I am 27 years old, a female therapist graduate, but I am currently limited to the position of therapist assistant as my overseas license is not recognized locally and I have to re-qualify.
My friends around me are already full-fledged therapists, and I can't help but be jealous of them as they rise in their careers and lives. Looking back at myself, I have been working overseas for two years after graduation, but I am still at the assistant stage, and I haven't even summoned up the courage to take the examination for the license, so I feel like I've accomplished nothing, and I'm always jealous of other people.
Every time a friend shares good news with me, I get jealous, but I really hate that about myself! My friends genuinely share their joy and I'm supposed to be happy for them, not be controlled by negative emotions.
I'm sick of the way I just eyeball people but don't act on it.
I never used to be like that, always sincerely happy for my friends' successes and using it to motivate myself to improve, that comparison was positive and healthy.
But now? Comparison has become a source of futile stress, and I always make excuses to avoid challenges when I know I should be trying.
The result is to get stuck in the vicious cycle of eyeing others and not being able to get out.
What's wrong with me?
Hello, my friend, I'm Morningside Heart Journey. After reading your account, I feel your strong sense of "failure".
It seems like you've labeled yourself this in your mind and aren't quite willing to walk away from it.
You mentioned that "overseas licenses are not recognized and you need to retake the exam", but so far you have not had the courage to take the exam, and instead you have been caught up in the negative emotion of being "jealous of others".
I can see from this that you may not be very receptive to the reality that you may fail or feel that all the hard work you have put in overseas has been wasted because of the certificate issue.
I would like to ask you, if your certificate was valid, would what was learned be any different than it is now?
The truth is that the knowledge and skills you have acquired will not change whether the certificate is recognized or not.
Like you said, licenses can be retaken and what you've already learned remains, so what exactly is the problem?
Are you regretting that you chose the wrong school? Or are you unhappy that you can only work as an assistant? Or have doubts about your professional ability? Maybe you feel that you didn't learn enough and your actual level is only good enough to be an assistant?
It requires you to reflect deeply to find the root cause. I think that even if the certificate is not valid for the time being, you should be more than capable of working as an assistant with your professional skills.
Certificates are just a stepping stone to get started; true professional prowess is the key.
Are you confident in your skills? Or are you all but denying your practical skills because your certificate is invalid?
Or maybe you're just blaming the certificate issue for the real reason? The next time your eyes glaze over, take the initiative and ask your friend, "How did you get promoted? Can you share some learning experiences?" Maybe it will shed new light.
I hope these suggestions are helpful.
