The Story We Tell Ourselves
By Estefania Santinelli, Recruiter.
Since I was young, being a psychologist was one of my paths to follow “when I grew up”. Not the only one, but a fairly constant one over the time. Although initially I felt it as my own discovery, I imagine that being the daughter of a psychologist had a lot to do with it.
The interest awoke as a result of the fascination that certain books in my father’s library generated in me; books that analyzed characters from the classic stories I had read as a child. That, added to psychology’s superpower of being able to analyze and give meaning to dreams, sealed the deal at an early stage of my life.
Some time later I got my degree and began my path in the most classical branch of psychology, clinical psychology. Years of commitment and learning went by, with postgraduate studies, personal work, research, supervisions, study groups, conferencess and a variety of work environments and dynamics, all within clinical psychology.
(I was a speaker at several congresses. This photo is from the Congress on Psychological Aspects of Obesity).
I enjoyed my various jobs… Yes, in plural. One thing I discovered while everything was going on is that I always did more than one thing. This made me look sideways and wonder about other fields and possibilities. After building a path in one direction, dedicating a lot of time and effort, it was difficult to think and assess other career options.
But sometimes what goes out the door comes in through the window.
My patients began to bring work issues more frequently to the therapy sessions: professional projects, job re-orientation, conflictive work situations, among many other things. The world of work appeared in the clinic and my interest became clearer.
(In clinical supervision, with my big puppy).
The pandemic changed the world and, consequently, my life changed radically. In the new dynamic I gave more space to my questioning and I began to retrace some of the assumptions that were blocking my way. Maybe they sound like very obvious things, but it’s different to know something rationally than for that knowledge to take shape. I was afraid that, if I made a change, it would have to be radical… and I didn’t want that. I felt that I was “old enough” to venture into another field and that I had to be responsible and stay where I was…
But I recognized that being responsible to myself was being able to rethink projects and interests that I always loved; much more than maintaining an allegiance to what I thought I was going to do for life and how I was going to do it.
We’re the story we tell ourselves, and that story changes depending on how the pieces fit together.
By allowing myself to be there, fully immersed with my questions, I remembered that I chose psychology among other things because it offered me possibilities. I realized that the interest in work psychology had always been there and that much of my path was going to serve me in case I took on a new challenge.
Like a flashback in a movie, another angle and another speed make the clues that solve the mystery evident; they were always there… you just had to go back to them. The change, rather than the feared rupture, was a new integration.
(In the middle of a labyrinth. A metaphorical photo of getting lost and finding yourself on the way out).
Today I’m part of the beautiful Recruiting and People team at PSh, where I learn every day. Although with a different approach, in this role I have the opportunity to include something I always enjoyed from the clinic: accompanying processes of change and growth with the specifics of Human Resources work. Along the way, I have met and continue to meet many people every day who are going through processes of transformation and reorientation at work, some more subtle and others more radical, and from this path I enjoy offering new possibilities.
