What I wish I knew before I became a psychotherapist

Doctor Ali Mattu

7 Aug 201911:02

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRDr. Ali Mattu, a clinical psychologist, shares ten insights from his career, highlighting the humility, meaningful work, physical and mental toll, the importance of self-care, the challenges of professional politics, the limitations of income, the value of therapist friendships, the need for independence, the potential for AI disruption, and the importance of understanding growing markets in therapy. He encourages those in the field to embrace technology and adapt to the evolving mental health landscape.

Takeaways

😯 The complexity and uncertainty of mental health and the impact of medical illnesses on it are greater than initially understood.
🌟 Being a therapist is deeply meaningful and involves helping people through some of their most difficult experiences.
🔥 The physical and mental toll of being a therapist can be significant, with long hours and exposure to difficult experiences leading to issues like back pain and vicarious trauma.
👥 Having therapist friends is beneficial due to their excellent listening and problem-solving skills, which are crucial for self-care.
🤝 Therapists often face turf wars over degrees, training, and therapeutic orientations, which can hinder collaboration and advocacy for mental health.
💰 Most therapists will not become wealthy from their practice due to the limitations of one-on-one patient encounters and the ceiling on income that can be earned.
💼 Therapists need to think of themselves as business owners and diversify their income streams beyond direct patient care.
📞 Being in therapy is also a customer service business, requiring prompt responses and a comfortable, welcoming office environment.
🦄 Therapists have a high degree of independence in managing therapy sessions and choosing treatment approaches.
🚀 The field of mental health is poised for massive disruption, with technology like AI, telehealth, and virtual reality set to transform traditional models of care.
📈 Therapists should focus on growing markets within mental health, such as addiction, aging, childhood issues, and trauma, to meet the evolving demands and opportunities in the field.

Q & A

What is the main realization Dr. Ali Mattu has about mental health as a clinical psychologist?
-Dr. Ali Mattu realizes that mental health is extremely complicated, involving the interplay of family dynamics, medical illnesses, and their impact on mental health. There's a lot of uncertainty in therapy, and he emphasizes the importance of learning from setbacks and viewing failures as opportunities for growth.
How does Dr. Mattu describe the work of a therapist in terms of its meaning and impact on people's lives?
-Dr. Mattu describes the work of a therapist as deeply meaningful, as it involves helping people navigate and overcome some of the most difficult experiences in their lives. He views it as a privilege to be part of their journey towards growth, meaning, and purpose.
What physical and mental challenges does Dr. Mattu highlight as part of being a therapist?
-Dr. Mattu mentions that being a therapist can be tough on both the body and the mind. Physically, therapists often spend long hours sitting, leading to back pain and weight gain. Mentally, therapists can experience vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, which requires them to manage their emotions and practice self-care.
Why does Dr. Mattu find having therapist friends beneficial?
-Dr. Mattu finds having therapist friends beneficial because they are excellent listeners, know how to validate, problem-solve, and provide support. They can also help him accept situations when needed, which is especially valuable when going through tough times.
What does Dr. Mattu refer to as 'turf wars' in the field of therapy?
-Dr. Mattu refers to 'turf wars' as the political fights that can occur within the field of therapy, often related to the type of degree one holds, their training, orientation, or the environment in which they work. These differences can sometimes hinder collaboration and advocacy for mental health.
What financial advice does Dr. Mattu give to those considering a career in therapy?
-Dr. Mattu advises that most therapists will not get rich doing therapy, as income is directly related to the number of clients seen. He suggests considering oneself as a business and developing multiple streams of revenue, such as workshops, continuing education training, media development, or consulting, rather than relying solely on one-on-one patient encounters.
How does Dr. Mattu define the customer service aspect of being a therapist?
-Dr. Mattu defines the customer service aspect of being a therapist as being highly responsive to messages, returning communications promptly, providing necessary forms and receipts, and ensuring the office is comfortable and welcoming, including offering refreshments like water, tea, or coffee.
What level of independence does Dr. Mattu say therapists have during therapy sessions?
-Dr. Mattu states that therapists have a lot of independence during therapy sessions. They are primarily responsible for deciding what happens in the session, how it is managed, the therapeutic skills used, and the type of treatment implemented, effectively making them their own boss in that situation.
How does Dr. Mattu view the future of mental health treatment?
-Dr. Mattu sees the future of mental health treatment as being massively disruptive, with the potential for AI, apps, media-based support, gamification, and telehealth platforms to revolutionize how therapy is delivered. He encourages early-career professionals to gain exposure to technology and computer science to prepare for these changes.
What advice does Dr. Mattu give regarding the selection of specialization within the field of therapy?
-Dr. Mattu advises that therapists should focus on markets that are growing, such as addictions, mental health and aging, childhood-related problems, and trauma treatment. He emphasizes the importance of having training and experience in areas where there is a high demand for support and potential for reimbursement.

Outlines

00:00

😌 Embracing the Complexity and Uncertainty of Therapy

Dr. Ali Mattu, a clinical psychologist, shares his insights on the challenges and realities of being a therapist. He emphasizes the humbling experience of realizing the vastness of mental health knowledge and the impact of medical illnesses on mental health. He discusses the importance of being adaptable and learning from setbacks, as well as the deep meaning and privilege of helping people through difficult experiences. Additionally, he highlights the physical and mental toll that therapy can take on a therapist, including the risk of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, and the need for self-care and emotional management.

05:02

👥 The Therapist's Community and Financial Realities

Dr. Mattu discusses the value of having a support network of fellow therapists who are excellent listeners and can provide validation and problem-solving. He also addresses the 'turf wars' within the field, often centered around degrees, training, and therapeutic orientations, which can hinder collaboration and advocacy for mental health. Financially, he points out that most therapists will not become wealthy, as their income is capped by the number of clients they can see and the fees they can charge. He suggests considering therapy as a business with multiple revenue streams, such as workshops, continuing education, media development, and consulting, to diversify income beyond one-on-one patient encounters.

10:04

💼 The Business Aspect and Future of Mental Health Practice

The script highlights the customer service aspect of being a therapist, which includes being responsive, providing a comfortable office environment, and offering amenities like refreshments. It also touches on the independence therapists have in managing therapy sessions and choosing their approach and treatment methods. Dr. Mattu predicts that the mental health field is poised for disruption, with technology playing a significant role in the future of therapy. He advises early-career professionals to gain exposure to computer science and technology-based interventions. Lastly, he stresses the importance of focusing on growing markets within mental health, such as addiction, mental health and aging, and childhood problems, to ensure there is demand for therapists' services.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Clinical psychologist

A clinical psychologist is a licensed professional who specializes in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. In the video, Dr. Ali Mattu identifies himself as a clinical psychologist, emphasizing the role's importance in understanding and addressing the complexities of mental health.

💡Uncertainty

Uncertainty refers to the state of being unsure or lacking information. In the context of therapy, it is highlighted as a constant challenge due to the unpredictable nature of mental health and the diverse range of medical illnesses that can impact it. Dr. Mattu mentions that therapists must be comfortable with uncertainty and learn from setbacks.

💡Meaningful work

Meaningful work is labor that holds significance and purpose beyond the mere act of earning a living. Dr. Mattu describes his job as deeply meaningful because it involves helping people overcome difficult experiences, which underscores the profound impact therapists can have on their clients' lives.

💡Vicarious trauma

Vicarious trauma is the emotional residue therapists may experience after being exposed to their clients' traumatic experiences. It can lead to questioning one's beliefs and worldview. Dr. Mattu discusses this concept to highlight the mental toll that therapy work can take on therapists.

💡Burnout

Burnout is a state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion often caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It is mentioned in the script as a potential consequence of the emotionally draining nature of therapy work, emphasizing the importance of self-care for therapists.

💡Therapist friends

Therapist friends refers to the supportive network of colleagues who are also therapists. Dr. Mattu highlights the benefits of having such friends, as they are excellent listeners and can provide validation, problem-solving, and emotional support, which is crucial for self-care.

💡Turf wars

Turf wars in the context of therapy refer to the professional conflicts that arise from differences in academic degrees, training, therapeutic orientations, and working environments. Dr. Mattu discusses these as political fights that can hinder collaboration and advocacy for mental health.

💡Multiple streams of revenue

Multiple streams of revenue suggest diversifying income sources beyond just one-to-one patient encounters. Dr. Mattu advises therapists to consider workshops, continuing education, media development, and consulting as alternative ways to generate income, given the income ceiling in direct patient care.

💡Customer service

In the video, customer service is related to the responsive and accommodating nature of a therapist's practice, including prompt communication and creating a comfortable office environment. Dr. Mattu emphasizes the importance of this aspect for building a successful therapy practice.

💡Independence

Independence in therapy refers to the autonomy therapists have in managing therapy sessions, choosing treatment approaches, and implementing therapeutic skills. Dr. Mattu describes this as being one's own boss during sessions, highlighting the freedom and responsibility that comes with the role.

💡Disruption

Disruption in the context of mental health refers to innovative changes or breakthroughs that challenge traditional models of therapy. Dr. Mattu talks about the potential for AI, apps, media-based support, and telehealth platforms to revolutionize mental health care, making it more accessible and efficient.

💡Growing markets

Growing markets in therapy are areas of mental health that are expanding and in high demand. Dr. Mattu mentions addictions, mental health and aging, childhood-related problems, and trauma as examples. He advises therapists to train in these areas to meet the needs of a larger patient population and to ensure financial viability.

Highlights

Therapists are constantly humbled by the complexity of mental health and the impact of medical illnesses.

The work of a therapist is deeply meaningful, helping people navigate and overcome life's most difficult experiences.

Physical and mental health challenges arise from the sedentary and emotionally taxing nature of therapy work.

Vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue are significant concerns for therapists.

Having therapist friends provides a supportive network of good listeners and problem solvers.

Therapists often face turf wars based on degrees, training, and therapeutic orientations.

Most therapists will not become wealthy from their practice due to the limits of one-on-one patient encounters.

Therapists should consider multiple revenue streams beyond direct patient care.

Therapists are in the customer service business, requiring responsiveness and a comfortable office environment.

Therapists have a high degree of independence in managing therapy sessions.

Mental health is poised for disruption with technology, including AI, apps, and telehealth platforms.

Therapists should seek training in growing markets such as addiction, aging, childhood issues, and trauma.

Therapists should be prepared for the business aspects of therapy, including understanding market trends.

The field of mental health needs to move forward and embrace technological advancements.

Therapists should consider exposure to computer science and technology-based interventions.

Therapists are encouraged to share their experiences and insights about the profession.

Transcripts

Browse More Related Video

Stop having panic attacks: beginner's step by step guide

How to deal with intrusive thoughts and anxiety

Bill Beswick - The Mindset to Maximise Potential | The Winning Mentality Podcast #32

Why I Was Afraid to Disclose My ADHD (ft. Dr. Patrick LaCount)

WHAT TO DO after getting a BAD GRADE | how to BOUNCE BACK from FAILURE *productive & motivational*

10 quick anxiety relief techniques