A Professional Journey Through Life
Journal of Clinical Psychology
Published online on September 10, 2015
Abstract
In response to the request to write about those changes that have occurred in my professional outlook and practice that have come with age, I have recounted some of the experiences I have had that seem to have contributed to these changes. There are a couple of important themes that have run through my professional experiences as a therapist, supervisor, teacher, and researcher. One of the themes has to do with my psychotherapy orientation. The other involves the tension that I have experienced between research and practice. I begin by discussing each of these, and then go on to highlight some of the more general lessons learned over the years, including coming to be more myself as a therapist, developing a broader perspective on life, being more clinically integrative, and learning to be accepting of what therapy can and cannot do.