by Megan Sy, M.A., M.S.
As people, we cannot avoid bumps in the road, challenging setbacks, and distressing life experiences. While these are all unavoidable, it is important for us as clinicians to be aware of how our personal difficulties can affect our professional competence. In the same way that illness might prevent us from doing our jobs well, unhealthy negative emotions can also interfere with our work. Intrusive thoughts or physiological arousal during our therapy sessions may leave us distracted, inattentive, or indifferent. If left unchecked, this distress can result not just in ineffective practice, but also unethical practice.
It is therefore our responsibility as clinicians to ensure that we are aware of our own emotions and the impact they have on our functioning. Some people refer to this as our professional blind spot. That is, we tend to be so focused on our clients’ problems that we often fail to see or acknowledge our own. To prevent this, self-awareness and honesty are crucial. It is important to learn to recognize any warning signs that we are not at our best (e.g., missing appointments, low motivation, daydreaming in session). In addition, we may need to dispute any irrational shoulds that we might have about our work (e.g., I must be able to help all my clients all the time).
In some instances, perhaps being a good therapist may mean not being a therapist at all. We may need to take a day or two off, or limit the number of clients we see. Alternatively, there are many ways that we can ensure that we are taking care of ourselves at best as we can. These include seeking support from colleagues and practicing daily self-care. Regardless of the method, the key piece is that we take time to make ourselves feel good before we can help others feel better.
