Embracing Authenticity

It's been a long road for me to fully love myself. It's taken time and dedication, and the product of this journey has been an unwavering belief in authenticity. I am, for the most part, an authentic version of myself. I do and act exactly as I think. I feel like this has been a part of my journey. From the hospitalizations to the recovery to a new way of being that is fit for purpose and aligns me with my newfound reality. In work as a Lived Experience Practitioner, I am being asked to be professional instead of authentic, and this has really troubled me. Authenticity is a really important part of my way of being. Am I supposed to just hide that to fit into a paradigm? I've still not come up with the solution to my predicament. Do I shelve authenticity for professionalism? Do I be authentic and leave professionalism behind? Do I try to combine the two and come to some type of halfway house? One thing is clear: I believe that authenticity has been the product of my journey from hospital to now and is also part of a much bigger picture of spirituality and a more authentic way of being. This keeps me sane; I can't just drop it for the sake of professionalism. I also wonder about those around me: is professionalism what is needed when the psychologists work with people living in the hospital, or is authenticity more apt to create a humanistic bond between people? By being professional, are we just othering the person receiving the care and help? Are we elevating ourselves by saying 'I'm professional'? This is the discussion I wish to present to you. I'd love to hear your thoughts.