What do you get when you cross an editor with a therapist?
November 3, 2019 12:57 PM Subscribe
I'm an editor of (among other things) personal essays, and people who work with me have compared the process to therapy. I love this part of the job—helping people figure out what they really mean and how to express it—but being an editor is intensely precarious right now. I'm kicking around the idea of getting a counseling degree. Is there a middle step I can take instead, or while that's in process?
My job isn't a great personality fit, but this is a very bad time to work at an online magazine and there simply aren't other jobs (fewer all the time!). I'm taking steps to figure out what else I can do, if anything, and while I really have no other skills besides editing and writing, I have been told a few times (including by my former therapist) that I should become a therapist. In point of fact, the kind of deep editing I do on intensely personal essays is kind of therapeutic—more than one person I've worked with has said that it's led to an actual personal breakthrough—and I'd be interested in doing creative writing therapy or just regular talk therapy. But I'd also be interested in finding something that sits in between straight-up therapy and straight-up editing—either something that will provide a narrative link and maybe work in my favor for applications or post-graduate employment, or something that can scratch the therapy itch without having to do more school/go into more debt. Basically, providing writing counseling for people who are in it for the counseling more than the writing. What, if anything, is this?
Note that while I probably have enough of a platform to get some coaching or consultation clients, I have almost no business sense/organizational skills, so simply hanging out a shingle would be challenging for me. I'd prefer some kind of umbrella organization that handles logistics. If you have practical insight into the going-it-alone option, though, it's not off the table!
My job isn't a great personality fit, but this is a very bad time to work at an online magazine and there simply aren't other jobs (fewer all the time!). I'm taking steps to figure out what else I can do, if anything, and while I really have no other skills besides editing and writing, I have been told a few times (including by my former therapist) that I should become a therapist. In point of fact, the kind of deep editing I do on intensely personal essays is kind of therapeutic—more than one person I've worked with has said that it's led to an actual personal breakthrough—and I'd be interested in doing creative writing therapy or just regular talk therapy. But I'd also be interested in finding something that sits in between straight-up therapy and straight-up editing—either something that will provide a narrative link and maybe work in my favor for applications or post-graduate employment, or something that can scratch the therapy itch without having to do more school/go into more debt. Basically, providing writing counseling for people who are in it for the counseling more than the writing. What, if anything, is this?
Note that while I probably have enough of a platform to get some coaching or consultation clients, I have almost no business sense/organizational skills, so simply hanging out a shingle would be challenging for me. I'd prefer some kind of umbrella organization that handles logistics. If you have practical insight into the going-it-alone option, though, it's not off the table!
This is not advice, I guess, but when I got a BIG promotion at a job before I retired, what surprised me was how much the job was about my staff's feelings about work, feelings about the decisions management made, what motivated staff to work, etc. I had just rec'd an MBA and thought of management as a set of rational decisions so the reality was surprising. I found I liked dealing with workers' feelings: it made me clearer about what motivated me to the work. What I guess I'm saying is, any job you pursue that involves working with others and/or supervising others, will have an element of social work about it. (But NOONE ever talks about it!)
posted by tmdonahue at 4:59 PM on November 3, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by tmdonahue at 4:59 PM on November 3, 2019 [5 favorites]
I don't know of a field like you're describing. I can tell you there's a sub-field of psychotherapy called narrative therapy that, in my limited experience, is a little like what you're talking about, but it definitely would involve going to school for at least two years and then spending two years or more getting a license to do private practice, and then that still doesn't cover the part where you're basically hanging out a shingle. There are group private practices these days, or there are sometimes city/county clinics, but at the latter, I can't imagine you being able to do anything offbeat because you have to write billable documentation.
If you don't want to do the school and the years of supervised work and do want to be basically some form of therapist, I think "life coach" is still the least regulated title you can have and offer something like therapy. Some people (like me!) are skeptical about life coaches for this reason--last time I checked, literally anyone could use the title. But it might be the most flexible title, which might allow you to try and define this kind of unusual space you're talking about. On the other hand, I think with life coaching more than anything else, there aren't really umbrella agencies.
posted by less of course at 5:02 PM on November 3, 2019
If you don't want to do the school and the years of supervised work and do want to be basically some form of therapist, I think "life coach" is still the least regulated title you can have and offer something like therapy. Some people (like me!) are skeptical about life coaches for this reason--last time I checked, literally anyone could use the title. But it might be the most flexible title, which might allow you to try and define this kind of unusual space you're talking about. On the other hand, I think with life coaching more than anything else, there aren't really umbrella agencies.
posted by less of course at 5:02 PM on November 3, 2019
Uh hi, you are me? I'm taking classes in psychology at a community college right now while freelancing as an editor. I am... not sure I'm going to continue with the counseling degree idea, but I've gotten a lot out of taking the classes and would definitely recommend that to you for an early exploration phase. (If you're like me and majored in literature or any not-science discipline, you may also have some prerequisite psych classes to take.)
Definitely hear you on not wanting to get into debt; honestly that's a huge reason I'm thinking I won't pursue it. I'm also beginning to feel like while I know I'm a good listener, I'm even more eager to tell a good story, which hints to me that I'd do better sticking with editing and writing.
One area that might combine some of the interests you mentioned would be memoir writing, which might also be an opportunity to uplevel into more freelance-level work as a writing coach/editor. Once I ran into a woman who was on her way to a memoir-writing group class; "workshop"-style events are a little easier to entice people to join and might be a good way to help expand on the network you already have.
Also what tmdonahue says about management rings true to me; how would you feel about being an editorial director sort of person, someone who manages a writing team and shapes its overall tone/ethos? I would've been somewhat open to that except that I also wanted to leave the industry I was in.
posted by saramour at 10:01 PM on November 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
Definitely hear you on not wanting to get into debt; honestly that's a huge reason I'm thinking I won't pursue it. I'm also beginning to feel like while I know I'm a good listener, I'm even more eager to tell a good story, which hints to me that I'd do better sticking with editing and writing.
One area that might combine some of the interests you mentioned would be memoir writing, which might also be an opportunity to uplevel into more freelance-level work as a writing coach/editor. Once I ran into a woman who was on her way to a memoir-writing group class; "workshop"-style events are a little easier to entice people to join and might be a good way to help expand on the network you already have.
Also what tmdonahue says about management rings true to me; how would you feel about being an editorial director sort of person, someone who manages a writing team and shapes its overall tone/ethos? I would've been somewhat open to that except that I also wanted to leave the industry I was in.
posted by saramour at 10:01 PM on November 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
I second saramour and tmdonahue.
One thing I would add, is that I feel your pursuit for counselling is based on the fear of not being able to sustain an editorial career. Especially as you seem to need external validation for an alternative therapist path or the need to start a consulting business. There are actually plenty of digital and editorial roles out there, but you need to be much more creative, investigative and open-minded in your approach. Maybe have a think about the dream behind the dream (which is pretty much what tmdonahue suggested), you might just enjoy using your empathy and skills in supporting writers develop their craft, and as a consequence, themselves.
I always contemplate pursuing a therapist or psychoanalyst career whenever my journalism career as an editor and writer feels a bit precarious. We want the comfort of "science". And I found I only loved the theory of psychoanalysis/Jungian analysis rather than the actual day to day mental grind that being a therapist or analyst would entail. But I learnt to pivot and to love the journalism industry again, seeking out the gaps and developments in the market, making an effort to acquire new and tech skills. It's not a dead industry, just evolving. Being a therapist of any kind is very hard. I knew a training psychotherapist and it was brutal on her sensitivity, empathy, and own deep rooted trauma. She qualified but now has the added task to build her own business. You could end up clients who are very traumatised, and you would not have the somewhat romanticised distance that online and one off personal essaying currently gives you. Training would also be time and cost draining especially if you decide that it is not what you actually want to do, and when you qualify, you will be in exactly the same position of indecision.
You could start reading books on counselling, creative writing as therapy, and general psychology to see if it sustains your interest. Also seek out other therapists or those who doing what you would like to do, and politely ask them how the feel about the career and what steps they had taken. A simple email asking that you are thinking of pursuing it. People are a lot more helpful than you think and any responses would give you objective perspectives. Another idea is test drive some creative writing workshops or volunteer for a mental health non-profit or charity. Or secure a communications director role while volunteering as a personal essays editor for a literary journal. You could develop a writing niche on creative writing as therapy, and pitch to wellbeing publications. There are endless combinations but you have to really decide whether it is fear that is driving you to counselling or if it is a practical career step.
posted by foxmardou at 12:45 AM on November 4, 2019
One thing I would add, is that I feel your pursuit for counselling is based on the fear of not being able to sustain an editorial career. Especially as you seem to need external validation for an alternative therapist path or the need to start a consulting business. There are actually plenty of digital and editorial roles out there, but you need to be much more creative, investigative and open-minded in your approach. Maybe have a think about the dream behind the dream (which is pretty much what tmdonahue suggested), you might just enjoy using your empathy and skills in supporting writers develop their craft, and as a consequence, themselves.
I always contemplate pursuing a therapist or psychoanalyst career whenever my journalism career as an editor and writer feels a bit precarious. We want the comfort of "science". And I found I only loved the theory of psychoanalysis/Jungian analysis rather than the actual day to day mental grind that being a therapist or analyst would entail. But I learnt to pivot and to love the journalism industry again, seeking out the gaps and developments in the market, making an effort to acquire new and tech skills. It's not a dead industry, just evolving. Being a therapist of any kind is very hard. I knew a training psychotherapist and it was brutal on her sensitivity, empathy, and own deep rooted trauma. She qualified but now has the added task to build her own business. You could end up clients who are very traumatised, and you would not have the somewhat romanticised distance that online and one off personal essaying currently gives you. Training would also be time and cost draining especially if you decide that it is not what you actually want to do, and when you qualify, you will be in exactly the same position of indecision.
You could start reading books on counselling, creative writing as therapy, and general psychology to see if it sustains your interest. Also seek out other therapists or those who doing what you would like to do, and politely ask them how the feel about the career and what steps they had taken. A simple email asking that you are thinking of pursuing it. People are a lot more helpful than you think and any responses would give you objective perspectives. Another idea is test drive some creative writing workshops or volunteer for a mental health non-profit or charity. Or secure a communications director role while volunteering as a personal essays editor for a literary journal. You could develop a writing niche on creative writing as therapy, and pitch to wellbeing publications. There are endless combinations but you have to really decide whether it is fear that is driving you to counselling or if it is a practical career step.
posted by foxmardou at 12:45 AM on November 4, 2019
This might be too off-base or too hanging-a-shingle, but what about becoming a writing coach? People who seek that are often looking for something a bit psychological (neurosis-taming, demon-wrestling) while also a bit practical (editing). And maybe you could get a business coach to keep you from getting too disorganized, haha.
posted by hungrytiger at 6:42 PM on November 4, 2019
posted by hungrytiger at 6:42 PM on November 4, 2019
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posted by embrangled at 3:56 PM on November 3, 2019