People keep calling me their "work therapist."

People keep calling me their "work therapist."

I know they mean it as a compliment.

I love that they feel safe with me. They feel like they can share things with me they can't say to anyone else - fears, frustrations, secret grudges - and I'm not going to judge them or tell them they're wrong. I'm going to listen. Hold space for what they share. And then we figure out together where to go next.

I love that they feel the safety. I love that they feel the non-judgment.

AND

I am very much not a therapist. 😉
I'm the child of two psychologists - I know that title comes with specific training, credentials, and ultimately a different job than what I do.

So I take the compliment exactly as intended.
And I'd never use it to describe myself.

What about you - is there something people say about you that's meant as a compliment, but it's not quite how you'd describe yourself?