowed to share, like it’s a dirty little secret.
It’s strange to work in a field among people who help other people with their traumas, and not feel allowed to share my own.
Such has been my experience for the past almost five years.
Part of my discomfort is due to the experience I had in the immediate aftermath when I did share with colleagues and friends. I was in the acute stress phase1 and even though I counted among them a psychologist, retired social worker and fellow classmate counselor, I realized even they couldn’t support me adequately. Yes, they had the appropriate initial reaction - “I’m sorry that happened to you” - but when it came to actual social support, checking in, messages were few and far between. Admittedly, I was so distraught during that time, I couldn’t re…
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