Good Psychotherapists Do Their Own Work in Therapy

A common question I often receive is, “Do psychotherapists go to therapy?” The answer is that the best therapists do engage in their own psychotherapy process with experienced clinicians. Yes, there is an ongoing web of mental health clinicians who see other mental health clinicians, and then those clinicians see other clinicians. The best psychotherapists take their time to work through their own issues in therapy and gain as much insight into themselves as possible. As a therapist, it is essential to be present and attentive to clients, observing their patterns and maintaining focus throughout the session. Regardless of whether one is feeling nausea from pregnancy, back pain, hunger pangs, or has a child home sick from school, it is crucial for psychotherapists to remain fully engaged with their clients despite what might be happening in their own lives. 

In order to become a licensed clinician, regardless of if you are a Psychologist, Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Professional Counselor, or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, you are required to have a specific number of “clinical supervision hours” to be able to work independently. This supervision entails discussing concerns about specific cases and how to best help their clients work through their concerns. Supervision helps a new clinician determine best practices, strategies, and learns how to implement techniques into their sessions so that the client can best benefit from the process of therapy. Another key component of Clinical Supervision is that new clinicians can express any personal concerns they may have and recognize how their clients’ experiences impact them. 

Since the inception of therapy, Sigmund Freud coined the terms transference and countertransference to explain how the client's experiences can affect the clinician and vice versa. It’s impossible for a clinician to truly be a blank slate and not be at all impacted by their clients. Clinical supervision plays a crucial role in supporting therapists by helping them manage any personal feelings that may arise during sessions.. This helps to ensure that a clinician can remain as unbiased as possible.  Clinical supervision can also help a clinician see how a theoretical base is implemented in session and help one learn different strategies or perspectives of what might be helpful in a session. 

As clinicians, it takes time and experience to understand that our role is not to “fix” our clients. We are there to be a sounding board, to help be an unbiased observer, and recognize patterns of behavior that might be preventing a client from achieving their goals. Even though we may think a client should end a relationship with a significant other, leave a particular job, or make a significant life change, it’s ultimately up to the client to make their own independent decisions and have their autonomy. As a clinician, I am aware that clients are only in my office for one hour, one day a week, and I’m only getting a small picture of what is happening. I also know that most of what I hear will be a more negatively skewed portion of the story, as most clients don’t come to a therapist to talk about how happy they are with their lives.

Once fully licensed, it can be extremely beneficial to continue one’s personal therapy journey., Life will constantly be throwing different challenges our way, so it’s important for clinicians to take care of their own needs and to ensure that their personal concerns do not “leak” into their sessions. I’ve heard many stories of clinicians being “over sharers” or “completely distracted,” which obviously does not lead to effective therapy. Personally, I like to seek out therapists who use a different theoretical approach than what I use in my practice so I can learn more about how other theories work “in the therapy room.” This helps me to grow both personally and professionally. 

When working with a therapist, consider how much self-disclosure they engage in during a session. Self-disclosure can be a wonderful therapeutic technique if it’s used properly and in moderation. However,  if you ever feel uncomfortable by their personal sharing or find yourself more concerned about your therapist than focusing on your own emotions, it's essential to communicate these feelings during your session. (Refer to our earlier blog “Your Therapist Wants Your Feedback, Too” for guidance.) 

Ultimately, as a therapist, my goal is to learn as much as possible about myself, different therapy techniques and theories, and to continually grow in order to be the best therapist that I can be for my clients. 

“Therapists need to have a long experience in personal therapy to see what it's like to be on the other side of the couch and see what they find helpful or not helpful. And if possible, get into therapy at different stages of their life with different kinds of therapists just to sample a bit.” - Irvin D. Yalom