About this poem: One of my suite mates, Eliza Warde, MFT, brought this in and posted it for the therapists to enjoy. (It was un-credited, but if anyone knows who wrote it, I would be very happy to find out.) The poem immediately spoke to me, not just about the role of therapists, but also about the message that the Therapist Well-Being Committee, and this Reflections on Wellness column, has been trying to convey all these years.

The goal of the Committee is to promote professional and personal well-being amongst SCV-CAMFT Chapter members and colleagues. We define wellness in its broadest sense, including (but not limited to) therapists' concerns about their own or colleagues' mental and/or physical health status; risks of revealing those concerns; harm reduction to both therapists and their clients; and effects of the aging process on psychotherapeutic practice. We want to listen to you, discuss issues with you, identify options, and help you discover your own strength. We are here to help all of us learn to choose healthy ways of self-care for personal and professional wellness. Please consider joining us on this journey!

We are here to listen...

Not to work miracles

We are here to help people discover what they are feeling... Not to make those feelings go away

We are here to help people identify their options... Not to decide for them what they should do

We are here to discuss steps with people... Not to take steps for them

We are here to help people discover their own strength... Not to rescue them and leave them vulnerable

We are here to help people discover they can help themselves...

Not take responsibility for them We are here to help people learn to choose