Personality vs. Professionalism

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had several discussions with peers about the extent to which we are allowed as “professionals” to show our personality within our working roles. The line of unprofessional vs professional OR trendy vs traditional… it all seems to blur in the age of social media across many disciplines.

The question of how much is too much; is not only relevant for therapists, but ALL working people.

When all is said and done, where did the idea of professionalism originate? As a cis female raised just outside of the Caribbean on an island heavily influenced by Western ideals… the concept of professionalism takes many forms. There are careers that are recognized to be the most professional like lawyers, doctors, accountants, and the many people that work in insurance or international business on the island. Those are the people that wear suits or have a specific identifiable uniform that they wear everyday.

Then you have the creatives… the entrepreneurs, artists, photographers, dancers, designers, carpenters, and the list goes on and on. I don’t know where we rank in terms of professionalism on a grand scale, but in my experience “the creatives” are the people that are expected to push boundaries and it’s not frowned upon if you do things a little outside of the box.

However, I’m a music therapist. So… I’m a creative AND a business owner.

Typically people don’t want to see their therapist outside the therapy space living a normal life. For some reason we’re held at a higher standard because of the way people trust us with their stories and most vulnerable moments. And heaven forbid you catch your therapist sitting at the bar on the weekend, dancing with friends, or buying lingerie! Your whole perspective and perception of them might shift.

I’m not really someone who minds inviting people to see my personality. At the root of me, I’m a goofball. I’m silly. I’m nerdy. I laugh at the most inconvenient of times. I stumble over my words at times. I don’t always know the right thing to say. I don’t always have an answer or solution. I’m imperfect. I make mistakes. I’m human.

For me, embracing our uniqueness and our vulnerabilities is what makes us relatable and helps to build more authentic relationships.

If I were to go to work everyday and put on a persona for my clients, I would likely never be happy with my work. I would likely miss out on all the wonderful connections I could make with people because they feel comfortable to be themselves around me without judgement.

For me, if someone is uncomfortable or finds my personality unprofessional… then I might not be the therapist for them. And that is okay!

xoxo Hayley