For years I have encouraged therapists and healers to talk about what they do in words beyond “I am a therapist” or “I am a coach” or “I am a massage therapist”.
Because as soon as you label yourself that way, you’ve put yourself in a category in the other person’s brain. And if you could take a snapshot into the other person’s brain when you said that, you might see the response as “Don’t want one” or “Have one, don’t want another one.”
What is more important than the label is to be aware of your gift and the joy your gift offers others.
For example, you may help new step-moms get along with their husband’s children.
Or you may teach little ones how to make friends.
For me, what I do best is translating. My younger sister decided not to speak until she was three and a half years old. During those years, I served as her ambassador to the world. I explained to the big people when she needed food or drink or needed to go to the bathroom.
That same skill of translating helped me teach social dancing to those who were very uncoordinated as I explained which muscles to contract to create movement. You can’t imagine the joy I felt when I saw these former wallflowers on the dance floor enjoying themselves and looking great.
Years later, I was honored to help many couples and families in my therapy office as I translated “needs.” Today I teach therapists and healers how to translate their gifts to the world so they could fill their appointment books with new clients.
I invite you to consider this …
- How do you use “translating” in your work?
- How would you describe the value people receive from the translating you do in your work?
- Where is there opportunity for more value for you and your business using translating?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Your suggestions make sense. You change nouns into verbs.
“therapist” sends everyone on a search to make sense of the noun.
A noun is a trance injduction. On the other hand When you describe some part of what you do, “I can usually cure fear of flying in one session” you not onliy give information, you also create curiosity in the listener who is likely to ask some questions what what else you do.
Ron Soderquist,Ph.D.
Hi Casey~
I truly enjoy your emails and thank-you so much for doing the work you do!
I help modern couples customize their marriage in a way that brings out the best in both of them and empowers them to make better decisions for themselves and their families using a lifestyle pre-nup!
I Love it!
I become immediately uncomfortable with the thought that translating for others means doing their thinking for them. While people may agree that your translation of what they are thinking and feeling is accurate, vulnerable people want to be rescued. At the time they will believe you are describing their situation to the tee. it is much more respectful (and less Godlike) to get people to do their own translating and thus their own thinking and feeling. There is a deeper level to go to as a therapist.
Thanks for this really thoughtful post … I am off to think about what it is i really do when i say I am a “therapist” …
John Wilson
http://www.wilsoncounselling.co.uk
http://www.onlinevents.co.uk