Taking Care of Yourself as a Therapist
I often get asked, "how do you take care of yourself", as a therapist? For those who know about the therapy field the obvious answer is "supervision". Yet maybe there is this curiosity of whether ethics do play a part in anyone's practice and some kind of judgment as to whether a person is professional. Even though these kind of questions might be asked, I see no reason to take them personal and a duty to state ethically that taking care of oneself, is very much a part of practice.
Anyway, so what have I done this week to take care of myself? Well attending one of Dr Robert Holden's talks was part of my process on "Shifts". It's the first time I have seen him in action, and heard what he has to say about happiness, spirituality and wellness and I can see why he has a following in this world as it is right now. I am quite looking forward to reading some of his books and gaining an insight on his thinking a bit more deeply.
So what else can a therapist do to take care of themselves apart from supervision? In my view it is anything healthy that helps them to unwind from the mindset of practice or client material. Mine is usually dance, writing poetry, listening to classical music, reading interesting books for long periods and being a mother. However, others may choose to do something else.
One thing that I also like to do is cease opportunities and tonight was an opportunity to attend the frist British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists, BACP Specialist Coaching Division Meeting held in London and to become part of that Regional group in its infancy. It was fabulours to meet the Chair of the BACP Coaching Division and the Organiser and other interested peers and thrash through how we could move the Division forward.
It is getting late, so I will not go into the 'ins and outs' of the differences in counselling/psychotherapy and coaching, other than embrace them all as a new way of working with clients in the 21st Century.
However, returning to the point of how do I take care of myself, maybe a bit of Jazz or open mic expression sometimes could be the answer for some.
The first Festival of its kind, just after IWD, International Womens Day:
WOW! Women of the World Festival 11th-13th March 2011 - Southbank, Royal Festival Hall: 1pm
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