Drama is part of therapy

I’m watching Season One of “In Treatment,” a drama produced by HBO about a psychotherapist and his weekly sessions with clients.
Like typical television, the show contains theatrical storylines to keep the viewer engrossed. But the angry curses, insights into infidelity and talk of erotic transference are more than just excessive grapples to snag the viewer.
This drama is part of therapy.
As a future therapist, I realize I will subscribe to multiple episodes of a client’s soap opera. I will be part of their stories – their shared narratives of pain, guilt and betrayal. Patients will reveal a fraction of their soul, granting insight into their joys and sorrows.
I wonder how counseling will affect my long-term emotional strength. As a man who can experience strong, heartfelt emotions, it’s important that I have a strong therapeutic relationship with clients but not take on their problems as my own. An accumulation of client’s emotions and predicaments can zap one’s energy.
In the HBO drama, the psychotherapist struggles with a fixation on his clients and their well-being, resulting in a deficit in his relationships with his family. Outside of sessions, he patronizes his wife and speaks to her with contempt.
I don’t want to be like that therapist. I want my family, friends and future wife to come first. If I fail to maintain emotionally connected relationships with those I love, I’m useless as a counselor. What’s the point of helping clients to have better relationships if I fail to preserve them in my own life?