Peace and Blessing Everyone!! It's been over 2 years since I've published a blog on this page. Life has changed, boy oh boy has it changed, not in a bad way per se, but most certainly different to say the least. I started this blog because well I'm a Muslim and I'm a Therapist, duh.... Seriously, I wanted to chronicle my experience as a Muslim, who just happens to be a therapist. When I started this site, I was enthusiastic about what I wanted this blog to be. I've always enjoyed writing but somewhere, somehow, I began to allow doubt to set up shop in my mind. In addition to this doubt, I was juggling a challenging schedule, which included working at a private practice over 50 miles from my home. Fast forward to right before the pandemic started, January 2020. I finally decided to resign from that practice 50 miles from me. If you know me, you know I hate driving and every time I drove there it was a harrowing experience. Soon after leaving, I started with a practice closer to me. I was seeing therapy clients on my terms and not waiting to be assigned by someone like at my previous practice. I was working with clients who chose to work with me and I them, which makes a tremendous difference in the kind of therapeutic work that was taking place. I was finding or actually creating my niche as a therapist. I finally felt like I was in charge of where things were going as far as my therapy career. Things were going well and then, the 'Rona' happened.
Where were you when the world shutdown? I had just began to get some managability to my busy schedule and I was honestly enjoying every minute of it. I was gaining so much experience with all the different clients from varying ethnicities, religions and lifestyles. Seeing clients experencing depression and anxiety to preoperative transgendered individuals dealing with alcoholism; I saw it all. I was appreciating every moment of the experience I was gainng as a therapist, meeting and connecting with unique clients. March 2020, the city closed all "non-essential businesses." Just like everyone else in the world, I had to start adjusting to the newness of wearing masks, social distancing and giving everyone the side eye who'd cough or wear their mask below their nose (insert eye roll). There was this pervasive fear in the world, in the country, in my state, in my city, in my neighbirhood and in me. This is where things got tricky because, I had to mange my fears, or mostly concerns so that I could be present and available for my clients. Not only was there the obvious adjustment of functioning in society but I, as a therapist had to figure out how to adjust to not seeing clients in person but virtually. Though I was feeling some kind of way about navigating this virtual route of therapy, I was lowkey "hella" happy about not having the fight the traffic and lack of parking going to and from my office located in Chicago's trendy and busy Lincoln Park area. Just think, I could work from home. No, I didn't wear pajamas to work, but it was certainly casual Friday, everyday, lol. I had a freedom that I could not imagine. I could schedule sessions as early or as late as I could without being out at all hours of the night. Transparency: I like people, I really do but too much peopling is usually too overwhelming for me. Peopling is my term for being around a lot of people, even if it's a short period of time, just being around a lot of varying energy was draining. Seeing clients virtually was mainly a gift and certainly not a curse, but there were some pervasive downsides to it.
ThI LOVE WORKING FROM HOME!!!!!! It has been the BEST thing ever!!!! I do not think I will ever choose to work in a non virtual space as far as therapy is concerned. When I first started working from home I worried about connecting with new clients. I soon realized that energy is energy whether you are in person or virtually. As devastating as the pandemic has been for so many around the world, it has also been a catalyst for many people to seek mental health services. This pandemic has highlighted for many the issues they had been trying to manage pre-pandemic that they were no longer able to manage on their own. My client roster increased five, six-fold from July 2020 to presently. Prior to the shutdown, many were managing by a string and used various defense mechanism such as, denial, repression, sublimation to name a few to help them manage their issues prepandemic but after the shutdown, many people felt lost and did not know how to manage all of their emotions. I had a nonstop flow of clients, to the point that I had to stop accepting clients. Most notably, millennials were so on point about addressing their mental health concerns. I admire that in my 30 and under clients, which makes up about 85-90% of my clientele. Millennials re focus ed on living their best life and that means tending to their mental health and making it a priority. As a therapist, I have learned so much from working with this population. I will share more in part 2 of this blog about those things I have learned. Thanks for reading and until next time, that hopefully will not be in 2 years 😉, I'll see you.
