Therapy for Therapists

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Perhaps it is because I have been a professor in a clinical psychology master's program for the past 12+ years, and I have been closely connected to the training of new therapists, but I have always loved working with therapists in their own therapy.

Therapists have their own unique quirks, and sifting through the themes of the past help them to thrive in this special field.  

1. Even highly trained therapists don’t know what they are doing all of the time. Therapists walk around with the fear that their clients and colleagues will “find out that I don’t know what I’m doing.” The anxiety of not knowing often leads therapists to give quick fixes to appease their own anxiety. Sitting in session with the anxiety of not knowing is very difficult, but can bring your work to a deeper place. 
2. You must know yourself. Our training often centers on understanding our clients, which is only half of the people in the therapy room. Your reactions can bring a deeper understanding of your client when you intimately know yourself. 
3. Your relationships with your family and friends will change.  Therapists often need help in learning how to be around people and listen less so they are not always on the clock.
4. You will “take your clients home” with you. Though you’ve likely been taught that it is a sign of poor boundaries to think, wonder, care or dream about your clients, it is inevitable. There is no on/off switch to your thoughts or feelings. The key is learning how to manage this so it does not lead to burnout or poor therapy.
5. The difficult experience of being a therapist is enough to necessitate your own therapy. Even Sigmund Freud said, “No one who, like me, conjures up the most evil of those half-tamed demons that inhabit the human breast, and seeks to wrestle with them, can expect to come through the struggle unscathed.”