No one taught me how to be vulnerable or share my story. In fact, as a psychiatrist I was taught the opposite: Be a blank slate. Don’t distract from a patient’s stories. Don’t even have pictures of your family or friends in your office. It isn’t about you.
But that mindset never felt right to me. It felt inauthentic, forced and completely inconsistent with the kind of safe space I wanted to create. I didn’t want to cross boundaries or take over a therapy session, but I also never felt good being blank. I knew there had to be a balance or a better way.
So, I started to look for models of something different, keeping my eyes open and paying attention around me. What people drew me to them as mentors? Who were the best bosses? What made some lectures memorable? What made my personal therapist feel trustworthy and safe?
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