The Other Side of the Couch: Therapists Need Therapy too

By Heartscape Psychology Intern, Ong Yi Xue

Yes, a huge focus of mental health in today’s era is about self-care where we prioritize our needs and work on enhancing our well-being. This is often advocated by therapists to most, if not all clients, during sessions. However, ever wondered about the other side of the couch, our therapists? 

Therapists work day in and out to ensure that their client's mental health is well taken care of, but sometimes, this is at the expense of their well-being when they take on too many clients, feel affected by clients’ stories, or simply just have a bad day (Posluns & Gall, 2019). Hence, it is important to acknowledge and encourage therapists to go for therapy, even if they are not going through anything tumultuous because their well-being matters too. 

Also, what is often not advocated is students studying counselling, psychotherapy, or psychology, as they too, need therapy to ensure that their mental health is safeguarded as they are learning to delve deep into the human mind and behaviours, which can be complicated and heavy to take in. 

If you are a therapist or student who feels that the above paragraphs hit a little close to your heart, the following sharing may just be for you. 

Some of you reading this post may wonder, why therapists need therapy when they should be the ones giving therapy. Well, for many reasons. Here’s why:

• Emotional well-being (Posluns & Gall, 2019)

  • Therapists are often exposed to emotionally demanding situations, like conflicts, grief, or trauma, which can increase their chances of secondary trauma and compassion fatigue. Therapy then allows them to process their emotions and minimize burnout so that they can continue providing quality care to their clients. 

  • Going through role-plays and case scenarios could be emotionally demanding for students as well, and it could even trigger unwanted memories. Therapy would help them to process such experiences early before they become a practising therapist. 

• Increased self-awareness (Moe & Thimm, 2021) 

  • Providing a safe space for clients also brings forth a space for therapists to reflect on their inner world – emotions, thoughts, biases, triggers. Therapy then allows them to better understand their inner world in relation to their clients so that they can connect more authentically with their clients moving forward. 

  • Likewise, students often find themselves having increased self-awareness while exposed to mental health materials, which is the first step in processing and understanding their inner world. Therapy then provides a space for self-exploration and self-improvement before starting to meet clients. 

• Addressing personal challenges (Råbu & Binder, 2024)

  • Therapists and students, like everyone else, may face personal challenges from time to time. Therapy would help them to navigate the challenges and trauma effectively to ensure that it does not affect their work with clients. Remember the phrase, “We can’t pour from an empty cup”? 

• Increased empathy (Råbu & Binder, 2024)

  • Going through therapy allows therapists and students to have a first-hand understanding of how it feels like to seek help, be vulnerable, and process their experiences – deepening their therapeutic relationship and empathy with clients. 

  • Not all “hurt people hurt people”; as some hurt people see hurt in people – in the therapeutic context, clients’ pain is seen, heard, and healed. 

• Increased professionalism (Moe & Thimm, 2021)

  • Therapy provides a neutral space for therapists to process any forms of countertransference and maintain healthy boundaries with their clients, especially if they have been over-identifying with their client’s issues. 

  • Therapy allows therapists and students to gain insights into therapeutic techniques, unique therapists’ styles, and dynamics between therapists and clients, potentially allowing them to broaden their professional toolkit as there are practical examples of what resonates and works for clients. 

  • Therapy also helps therapists and students navigate professional stressors like academic demands, maintain ethical standards, and feel more confident in their competence.

• Normalizing therapy (Råbu & Binder, 2024)

  • It is pivotal for therapists and students to believe in therapy before advocating for their clients to attend therapy consistently. 

  • Going for therapy as a therapist reduces stigma and normalizes seeking help as a form of strength and growth which can encourage more clients to be willing to attend therapy without shame. 

May this be a reminder to all therapists and students that we are still human beings after all, the same as any of our clients. We all have an inner child in us, alongside baggage of pain, fear, worries, or negative experiences. It is okay to be human and remove our professional cape for a moment to care for our well-being in a safe space because our minds and bodies will appreciate it as much as how our client appreciates our presence. 

Show up for yourself, just like how you do for your clients and that could just be the answer to maintaining our well-being and continuing to help more individuals therapeutically and sustainably. 

Remember, 

You do not need to have it all put together just because you’re a therapist. 

You do not need to shove away or process your bad days quickly just because you’re a therapist.

You do not need to easily understand and regulate all your emotions and thoughts just because you’re a therapist.

You do not need to be perfect just because you’re a therapist. 

You’re just as important as everyone else.

Nuff said.

References 

Moe, F. D., & Thimm, J. (2020). Personal therapy and the personal therapist. Nordic Psychology, 73(1), 3–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/19012276.2020.1762713

Posluns, K., & Gall, T. L. (2019). Dear mental health practitioners, take care of yourselves: A literature review on self-care. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 42(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-019-09382-w

Råbu, M., & Binder, P.-E. (2024). Living the language of psychotherapy: How therapists use their experiences from being patients. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 54, 353–362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-024-09634-w