Learning from our clients


Learning from our clients

The importance of self-care was brought home to me during an assessment session with a new client.

One of the local therapists had referred this client to me because she was feeling rather stuck and hoped I might have some recommendations for treatment planning. When I receive referrals like this I tend to start the interview by asking a bit about their experiences of therapy—how long have they been seeing their therapist, how often do they meet, etc.

The answers I received from this particular client have never left me. She went on to describe the life circumstances that brought her into therapy and the work she and her therapist had been doing. After pausing a moment, she went on to share how concerned she was about her therapist and how she didn’t want to schedule more frequent appointments because her therapist always looked so tired. She went on to say how difficult it is to follow through on advice about self-care when it’s clear her therapist isn’t caring for herself.

Although some of you might be thinking this says more about the client than the therapist I think it really highlights the therapist-client relationship and the important role we play. Hearing a client directly talk about her perceptions of her therapist really hit home for me and I still use her words as a motivator for embracing regular self-care (proof that we can learn so much from our clients!).

How do you know – before it’s too late! – that you are (or aren’t) addressing your own needs for self-care? Especially in a busy season like the holidays? Take just 60 seconds now and reflect on how you feel things have been going for you over the past week. Feel free to print out this form and re-use it as needed:

60 Second Self-Care Check-In

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