When the Therapist Needs a Therapist

This post is not your usual one. It’s one that I’ve debated writing for a long time. It’s a deeply personal one too, which is probably why it’s taken me so darn long to actually sit down and write it.

We are therapists. We are helpers. People come to us when they need help. I don’t know about you, but I frequently have co-workers in my office if they need help with something or if they need to vent (which is perfectly fine by me, I like that they feel comfortable tough to come to me).

But every  now and then WE need someone to talk to. And sometimes it requires more than a friend. It might require an impartial third party.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in 2016 “an estimated 16.2 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode and an estimated 19.1% of U.S. adults had any anxiety disorder in the past year.” Both depression and anxiety were higher in females. As we work in a field that is largely female, this is important. Women are typically seen as the caretakers. We do take care of kids, parents, pets, co-workers, etc. (I’m not saying that men don’t also do this!). So while we’re trying to have careers, have kids, and have friends, guess what? We often forget to TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES.

I’m guilty of this. I worry about everyone else before worrying about myself and that often leads to burn-out and a general feeling of unhappiness. Which leads to one of my favorite quotes:

So what do we do when we, as therapists, feel like WE need a therapist? Well, my answer is: you get one. I’m telling you this as someone who did just that this past year when I was having a lot of personal things going on that were causing me a ton of stress. I wasn’t sure going in how it would feel to just sit there and talk to someone I didn’t know about my problems. But you know what? It was good. It felt good. It was nice to talk to someone who was objective and who could see things from the outside. I know there are a lot of people who feel like therapy is for “weak” people or it won’t work, but I’m telling from experience that it is useful. I’ve now been to two different ones (for insurance reasons), and both have been helpful in different ways. As a side note, you should check with your employer, because my district has an Employee Assistance Program that allows you to get four free visits, which I took advantage of.

If you’ve been considering it, and want encouragement, message me! I will tell you more about it. I would like to find one that aligns with my insurance so that I can pay just a co-pay, but for now I’ve been happy with what I’ve had. It doesn’t have to be long term, but it can certainly help you get through some difficult times.

Take care of yourself, friends!