Therapists spend much of their careers taking care of others and often tend to neglect their own wellbeing. All humans need support with personal presenting problems of daily life, transitions, crises, relationships and health issues. Clinicians also have an added layer of professional presenting problems including: vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and countertransference. Good mental health is essential if therapists are to carry out their role effectively.

Vicarious Trauma:

Being exposed over the years to high levels of stress and trauma produces profound effects on the psyche and physical health and even predisposing one to serious illness in later years. Personal therapy for the therapist could provide an outlet for coping effectively with vicarious and secondary traumatization. 

Compassion Fatigue:

Is a serious occupational hazard for those in the counseling field. It is characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion and a profound decrease in the ability to empathize. Compassion fatigue has been associated with professional burnout and ethical boundary violation.

Countertransference:

Represents a fundamental challenge to professional practice due to immersion and inter- subjectivity in the therapeutic relationship. Countertransference reactions can distort the therapist’s understanding of the client’s lived experience and introduce bias in the therapeutic  process. Personal therapy is an ideal place to process countertransference and determine how best to utilize it in the therapy room.

Benefits of Therapy for the Therapist:

• Personal therapy allows therapists to become aware of their own problems and areas of conflict, which is vital if these are not to interfere in their work with clients.

• By demonstrating how psychotherapy can work, personal therapy can increase the therapist’s convictions about the validity of the therapeutic process and its underlying theory.

• By helping to alleviate at least some of the stresses and strains that are inherent in practicing therapy, personal therapy can improve therapists’ own emotional and mental well-being.

• Participating in personal therapy could be viewed as a preventive approach for reducing risk in practice and improving the potential efficacy for the client.

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