ABSTRACT
As a therapist, you hold on to a vision of the world as it should be, rather than accommodating to the way things are. Our work often feels like an uphill battle as we seek to improve our clients’ lives while systems with which we interface often seem oblivious to the needs of our clients. We know continuity of care is important, yet changing insurance companies, foster care companies, or school placements can result in the child being forced to change therapists. We know that many of our clients require ongoing services, yet managed care companies increasingly require short-term solutions. We teach our clients that their brains are adaptive and not sick, yet families are often told that their children will likely have lifelong disabilities due to biological psychiatric illness. We work to protect our clients from unsafe environments, yet courts often return children to unsafe caregivers.
