Sometimes Don't You Feel Like a Psychologist?

[MsTabbyKats]

I do.

People's problems....

How people react to "owe vs refund"....

How people fear the IRS...

The Jan-Mid Feb. crowd....happy people...rarely need "my therapy"

The mid March-mid April crowd....my mantra..."you should be happy you owe $$$. It means you made a lot of money"

Only a fraction of what I do is "accounting". It's mostly "know your customer....know his expectations....be able to appease him if you know he won't like the result".....and expect to hear all about his problems.

A good friend of mine is a psychiatrist. She tells me I get all this because I'm a good listener. Oh..and she's also my customer; was a customer before becoming a friend. (Yes, I listen to her problems too.).

[Lion EA]

Definitely. In fact, my January crowd is to recalculate ES for changes, so listening to good and bad news then too. And, don't forget marriage counseling for those couples who approach money differently (and isn't that most of them?!). And, family counseling when the child gets their first job or goes to college or elderly parents move in. I too have a psychiatrist client and a couple of social workers. It's all about relationships.

[MsTabbyKats]

And a marriage counselor too.

Oh...right.

The dreaded "couples return".....his side/her side.....waiting for them to work things out....sending the MFS worksheet to prove it's better to file jointly.

BTW...my friend the psychiatrist...."met" when they filed jointly....but I only dealt with him. Got friendly with her when she wanted the details of their finances/taxes during the divorce proceedings.

[Lion EA]

I met my psychiatrist during his second marriage, still going strong. But he lost his father and his twenty-something son a few months apart a year ago, so I'm someone he doesn't have to counsel, can just be a grieving parent/son.

[rfassett]

I have oft made the statement that I spend more of my time counseling than I do taxes and accounting combined. And most of the counseling has nothing to do with numbers. I laugh when my clients laugh, cry when they cry, hurt when they hurt and rejoice when they rejoice. I pray with them and I pray for them. Our clients trust us like they trust no one else. It makes sense they would confide in us. Listen at a party, folks will tell anybody that will listen about their latest medical crisis, but we are their only confidant when it comes to numbers. That is the deepest trust - and it leads to ALL other areas of their lives.

[HV Ken]

We always joke we need a two-sided sign in our office - one side says "Tax Prep" and the other side says "Counseling". Somewhere during our time, we flip the sign. It would certainly be nice if we could bill them hourly for the time spent in counseling!!

[Janitor Bob]

I seem to attract women who want to share their personal lives with me and sometimes want a shoulder to cry on. My fiance says it is because I am a good listener...but I don't want to be a good listener...I usually just want them to go away because they make me uncomfortable.....but I listen and I smile and I offer my shoulder...because that's what tax preparers do.....right?

[HV Ken]

I often wonder what the tax prep process is like at the box stores? Do they also offer the compassionate listening ear? Or is it strictly mechanical and transactional?

[MsTabbyKats]

I often wonder what the tax prep process is like at the box stores? Do they also offer the compassionate listening ear? Or is it strictly mechanical and transactional?

I used to work in "an office". It wasn't an H&R Block etc...but perhaps 8 preparers. Unless a client specified "someone", the client sat with anyone. No...not as compassionate at all. Come in....sit down....go home. Cut & dry. I can only imagine what its' like at an H&R venue.

As self-employed...working out of my dining room....I get calls/e-mails all year about all kinds of issues. I probably get too involved....which is why I keep having these "problems with clients" and their expectations of me. (My venting threads......lol)

[mcb39]

I seem to attract women who want to share their personal lives with me and sometimes want a shoulder to cry on. My fiance says it is because I am a good listener...but I don't want to be a good listener...I usually just want them to go away because they make me uncomfortable.....but I listen and I smile and I offer my shoulder...because that's what tax preparers do.....right?

Right! IMO

[Richcpaman]

I have oft made the statement that I spend more of my time counseling than I do taxes and accounting combined. And most of the counseling has nothing to do with numbers. I laugh when my clients laugh, cry when they cry, hurt when they hurt and rejoice when they rejoice. I pray with them and I pray for them. Our clients trust us like they trust no one else. It makes sense they would confide in us. Listen at a party, folks will tell anybody that will listen about their latest medical crisis, but we are their only confidant when it comes to numbers. That is the deepest trust - and it leads to ALL other areas of their lives.

Ron:

Well said.

Rich

[kcjenkins]

Most people, in my experience, would be more comfortable to discuss their medical issues or even their sex life, than their financial details. Thus, we become more trusted, over time, because we know their deeper secrets.