Therapists Are Real People Living in the Same World as You

There is a quiet myth about therapists that they exist outside of real life.

That we somehow step into an office and leave the world behind.
That we are emotionally neutral, endlessly available, and unaffected by what’s happening around us.

That we don’t get tired.
That we don’t struggle.
That we don’t carry stress, grief, or uncertainty.

That myth isn’t just inaccurate. It’s dehumanizing.

We Live in the Same

World You Do

Therapists:

wake up to the same news
experience the same economy
feel the same weather
navigate the same politics
live through the same social shifts
carry the same fears about the future

We pay rent or mortgages.
We worry about money.
We manage family responsibilities.
We experience loss, illness, burnout, and life transitions.

We are not insulated from the world.

We are in it.

The Pandemic Didn’t

Spare Us

During the pandemic, therapists did not step into a protected role.

We lived through:

the same lockdowns
the same isolation
the same uncertainty
the same fear of illness
the same disruptions to family, work, and routine

We worried about our parents.
We worried about our children.
We worried about our health.
We worried about our future.

We navigated remote schooling.
We lost loved ones.
We felt the weight of global grief.

Just like everyone else.

We Carried the

Aftermath Too

And when the world reopened, the emotional impact didn’t disappear.

We experienced:

collective burnout
increased anxiety and depression
social disconnection
grief that had nowhere to go
people questioning their lives, careers, relationships, and values

We were living through the same psychological aftermath – while also holding space for it professionally.

Processing our own reality while supporting others through theirs.

We Don’t Stop Being

Human at Work

Therapists do not turn off their nervous systems at the office door.

We don’t suddenly become immune to:

stress
emotional exhaustion
relational strain
compassion fatigue
personal struggles

We hold space for others while also holding our own lives.

Sometimes that means sitting with pain at work while quietly managing pain at home.

Professional Does Not

Mean Detached

Being professional does not mean being emotionally distant.

It means:

regulating ourselves
being aware of our reactions
managing our biases
staying present
staying grounded

Not being unaffected.
Not being empty.
Not being above it all.

We Chose This Work —

And We’re Still Human

Just like teachers, nurses, and social workers, this is a profession we chose.

Not because we are superheroes.
Not because we are limitless.
But because we believe in human growth, healing, and connection.

We are trained.
We are skilled.
We are ethical.

And we are also people.

The Quiet Truth

Therapists are not separate from the world.

We endured the pandemic.
We live in its aftermath.
We carry the same uncertainty.
We face the same reality.

We don’t escape life by becoming therapists.

We just learn how to sit with it more intentionally – for ourselves and for others.

And that doesn’t make us less real.

It makes us human in the same world you’re living in too.