A Resilient Journey: My Experience as a Hard of Hearing Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) in Psychotherapy

I am thrilled to share this piece of my journey, as I recently finished my internship for my graduate program as a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) at Yorkville University. This journey has been an experience of learning and transformation offering different deep insights into emotional and mental well-being, and human behaviour. This is a personal and professional blog, describing struggles from the perspective of an individual who is hard of hearing with bilateral hearing loss. I will briefly highlight some skills gained from collaborative work with a wide variety of people, including colleagues at the clinics I interned at (and lessons learned that help in my practice as a counsellor and psychotherapist).  Being influenced by my own mental health experiences, as well as what I have learned from other people and in a clinical sense, I aim to create a space where individuals can find reassurance, compassion and understanding.

Raised to Disbelieve Mental Health Challenges; Discovering Almost Everyone has Challenges

From the early stages of my life, growing up as a young Asian Canadian, I was brought up to believe that children are not susceptible to mental health problems. Yet on a personal level, my own experiences proved that what I went through was — in the grand scheme of things — minor and part of an unseen narrative where almost everyone else had their challenges too. Nevertheless, I am grateful to share with you, the readers here, that I am in a crossroads of my career of being an educator, care provider and hope to be a therapist for people (deaf and hard of hearing). Although I have been educating children who are hearing but all have different abilities, my desire is to create a classroom atmosphere where all students learn to their potential, regardless of what makes them different. I am also constantly looking for ways to support the deaf and hard of hearing, specifically in mental health. I believe my journey will help me to relate and encourage others with these disabilities to seek treatments, as mental health care should be tailored to the spectrum of abilities.

Additionally, I have been working as a supply Registered Early Childhood Educator. My role as a supply staff in childcare has been rewarding – as the work that childcare educators do, working with children in their early years before turning 6 years of age – is invaluable and sets the foundation for their future life.

The Unique Circumstances and Story of Each Client When Serving those with Disabilities

In reflecting on my journey, I realize that I am starting to reach a point of clarity, even if just for a brief moment. As I move forward in my psychotherapy career, I have primarily concentrated on young adults. However, I have worked with various populations, from adolescents to seniors. The majority of the young adults who seek my help struggle with disabilities, trauma and significant life changes. It occurs to me with increasing regularity that life does not follow a stand-alone script, but rather, each story is individualized. That alone makes each person’s journey distinctive and unparalleled even though it’s challenging in its own ways. I have gained heaps of valuable insights from the internship about how to be a professional, including attending to the needs of and providing quality care from a mental health perspective. The cases are all different. I learned something valuable from each supervisor, colleague, or even peer — but ultimately our clients are the ones who teach us so much. This event has shifted my perspective on both the field of counselling and my career as a graduate student and taught me to remain open and willing to work with clients of all ages (even those outside the population I had originally considered or planned to work with).

Sharing Vulnerability to Create Safety and Rapport

In addition, as an individual with a disability myself, I have noticed there have been and probably will be clients who may arrive feeling unsure if I can relate to or understand their perspectives. At the same time, others seem to receive the news of my disability quite in stride. However, I’ve learned that by being open and vulnerable about my own experience, I contribute to creating a safe zone where clients can feel safe enough to show up as themselves. It’s this reciprocity of vulnerability that creates trust and connection that for me is just one of the incredible and potent lessons along the way. Based on my observation, and from what I have heard from other peers, colleagues and professionals, many have endured similar scenarios.

Caring for the Carer and Finding Support, Without an Instruction Manual

Overall, I am a work in progress. In my never-ending quest to enhance my professional development as a mental health professional and even as a human being, it brings me joy to be able to assist clients along their mental health journey. I also find satisfaction in collaborating and empowering clients in terms of identifying what they are struggling with, and I am there to guide them through the process of getting the answers from within themselves. I firmly believe that the clients know themselves better than anyone. Notwithstanding, it is equally vital for me to ensure that I, too, prioritize self-care so that I can assist clients in a more high-quality capacity.

Lastly, allow me to conclude by saying that no matter what you are dealing with or who you are, I am sure you are all familiar with this. Please remember that pursuing your goals does not come with fixed instructions or manuals. There are people who are willing to help and support you on your mental health journey. 

Thank you all for reading my story. Additionally, I express my gratitude to Find a Student Therapist for allowing me to be vulnerable here.