Therapy for Therapists
(and Other Helping Professions)
This. Is. Good. Work.
What’s the big deal? All you do is sit in a chair and talk all day.
Have you heard that before? Maybe a thousand times? What’s worse is you might hear these types of comments from the people you closest to, such as a significant other, family, and friends.
The hard truth is they won’t understand, and that’s okay. You probably don’t want to place those burdens on your loved ones anyway.
You and I know one important fact: being a counselor is HARD! You are holding space with another person all day that is sharing their private information, and helping guide each client into developing goals for a healthier, fulfilling life. Sometimes it’s hard to have enough “gas left in the tank” after work to take care of your own needs.
You’re human too…
Yes, you need space to explore and discuss the areas of stress in your own life. Counselor Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Secondary Trauma are real things! Not only coping with those, but also having to cope with your own personal life and mental health. To maintain a high level of service as a counselor, having an avenue to process your struggles is crucial to being an effective therapist.
If you’re a mental health professional and think, “I don’t need therapy. I’m the therapist!”, you might be avoiding certain areas of your life that are impeding you from being your best therapist/parent/friend/sibling/etc.
