Dear blog reader,
I am not quite sure about the type of content that I will eventually choose to include in this blog, i.e. the parameters aren't yet clear. However, today I've decided to write about my supervisor since I consider this to be an important area of psychotherapy.
During my employment at the agency that offered me a student internship, I found myself constantly struggling between the role that I wanted to be in (student, intern, fun loving guy, therapist) and the role that the agency required me to be (guy who maintains compliance with Medicaid, guy who makes sure agency bills are paid). To the agency all is secondary to survival; actual treatment included. Now what could be wrong with survival? one might inquire. Nothing, to the regular eye. Although it does raise the question--will we ever get past the surviving stage and reach normal peaceful life, the realm where therapy can be more easily accomplished? I don't mean that all people must love each other and all that blah. I do mean that the agency must get to the point of realizing--hey, how are we going to make money so that our clients can get the therapy they need?
The important questions are those that ask, if the current situation doesn't work, what are we going to do to change it. That is a fundamental concept of ego psychology (as far as I know), so why don't we address it? That brings me to my point about my supervisor.
Don't get me wrong, I love this woman. She, on the inside is a wonderful person. Smart, funny, playful. An attractive young woman who can do a lot with her capable personality. There is one tiny problem, she's a difficult person to work with! I've teased myself and asked enough questions to realize that I'm not the only person to think so. My supervisor wants to have supervision, she wants to know that things are going her way all the time! I know this may sound vague and unrealistic (even as description), however I assure you that some of it is true.
She really ponders up many ways to get people to pay attention to how she thinks stuff should be done--manipulation, "punishment," you name it! I mean she's not that bad once in a while, but really much of the time she is.
So the question I'd like to ask you dear reader, why doesn't she change. Does she not see her thoughts/behavior as a problem? Does my agency not realize that what is going on isnt working? I don't know, maybe nobody ever raised any steam and came in screaming. Though I have planned to on many drives to work!
Well, what I've been doing is touching on the subject with her slowly and nudging her in the right direction (haha), hoping she'll realize and change her ways. With her I think it's possible, the agency as a whole though that is another difficult question.
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2 comments:
Anton, this story sounds like the start of a beautiful romantic comedy starring kate hudson and matthew broderick (dont they all). But unfortunatly, it sounds like there are actual serious issues that need to be dealt with, and how ironic being in an insitution whose sole purpose is to resolve these issues. Overall I think you are trying to cut down a tree with a spoon if you know what I mean. I would say, learn what you can, sneak around sneakily, quietly solve all the problems within, and then start your own agency, where YOU set the moral guidelines and enforce them accordingly.
p.s. This is Chris Gabriel, I have been a member of Blogspot for close to 4 months now reading friends/relatives blogs and making personal opinions sometimes in comment form and sometimes just to myself. I dont post blogs due to my inconsistency and sometimes painfully hypocritical viewpoints, but I will be reading your blogs within days or hours of you posting them and commenting casually, if you dont mind of course.
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