A Therapists Role - My Story

Hello lovely people!

I wanted to share a bit about what it’s like for me being a therapist. I often hear people say things like 'I couldn't do it ' or 'How do you switch off?' and those are all valid points, I completely get it.

But here’s the thing, I absolutely love it.

I don’t really think of it as a job, in the traditional sense more as a Way of Being (a little nod to Carl Rogers there 😉 what a guy, and what a powerful point he makes).

I want to help people. I want to sit with them in the dark times, when hope feels distant. I want to be there in those slow, step-by-step moments when glimmers of hope begin to appear. I want to celebrate with them when they reach brighter places. I want to walk alongside people as they journey toward deeper self-understanding. I’m on that journey too, what we have is a connected partnership.

Early in my training, I was asked, 'What do you think makes a good counsellor?' I replied, 'Someone who shows little separation between who they are in the therapy room and who they are in the rest of their life, ' this continues to be my inspiration.

For me, being a therapist is a full-time opportunity for self-reflection, growth, and personal development. Honestly, it’s exciting. Without therapy as my vocation, I might neglect those things and those things are what make me feel alive and fulfilled.

Each time I work with clients, we grow together. Every client is a new opportunity , an opportunity to connect with another person, along with the invitation to connect more deeply with myself.

To do this work effectively, I have to become, to some extent, a blank canvas. My own beliefs, assumptions, and expectations can’t take up space in the room, they simply don’t belong there.

To be fully present with my clients, I need to stay tuned in to what’s going on inside of me, so I am able to meet them where they are.  It’s a constant invitation to self-discovery and that for me, is incredibly rewarding and means that I am more available to support clients who may be struggling to hold their own emotions.

So yes the struggle is real for all of us, but so is the power of the partnership.