September 24, 2012 | Author: laurielevinelcsw | Filed under: Uncategorized | 6 Comments
I spent the morning at Einstein Bagels in Fairfax. Had you come to the back of the restaurant, you would have seen the nook that we have begun to call our home on the last Monday of every month. “We” are a group of therapists who meet to network, consult and generally shmooze over coffee and a bagel. We are an informal branch of a wonderful group, DC Therapist Moms created by Jennifer Kogan, whose vision was to have a network of women who are raising children and building therapy practices. Jen has done an amazing job in connecting us to one another. So amazing, in fact, that we formed our own little coffee klatsch on this side of the river.
I never know who will be there when I cross the border from Reston/Herndon all the way over to Fairfax, but I have never been disappointed. Sometimes it is a handful of therapists; psychologists, social workers, marriage therapists and even psychiatrists have joined our midst. One time it was just three of us and it afforded us the opportunity to have an intimate discussion about some particularly difficult cases. Today there were ten therapists from the ranks of a sports psychologist, someone who focuses on chronic pain, an infertility specialist and some trauma workers. There were also several couples therapists, women’s counselors, adolescent and adoption specialists and a mom of five returning to the work force.
We often start as a group, do introductions, and then for those who were late (I am telling you that road to Fairfax is LONG) do re-introductions. A discussion always evolves from the introductions, often it is someone who is new to private practice (these women talked me off the ledge held my hand when I was about to open my practice back in May) who is asking questions and trying to figure out how to make it all happen. Today we were made aware that one of us is doing some good clinical work on her bike while someone else may have shared a therapeutic tip on the golf course. We therapists are adaptable, if nothing else.
A big topic of discussion is technology. There might be a therapist or two at our table that grew up in the 70’s and learned to use a typewriter rather than a keyboard. We “mature” therapists are eager to learn from the young whippersnappers in the group about how to incorporate Facebook, Twitter or any of the newest and shiniest gadgets or websites into our practice. (Note to self, someone mentioned Big Tent, must check it out and see if it will work for our group).
By the end of the meeting the ten of us had broken into three or four different conversations. On my left, I was discussing raising teenagers while on my right, I was engaged with two young therapists who had toddlers at home! Across from me, I was eavesdropping on a conversation about how we can post information to each other, thus the Big Tent reminder and on the other end of the table there were two intense conversations that I missed altogether.
And, as usual, there are laughs. How could a lively group of women sit around a table without a good belly laugh to remind us that it is this connection and sharing that keeps us going?