Doc Warren

It’s not easy being a celebrity. I mean, sometimes I just want to be able to have a cheeseburger without a psychology groupie asking for my autograph, swinging a copy of one of the books I have coauthored/ contributed to or holding one of my many pamphlets while their friends take picture after picture. Don’t even get me started about the paparazzi; like I am the only person who forgot to wear their undies in public. Now I wear them outside my slacks just to make sure. And heaven forbid if I go without shaving for a few days, the gossip columns will start rumors about my starting a “hippie psychedelic cult of the Doc” or something…

Before the days of tweets, ipods, zune, cell phones, instant gratification and access to the latest and greatest of everything that is built into a disposable society, life brought simpler pleasures. The walk in the woods that connected gramma and grampy to you, the pleasure of seeing two deer resting in the tall grass, feeling safe even as you drive your old Ford tractor ever closer to their spot on the crest of the hill or the pleasure of popping a few cola cans with your old single shot 22 rifle; some things cost little or nothing but bring back fond feelings, even these many years past.

As a clinician we are not immune to having personal prejudices, preferences and double standards. We may explore options with clients that we would never try personally, either due to personal preferences or religious beliefs; we understand that our clients’ are not us, have a different lifestyle, religion or sexual preference and that they do not come into counseling to learn to be or act like us. Sometimes we may simply feel immune to an issue, or rationalize that though it is an option for others, “it’s just not my thing.” Such thinking can lead us to less than optimal success if we let it.

We all know how difficult it can be for vets when they return from active duty, whether it is a return from battle field deployment, foreign country or even stateside but separated from loved ones for months or years. Many will not seek therapeutic assistance for various reasons, some will appear to return unscathed while others self medicate; all regardless of the situation, will go through some period of adjustment that will lead to either productive (positive) or potentially devastating results.

I am not sure how many clinicians by definition would be categorized as gamblers; if I had to guess I would say that few would qualify. As a whole we just don’t have a reputation for throwing caution into the wind, calling out of work for a week or two and betting our lifesavings at the track or Vegas or wherever. I personally do not even buy a lottery ticket due to the lack of probable return on my dollar. Still, sometimes in private practice or in the running of a program be it not for profit or a for profit enterprise, we find ourselves in a position where we can stay in our current familiar safety blanket that we have arguably outgrown or we can take a great risk and attempt to expand in hopes that the new program will be a great as ever, possibly greater. There is no right or wrong, just a feeling that change must come, must be defined and chances taken. Or not. “Or not” is often much safer though it runs the risk of becoming stagnant.