Support for Therapists

Being a therapist is a beautiful, stressful job.

Our clients share their vulnerabilities and deep feelings with us while working toward their triumphs and resolutions.

Being a therapist is also a challenging job. You listen to stories filled with pain, grief, anger, despair, and Kryptonite.

Even as therapists, we get triggered by the stories we hear and the hopelessness we encounter. And while we are so used to being the ones bringing support, we are not always prepared to be the ones who need to receive support, compassion, and counsel.

Vicarious trauma and compassion burnout are real risks of our profession, and self-care is a necessary aspect of our practice.

Signs of burnout are apparent.

Living trauma vicariously through your clients can cause a therapist to be physically exhausted by the pain they see in others.

As a therapist, you might express that exhaustion by displaying irritability, sensitivity to others’ emotions, guilt, hopelessness, or feeling disconnected, cynical, or resentful. You might even express rigid thinking, inability to gain a perspective, or suffer from intrusive images and thoughts about the traumatic material you have witnessed.

In some cases, vicarious trauma can materialize in your resistance or avoidance of work or by your escaping the experience through addictive behaviors, such as eating, shopping, gaming, or substance abuse.

Finally, vicarious trauma can affect your personal or relationship space when you find you can no longer leave your work behind at work, have a personal life anymore, or can only relate to people in your field.

Therapists let therapy relieve your stress.

Everyone in therapy can benefit from seeking help from other professionals. As therapists, we are not immune to the emotional and physical stress associated with our profession.

Having a connection with someone who can listen objectively provides a conduit for relieving the thoughts and feelings that come from experiencing the trauma experienced by your clients.

From firsthand experience, I know the benefit of seeking support from a therapist, and I can help you overcome the exhaustion and stress you feel.

Let me be a source of healing for you. I know how you feel and have experience supporting therapists.

Contact me today to bring back the beauty in what you do and eliminate the stressful part.