ABOUT “MINDING THERAPY” AND (NOW RETIRED) THERAPIST ROS JOHNSON, LICSW (A Dialogue Between An Unknown Reader and the Therapist/Writer) 

It’s so nice to meet you.

You too. But I’m not exactly sure how you can help me or what I’m getting myself into. What can you tell me about “Minding Therapy?”

I see. You’re confused. You need some help understanding what’s going on.

Yeah…about that. Don’t just reflect back to me whatever I say.

Gotcha. So, about “Minding Therapy.” So, you know what “therapy” is…

Right. I get that part.

Well, exactly. Then there’s “minding.” A bit trickier. Full of all kinds of multiple meanings and such. A shrink’s dream.

I can’t really handle too much weirdness right now. Can we–

Really, whatever “Minding Therapy” means to you is just what it is.

You know, it actually might mean that I dislike—or even hate—therapy.

It might also mean you “mind” it as in liking it or  following its ideas, or that you’re super-intrigued by its existence, or you can’t wait to hear more about it, or—

Okay, okay, I get it.  Look—who ARE you anyway? Do you really know what you’re talking about?

Well, you might say I wrote the book on Minding Therapy.

Yeah, and I wrote the book on talking to strange people.

No, I mean there really is a book. It’s a novel, and it’s loosely based on experiences I had as a therapist years ago in a community mental health clinic. The lead character is a burnt-out therapist.

In other words, YOU are a burnt-out therapist.

No. But, there was a time back then that I felt overwhelmed with what goes on in the mental health field. I needed some help—to figure things out.

I’ve heard that, you know—it’s the shrinks who are actually the nuttiest ones out there.

Some are, I’ll give you that. But everyone needs some help now and then, don’t you think? Can’t a therapist also be a client? Isn’t it when you take good care of yourself that you can take good care of others?

Who are you trying to convince—you or me?

I’m just trying to create a little dialogue, that’s all.

And I just thought I’d meet you and you’d tell me what to do.

Nope. But I do hope I can help lead you in the right direction.

Okay, okay–I guess I wouldn’t mind talking some more about this therapy thing…