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how do you mentally prepare to work as a therapist or psychologist?

I know some psychologist and therapist have their own things going on and might have to hear a lot of bad/sad things while at work so i was wondering how do you take care of your own mental to be prepared for that.

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Caitlin’s Answer

It is true that working in the mental health field there is much we take on emotionally along with whatever is taking place in one’s personal life. Therefore it is essential to have your own self-care routine practiced daily as well as have your own therapist. I have had extremely experienced therapist encourage me to have my own therapist and when I train new therapist I encourage them to work with their own therapist. For one, how do we sit in the chair encouraging therapy if we do not practice what we preach. Secondly, when dealing with high emotional work it is important to have a safe space of our own to release and process those emotions in a healthy manner.
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Theresa’s Answer

One of the best ways to sustain in the field is to be in your own therapy. When I hear things that have been incredibly challenging to hear, I go to my supervisor and/or team to share so that I can the information out of me. It feels good to have someone else on my team hold it for me. Another way to prepare and sustain is to adopt a regular mindfulness practice and there are many. I do iRest yoga nidra meditation and metta/self-compassion meditation because I studied them/took formal classes and they are both about 35-40 minute meditations. Find a meditation practice you are interested in and practice. Julia Frodahl has many types of meditation offerings on her website.

There are also simple practices like making sure to change your clothes as soon as you get home, take time to decompress or self-soothe in the car on your way home, and move your body via taking a walk. I create space in my day in between clients to do yoga class, and go outside/take walks around my workplace. It helps considerably! DBT is the therapy I provide and I use all the skills I teach to clients. Taking care of yourself is an ongoing practice in this work. Best of luck to you!
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