Doc Warren

Many a graduate student and frustrated agency clinician have approached me to find out how they too can open a small not for profit counseling agency. They typically have an idealistic view of how it will be and what it will look like. I myself pictured a small office, humble beginnings, not a lot of work but time to keep up on my art and reading while continuing to pay the bills and write professionally. I was right about the humble beginnings to be sure but forget the time for art, reading and leisure; you start a practice especially one like I did with only a few thousand dollars from a personal loan, no sponsors, no backers or major donors and you can be sure to learn the meaning of work. In response to requests, here is a small snapshot of my work week; your results may vary.

You may have noticed that I have not posted for a few weeks. I like many of you enjoyed a nice week off for the Thanksgiving holiday. It was a time to enjoy family, reflect on the great things that life has brought forth and for me to also reflect on my life, its direction, priorities and direction. As many of you know, I have been dealing with many nagging health issues. These issues have impacted my life to a great degree and at one time I thought they may have been working to end my life totally; thankfully that was not the case. I have seen more MD’s, specialists, APRN’s and related folks in the past six months than I can to count; thankfully though I do not have a great health plan, I am not among the millions without any health care. Still the bills pile up while I carry on.

Trust is inherent in much of what we do. Faith, whether it being in a deity, person or program can make us feel safe to take giant leaps. A lack of faith can leave us feeling afraid to do even the most trivial thing. What is trust? It would appear that trust is defined differently depending on the circumstance and the person. In general it is a feeling that no matter what happens the source of trust will be there for you no matter what. This source of trust can be viewed as a rock fortress that cannot be broken no matter the wind; it is the constant in your life.

I am writing this blog during a time when I am normally overwhelmed by work. Instead of the hustle of a fully packed practice, today there is silence. The radio in the waiting room is silent; there is no need to play it when there are no people to hear it. The fire in the fireplace is burning in an empty room but later today a handful of clients will make their way down to the office for much needed sessions. Yesterday was the same.

Years ago a frustrated Southpark aired an episode entitled something like “the Simpson’s did it” in which the makers expressed frustration over trying to make a cartoon in the shadow of the Simpsons who have been staples since many of us were kids and thus have done just about everything at one time or another. Like many folks I laughed when I saw the episode but unlike the Southpark, I had realized this years before and had used examples from the Simpsons for many years in my therapy where I thought it would help a client understand a concept, idea, situation etc..