Okay, here’s my breakdown of how I tackled this project, “call my therapist tell him hes a rich man,” which, let’s be honest, started as a bit of a joke but turned into a pretty insightful exercise.
So, first things first, the idea popped into my head during, like, a particularly rough therapy session. I was complaining about money stuff (as usual), and the thought just flashed: “I should call him up and tell him he’s set for life because of me.” Obviously, I wasn’t gonna actually do that (or was I?), but it sparked something.
I started by just writing down all the reasons I could justify making that call. It was a brainstorming session, but more like a “let’s find all the absurdities” session. I used a simple note pad app and started typing away. Started with the obvious: my sessions are expensive. Then dug deeper: how many other clients does he have? What’s his overhead? Is he secretly living in a mansion?
Next, I wanted to understand the economics of therapy a bit better. So, I googled things like “average therapist salary” and “cost of running a therapy practice.” I looked at a bunch of articles. I wasn’t aiming for scientific accuracy, just a general feel for the numbers. I quickly found out that being a therapist is not always a ticket to easy street but some are doing extremely well for themselves.
After gathering info, I started scripting the phone call (on my notes app still). I never intended to actually make it, but I did practice it a few times alone in my car. What I would say, how I would deliver the “rich man” line, how would I try to make it funny and not just offensive.
Then came the reflection phase. This is the critical part. Why did I want to make that call, even jokingly? What was the underlying feeling? I journaled about it. A LOT. I realized it wasn’t really about my therapist’s finances. It was about my own anxieties around money, my feelings of vulnerability in the therapeutic relationship, and maybe even a little bit of resentment about paying for help.
Finally, I brought the whole thing up in my next therapy session. I explained the joke, the research, the scripting, and the journaling. We talked about what it all meant. It was actually a really productive conversation. It helped me unpack some deep-seated issues and gain a better understanding of myself.
Here’s a breakdown of the steps:
- The Idea: Had a somewhat outrageous thought during therapy.
- Brainstorming: Wrote down reasons to justify the thought.
- Research: Looked up therapist salaries and practice costs.
- Scripting: Wrote out a mock phone call.
- Reflection: Journaled about the underlying feelings.
- Discussion: Shared the whole process with my therapist.
The takeaway? Sometimes, the most absurd ideas can lead to the most profound insights. And sometimes, a little self-awareness is worth more than all the money in the world.
