The Importance Of Going To Therapy When You Are A Therapist

You talk to your clients all the time about how important therapy is.

The world is starting to understand the importance of mental health, but there are still so many people who have no intention of even trying therapy. You wish that others would try it, even just once.

Life is complicated. It's challenging. There are good and bad times, easy and hard times. It can be a lot to manage on your own.

It's about time you took your own advice. Therapists need therapy too. Here's why it's important to go to therapy even when you are a therapist.

Therapists Have Real Problems, Too

You may be a therapist, but you're still human. You're experiencing similar things to many of your clients day in and day out. You, too, are experiencing positive and negative experiences and interactions each and every day.

Even as a therapist, you may be dealing with your own anxiety, depression, stress, and other problems that life can throw your way. You want to make sure that you're dedicating the same amount of time, if not more, to yourself as you are to your clients. It's extremely important that you have enough time to process your own emotions, thoughts, and feelings. You don't want your own problems to start to negatively affect your clients.

Prevent Burnout and Process Client Sessions

You can't expect to fill someone else's cup if yours is completely empty. You show up every day and are fully present for each and every one of your clients. No matter if you have a thirty-minute session or a full hour, you're showing up fully present to that person for that entire time. You're listening to them, absorbing the information they're providing to you, and offering solutions, questions, feedback, and homework. Some clients may have troubling stories or a past history that can start to impact them and you. You may even feel heavy at the end of some of your sessions with some of your clients depending on the topic.

Therapy can be a great way for you to not only process your own thoughts, emotions, and feelings but your clients' as well. Relieve some of those feelings by releasing them in a much-needed therapy session. Preserving your own mental health is extremely important for you and for you to properly help your clients as well.

Become an Even Better Therapist

Even if you feel like you don't have any anxiety or stress that would warrant a therapy session, therapy is still a great option to consider. Everyone should try therapy, even if it's just once. Life won't always be sunshine and rainbows. Life can throw a lot of curveballs your way. Starting therapy is a great way to be proactive rather than reactive when that happens. A therapist can help prepare you, give you homework, or come up with an action plan to help you cope now and in the future.

Even if you're not considering therapy for yourself, think of how much you going to therapy could help others. Sitting in a session with a therapist may help you become an even better therapist than you already are. You may pick up on ideas or tools that you hadn't thought of that may be great for some of your clients. Use it as a teaching tool.

Next Steps

Just as you tell your clients, therapy is good for everyone. It's time you listen to your own words. Everyone, including you, should try therapy. Therapists need therapy, too.

It's time to put yourself first. Reach out to me today to set up a consultation for counseling for professionals.