Stephanie Dargoltz

“I looked up ADD online,” “I think I have OCD because my friend and I took this test that we saw on the Internet, “ “I have diagnosed myself and I’m definitely depressed,” “ Am I a sex addict? I seem to have half of those symptoms,” “I think I need Zanax because of what I read…” and the list goes on. These are the clients (and people) that I will refer to as the inexpert diagnosticians of our generation aka the gullible Internet trawlers.

We all have a favorite song--the song that transports us to a different state of mind. We know the lyrics to this song and the beat becomes familiar and even comforting to hear. Be it a Disney tune that reminds us of our carefree childhood, one that makes us get up and dance, or one that we wish to dedicate to love--equally breaking and mending our hearts. For one reason or another, this song speaks to us and awakens us. In many ways, it frees us from momentary worries; it is our escape.

We all have good and bad days; that is a given. Some magical days, everything seems to align itself perfectly and things go just as planned. Other days, we need a little extra shot of caffeine and inspiration to carry us through our work. The questions I find myself constantly asking are: must I always maintain a somewhat maniacal focus on work in between sessions with clients? How about during sessions? Does it make me an incompetent therapist if my mind wanders from time to time and I mentally step away from my role as a therapist? How will I always put my personal troubles aside and regain emotional composure just in time for sessions the following hour, day, or week?

There is a famous story of a Jewish psychiatrist who survived four concentration camps during the Holocaust. A feat believed impossible by most, this man was amazingly able to find humor and vitality during his time in those camps. This is a story worth telling over and over again because it is a reminder of how we can and should live.

En este momento se están graduando muchas hermanas queridas en el mundo. Mi hermanita chiquita es una de ellas. Hoy y siempre, me parece importante reconocer el impacto de nuestras familias en nuestras carreras. Desde el momento del nacimiento, el vinculo casero es mayormente responsable por la evolución de nuestra forma de ser. Los que nos rodean diariamente son parte de la metamorfosis de la psicología humana porque como sabemos, vivimos ajustandonos a cada etapa de la vida. Es por esto que también vivimos en la lucha de buscar y mantener amistades, relaciones amorosas, y una conexión familiar.