This morning the NY Times Metropolitan Section has a lengthy article about a Jewish - more specifically, Bobover - private eye who serves the Jewish community.
He sounds like an amazing person, who won't let his principles be compromised by his clients. I highly recommend reading the story.
What is sad, though, is something that I've noticed with those who are mental health professionals or social workers who work mainly with other Jews: The "Sewer" Complex.
A psychologist who is a frequent Shabbos guest once wearily described himself as a sewer; the refuse waste of the community runs through him. Eventually, after dealing with the worst the Jewish world can offer, such helpers despair of the goodness of human nature.
It is sad that often it is the best and most willing to help are collateral damage of their own good intentions.
3 comments:
Gosh, that's a scary thought that sounds familiar. I intend on getting my doctorate in Psychology and have often wondered what I'll be like after having heard all of these people's issues. My best friend's father is a pediatrician who stopped practicing hypnosis because of the things he was hearing from his patients when they were hypnotized.
I guess it's a matter of building up an immunity and kind of locking up one's sensitivities to an extent while "on the job." Not that the therapist shouldn't care, but to place it into a different box of emotions that can be ignored when necessary.
That's the sad thing - these people thought they had immunity. They thought they could handle it. In order to do these things for a living to begin with they have to be very strong. But it seems that no matter how you try, you will get dragged down too.
*gulp*
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