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In my journey towards starting my own mental health practice, I have sailed through many waves -- some of which challenged my presence as a mental health provider. In that journey of building onto the knowledge I gained from my counseling degree, I was still working through my own struggles while holding space for those that needed that supportive and empathetic presence in their lives.
The reason I choose to share this is because of the reminder I often share with my own clients: "I am human, and by acknowledging the way I show up and how I continue to care for my own well-being, I can normalize an experience that is often scary." If I didn't have the capacity to deepen with my own sense of self, and navigate my own hurdles, it would be a genuine challenge to journey through the waves that my clients have struggled to maneuver. And again, I move from the mindset that each of the souls that sit on that couch in my office have the answers within themselves, even when they're unsure of how to reach that part of themselves.
It is embedded in our own ethical code as therapists to follow our "Professional Responsibility," of which entails adhering to a code of ethics, but also maintaining a relationship with associations that benefit our practice, as well as engaging in "self-care" that positively influences the presence we have with clients. And in order to maintain the relationship I hope to have with clients and their own concerns and struggles, I believe it is in my own interest to always work on my own development of self, and not just professionally. Hence, I continue to create space for my own therapy -- I make space, even if it's periodically, to check-in and look at the lens in which I'm moving through my own life, while making sure that I am addressing the needs I have to feel continually safe and comfortable where I am.
If you're someone that is unsure or uncertain about the process of beginning, or starting therapy again (i.e. maybe you've had difficult experiences prior), know that developing a strong relationship with your therapist is vital to feeling heard, understood, and held in your own experience. So, I'd like to reassure you that you and the experiences you share with your own therapist matter, and it's okay to step back and evaluate if your needs aren't being addressed in a way that gives you ease, and the reassurance you're looking for when it comes to approaching concerns that weigh heavy on you or your relationship(s). This is one of the cornerstones to a healthy and successful therapy journey -- having a good working relationship with your therapist.
For some of us, empathy has been seen as a magnet that we have always felt within ourselves; it has been something that has drawn us to others, or has even made it difficult to understand what to do with the experiences we hold onto. I believe empathy to be a tool that we can always develop and grow in, especially when it comes down to navigating struggles with those we hold close to our hearts. I like to be honest and open about the fact I do my own emotional work, and I have been in and out of therapy now for over 8 years. I've found so much success and gratitude for the work I've done, and I want nothing more than for YOU to experience the same, if not MORE from your own healing journey!
Thanks for taking the time to read this blogpost, and I'm so thankful to hold space and share some of the insight I've gained in my own healing, and how that has contributed to the practice I uphold today. I hope to continue this journey for the rest of my life!
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