{"id":41732,"date":"2021-09-17T06:08:17","date_gmt":"2021-09-17T13:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=41732"},"modified":"2021-09-10T15:27:26","modified_gmt":"2021-09-10T22:27:26","slug":"becoming-a-therapist-6-things-new-therapists-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/6-Things-New-Therapists-Need-to-Know","title":{"rendered":"Becoming a Therapist? 6 Things New Therapists Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GoodTherapy<\/h1>\n

Becoming a\u00a0Therapist? 6 Things New Therapists Need to Know<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n

So, you\u2019re\u00a0in the process of\u00a0becoming a therapist. That\u2019s great news! Not only do you get to\u00a0provide\u00a0clients\u00a0with\u00a0the care they need to live their best lives, but you also get to learn something new every day. This is a job that also lends itself to flexible schedules, solid pay (particularly if you tap into a niche area of care), and plenty of opportunities\u00a0for professional growth and development.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Add it all up, and there\u2019s a lot to like about being a therapist for those called to the profession.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, becoming a therapist isn\u2019t the easiest thing in the world to do. As beginner therapists find out all too soon, the job has its fair share of challenges.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a new therapist or someone who\u2019s thinking about becoming one soon, here are six things you need to keep top of mind to ensure you\u2019re able to enjoy a rewarding career for years to come.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Banish Imposter Syndrome \u2014 You Know a Lot!<\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s natural for all therapists, and new\u00a0therapists in particular, to\u00a0feel a bit of imposter syndrome from time to time. You might start to wonder if you are really qualified to help clients solve their mental health problems or guide them through an extraordinarily challenging situation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a perfectly normal feeling. But it\u2019s one you shouldn\u2019t let get the best of you. If you\u2019re feeling like an imposter as a beginner therapist, you might need to change the way you view yourself and how you ended up in your role.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To become a therapist, you\u2019ve graduated from college and earned a master\u2019s degree (which is something only\u00a0<\/span>13 percent of Americans<\/span><\/a>\u00a0have done!). And you\u2019ve also joined the thinned-out ranks of professional therapists, something even\u00a0<\/span>fewer people have done<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, you\u2019ve worked hard to get to turn your calling into a career, and you absolutely deserve to be in your chair. Don\u2019t ever let yourself think otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Make the Most of Your Supervisor<\/h2>\n

New therapists quickly find out that this line of work isn\u2019t like most others. Due to confidentiality concerns and the intimate\u00a0settings\u00a0you work in, therapists can have a harder time improving their skills because they don\u2019t have managers directly overseeing their work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is where making the most out of\u00a0<\/span>clinical supervision<\/span><\/a>\u00a0enters the equation. By treating an experienced, veteran therapist as a mentor and discussing cases and strategies with them on a regular basis, you can continue to sharpen your skills and provide better care to your clients.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDisclose your strengths and show you\u2019re aware of your vulnerabilities, biases, and professional needs for improvement,\u201d explains\u00a0<\/span>Sally Caldwell<\/span><\/a>, a licensed professional counselor – supervisor (LPC-S) based in Fairbanks, Alaska. \u201cUtilize your supervisor\u2019s wisdom and learn the experience of trust and vulnerability that you are asking of your clients.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Lean into the Learning Experience \u2014 About Yourself and Your Profession<\/h2>\n

As a therapist, you\u2019re going to learn a ton about your clients every session. But your learnings don\u2019t stop there. Every day, you\u2019re also going to discover a lot about yourself and your profession, particularly when you make the most out of clinical supervision.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When you embrace a\u00a0<\/span>growth mindset<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and lean into the learning experience, you can gain more and more knowledge on a continuous basis. Not only will this make you a more effective therapist, but it will also help you learn more about yourself \u2014 which can have positive impacts on your personal life, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Take Care of Yourself<\/h2>\n

Some beginner therapists are so caught up in delivering exemplary care to their clients that they often forget about themselves. Yet self-care for therapists is one of the most important characteristics of effective therapy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, if you want to be a great therapist, you can\u2019t neglect your own well-being. When you\u2019re down and out emotionally, it is impossible for you to have the most productive sessions with your clients.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPractice the wellness you teach,\u201d Caldwell continues. \u201cIf you offer mindfulness, practice it regularly yourself. If you encourage physical exercise, you need to do it regularly. You\u2019ll appreciate your clients\u2019 challenges more personally as you find yourself facing them, if even to a comparatively minor degree.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t underestimate the powerful effects therapy can have on you.\u00a0<\/span>Personal therapy<\/span><\/a>\u00a0can help therapists alleviate stress, work through difficult ethical quandaries, and manage their own issues, among other things.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Communicate with Clients in a Timely Way<\/h2>\n

Beginner therapists are all focused on the same thing: delivering the best care possible to clients. Unfortunately, when you\u2019re just starting out, you might not be able to truly appreciate the importance of\u00a0<\/span>responsive communication<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In order for\u00a0your impact to be felt, you need to be attentive to client concerns and questions, responding to them as quickly as you can.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step into your clients\u2019 shoes. If you were really struggling with something and called the person who is supposed to help you through the issue \u2014 and that individual didn\u2019t get back to you for several days \u2014 how would you feel?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As you settle into your new role, make sure you prioritize rapid communication. It\u2019s an easy way to prove to your clients that you really care about their well-being.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Set Reasonable Expectations<\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re just starting out, you might have your sights set on becoming the best therapist in the world. You\u2019re going to be eager to help as many people as you can as quickly as you can. But you will be better off with a more cautious approach.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After all, the last thing you want is to burn out. If you\u2019re not on top of your game, you\u2019re not going to be able to be the best therapist you can be for your clients. It\u2019s that simple.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reaching your full potential as a therapist starts with setting reasonable expectations \u2014 and not biting off more than you can chew.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAvoid playing the numbers game with your client\u00a0load, and\u00a0find the number of clients that you can comfortably manage,\u201d Caldwell advises. \u201cAvoid expecting that you will fit things into an unexpected cancel or no-show. If not, you\u2019ll carry the rushing, the disjointed-squeezing-things-in with you into your session, and your clients will feel that.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

GoodTherapy\u00a0is dedicated to partnering with therapists throughout their careers. Through our registry, continuing education, publication opportunities, blog articles written with folks exactly like you in mind, and more, we\u2019re here for you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Not a member of\u00a0GoodTherapy? We invite you to check out\u00a0our\u00a0<\/span>membership options<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and partner with us today.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Here\u2019s to a successful, rewarding career where you help clients become the best versions of themselves!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Becoming a?Therapist? 6 Things New Therapists Need to Know? So, you?re?in the process of?becoming a therapist. That?s great news! Not only do you get to?provide?clients?with?the care they need to live their best lives, but you also get to learn something new every day. This is a job that also lends itself to flexible schedules, solid […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3168,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[627,1509,542,1899],"tags":[1963,1962,1961,1960],"class_list":["post-41732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-of-therapy","category-entrepreneur","category-featured-articles","category-for-therapists","tag-growth-mindset","tag-learning","tag-new-therapist","tag-supervision"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41732"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41732\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}