Weird how my doctoral research in social psychology keeps bleeding into my current work. Not that I planned it this way, but understanding human behaviour is apparently a transferable skill whether you're writing an academic paper or managing client interactions.
My dissertation was about interpersonal performance and identity construction. Which sounds wanky, but basically means I studied how people present different versions of themselves in different contexts. Sound familiar? It should. Every client who walks through my door is performing a version of themselves they think I want to see.
Some guys are performative businessmen, all sharp suits and rehearsed confidence. Others are vulnerable, wanting connection more than anything physical. I've learned to read the subtext, the tiny tells that reveal what they actually need. Academic training, meet sex work reality.
Most clients don't actually want pure physical transaction. They want narrative. They want to be heard, understood. Sometimes I'm more therapist than anything else. Which is hilarious considering my actual therapy training consists of... well, nothing official.
The cognitive dissonance is constant. One moment I'm deconstructing power dynamics, the next I'm, you know, actually living them. Academia would be horrified. Or fascinated. Probably both.