Just wondering what other people's thoughts are on mentors.
Does anyone feel their T is a mentor?
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Athenacus,
Yes, I do feel my T is my mentor though I hate that. I always seem to look for mentors, people more knowledgeable, stronger, wiser, to learn from and attach to because I don't have the confidence to "do" life on my own. However, it's recommended in the business world that people find mentors. I think you are supposed to have two or three even.
Yes, I do feel my T is my mentor though I hate that. I always seem to look for mentors, people more knowledgeable, stronger, wiser, to learn from and attach to because I don't have the confidence to "do" life on my own. However, it's recommended in the business world that people find mentors. I think you are supposed to have two or three even.
When I worked as an engineer, I had four mentors. 2 were my bosses at different times, and 2 were my co-workers at two different companies.
I do not consider my T a mentor for me. I guess I think of a mentor as someone in the professional sense. My T is "re-parenting" me and after 20 months I can finally see/feel this relationship as such....I can be "child-like" with her and that's okay.
I do not consider my T a mentor for me. I guess I think of a mentor as someone in the professional sense. My T is "re-parenting" me and after 20 months I can finally see/feel this relationship as such....I can be "child-like" with her and that's okay.
Hi Athenacus,
I would not have always considered my T to be a mentor, but our relationship has been shifting towards at least some of that. When I stopped going regularly, it was a recognition of feeling like the "healing" part of our work was done, and now it was just about continuing to grow. About the time that shift occurred was also when I started volunteering on a crisis line and became moderator on the forum. My T has been a really good resource for working through any struggles and problems that have come up in either role, especially when I've bumped into my own stuff because he has so much insight about me. He has been more open about how he handles things and what he has had to learn as a therapist; our relationship at times slips more towards being a collegial one. (Although thankfully he easily follows me if I show up in full on "small confused child" mode
) I have been able to learn a lot from him and very much respect his judgement which makes him easy to listen to. I also really appreciate it him as a mentor because he doesn't tell me how to do it; he offers his own experience so I can learn from it how I would do it. It's actually been a very welcome development in our relationship.
AG
I would not have always considered my T to be a mentor, but our relationship has been shifting towards at least some of that. When I stopped going regularly, it was a recognition of feeling like the "healing" part of our work was done, and now it was just about continuing to grow. About the time that shift occurred was also when I started volunteering on a crisis line and became moderator on the forum. My T has been a really good resource for working through any struggles and problems that have come up in either role, especially when I've bumped into my own stuff because he has so much insight about me. He has been more open about how he handles things and what he has had to learn as a therapist; our relationship at times slips more towards being a collegial one. (Although thankfully he easily follows me if I show up in full on "small confused child" mode
) I have been able to learn a lot from him and very much respect his judgement which makes him easy to listen to. I also really appreciate it him as a mentor because he doesn't tell me how to do it; he offers his own experience so I can learn from it how I would do it. It's actually been a very welcome development in our relationship. AG
Thanks AG and others
AG-that's kind of where my T and I are at-a shift in our relationship. We discussed this at my last session. She sees that I've done a lot of healing and now I can continue to grow or come to her with struggles that I'm having. I see it that way too. I'm taking two psych classes currently, had two last semester and just interviewed for grad school in counseling (I don't think I did well, so I doubt I'll get accepted). I'm about to start volunteering for a crisis line in the upcoming weeks also. Thanks for your thoughts on the mentor relationship!
Well, I better go fill out my forms for the crisis line volunteering and fill out school forms for my kids besides getting to my homework.
AG-that's kind of where my T and I are at-a shift in our relationship. We discussed this at my last session. She sees that I've done a lot of healing and now I can continue to grow or come to her with struggles that I'm having. I see it that way too. I'm taking two psych classes currently, had two last semester and just interviewed for grad school in counseling (I don't think I did well, so I doubt I'll get accepted). I'm about to start volunteering for a crisis line in the upcoming weeks also. Thanks for your thoughts on the mentor relationship!
Well, I better go fill out my forms for the crisis line volunteering and fill out school forms for my kids besides getting to my homework.
My T is principally my T. I don't think of him as a mentor though he does model many behaviours that I then learn to do myself.
I have mentors in other spheres, like my music and my singing but I could do with a stronger bond in both of those.
I have a spiritual mentor, but I only see him once a year and it is an odd sort of relationship.
I think I have left myself with more questions, after answering this.
I have mentors in other spheres, like my music and my singing but I could do with a stronger bond in both of those.
I have a spiritual mentor, but I only see him once a year and it is an odd sort of relationship.
I think I have left myself with more questions, after answering this.
Thank you for your thoughts and sharing your stories, All.
I'm looking forward to my meeting with my T/mentor this week. It couldn't come soon enough as the last week has been rather hellish in some ways. I'm not sure what type of mood I'll be in when I get to T's office. I might still be in angry/fighter mode from dealing w/my ex's latest s**t. Or I might be in my optimistic "this doesn't phase me and I can handle it mode". I seem to be vacillating between those two lately.
Sometimes I wish I could talk to or see T more. I have other things to bring up. It's hard to decide what's the most important. I have a feeling my kids feelings, how they are doing and the upcoming court case is going to dominate the next session. I just have sooo many other questions to ask T about her career, counseling issues, school and how she handles when she bumps into her own problems dealing with people in sessions. I need to talk with her about several of these items or at least get her idea on the boundaries of our relationship and how often I can see her or contact her in other ways.
Ok....I'm rambling....I haven't had much sleep and I'm avoiding my homework at the moment.
I better go....
I'm looking forward to my meeting with my T/mentor this week. It couldn't come soon enough as the last week has been rather hellish in some ways. I'm not sure what type of mood I'll be in when I get to T's office. I might still be in angry/fighter mode from dealing w/my ex's latest s**t. Or I might be in my optimistic "this doesn't phase me and I can handle it mode". I seem to be vacillating between those two lately.
Sometimes I wish I could talk to or see T more. I have other things to bring up. It's hard to decide what's the most important. I have a feeling my kids feelings, how they are doing and the upcoming court case is going to dominate the next session. I just have sooo many other questions to ask T about her career, counseling issues, school and how she handles when she bumps into her own problems dealing with people in sessions. I need to talk with her about several of these items or at least get her idea on the boundaries of our relationship and how often I can see her or contact her in other ways.
Ok....I'm rambling....I haven't had much sleep and I'm avoiding my homework at the moment.
I better go....