title: Reflections on intrapersonal and interpersonal changes in a beginning (psychodynamically-oriented) psychotherapist.
abstract: Becoming a beginning therapist brings about a multitude of changes, both intrapersonally and interpersonally. In this article, I discuss some of these effects as they have manifested in my first (nearly) 2 years of practicing psychotherapy as a trainee. Along the intrapersonal dimension, I note the ways in which being a beginning therapist has shaped my sense of identity and values, while also heightening my sensitivity to my own wounds. With respect to the interpersonal dimension, I explore how my increased psychological mindedness has affected personal relationships as well as my own therapy. I conclude with a description of a defining case of my early career that integrates my understanding of the changes that I have undergone as a beginning therapist.
authors: Teachers College, Columbia University.
authors: Emily L
authors: EL
authors: Lyman
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000193:education*
keywords: beginning therapists; interpersonal; intrapersonal; psychological mindedness