I’ve written about this before, but it’s back at the forefront of my mind as now I’m getting back to work I thought I’d have some therapy sessions. Yes, that’s right, as a therapist I think it’s crucial to continue working on myself, and at times that includes seeing a therapist. For my work I have supervision and a peer group which help me hold my clients safely. Alongside this I get support and continue my self-development through workshops, therapy and self-care which takes many forms (see separate blog post ‘What does self-care look like?’).
It can be hard can’t it, finding someone to work with. A counsellor, a psychotherapist? All the different approaches – psychodynamic, Humanistic, Integrative, Gestalt, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Neuro-Linguistic, Somatic and so on….. What about location, how important is it for the therapist to be near where you work, or live, or maybe as far away from home as you can manage? Then they’ve got to ‘feel’ right and after all of that searching, seeking and considering you have to hope they have space and availability that matches yours! Or maybe, for some, it’s much simpler – find someone nearby, or far away, someone who has the fee they can afford, or just ‘sound ok’ on the page. Who knows, we all have our own process with this search.
What is good to know, although maybe hard to sit with, is that this is all part of the work. If it feels like a struggle, if it takes longer than you thought, it’s all part of the work – trust it and go with it, when you find a match (whatever that means for you) then the next step of the work begins, that of being in the room with someone. All the stuff that goes before is you ALREADY DOING IT. You’re already working on yourself and seeking the support you need. WELL DONE. It’s not easy but SO worth it!