Jeff Levy, LCSW
(originally posted on Branching Out: The Live Oak Blog, August 2014)

There have been many times over the years, when someone shares with me something new, sometimes even when we’ve known each other for many years.  This comes up not only in my work with clients, but also with people with whom I have had longstanding friendships.  I usually don’t think twice when I’m learning something new at the beginning of a relationship.  But something feels different when I get new information after knowing someone for a good amount of time.
 
With friends, I think I used to feel offended when I learned something I hadn’t known before.  It felt like somehow I wasn’t trustworthy enough to have this information.  Or maybe my friends though I might judge them if they shared something more personal or something perhaps they felt ashamed of.

Jeff Levy, LCSW
(originally posted on Branching Out: The Live Oak Blog, April 2014)

After I received my bachelor’s degree in recreation therapy, my first job was at Adler Mental Health Center,  a state psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents.  Adler was where I “cut my teeth” as a mental health professional, and a place where I worked with incredibly smart, committed, and dedicated people.  Located in Champaign, Adler had the benefit of also being connected to the University of Illinois. 
 
Most of us were U of I alumni.  Many of us were pursuing advanced degrees, so Adler also served as a rich source for research.  We fought hard when the governor announced he intended to close Adler.  Despite community support and advocacy efforts, however, Adler closed its doors in 1982.  I’m providing this background information to give some context to my acceptance of “not knowing.”