Therapy for Therapists in Maryland: Navigating Tough Times with Support
As a new therapist, one thing I have come to realize is that we all need help from time to time. While some therapists see participating in therapy as a normal and necessary thing to do when working in this field, others may experience shame over needing to seek help themselves. That shame might come from a place of asking, “How am I going to help my clients if I can’t help myself? I should have it together!” However, one thing I have come to learn is EVERYONE needs to check in with their mental health, therapists included. We hold space for everyone around us, and sometimes neglect our own physical and mental needs as providers. We are seen as specialists in the field, so why do we need to seek help from another therapist when we are the expert?
As you already know, therapy offers a wide range of perspectives, and that’s part of what makes it so valuable. As wise, educated, and insightful as we may be, we still have blindspots and can benefit from working with someone who offers a different perspective. Seeking therapy as a therapist shows strength and self-awareness as one recognizes the need for help while also leading by example for our clients.
Contrary to our clients’ beliefs, therapists are not perfect people who are walking around with perfect lives and perfect families. We grapple with our own “stuff,” challenging family dynamics, work stress, and relationships like anybody else. And, like everybody else, we too occasionally need outside support to navigate those issues.
Doing our own therapeutic work also benefits our clients. It allows us to model behavior and demonstrate through action that it’s OK to seek help. The insights that we gain in our own therapy also have the ability to translate into our own therapeutic work. Over the past few years, we’ve heard many therapists in our Maryland community talk about their experiences with burnout, and prioritizing our own therapy and self-care allows us to continue doing the work that we love without burning out.
On top of these very common reasons that therapists seek out their own therapy (personal mental health, family relationships, life stressors, etc), the past few years have been quite stressful for therapists. We’ve had to quickly transition to remote work for a pandemic, assert our need for higher compensation from insurance companies, and hold space for our clients in the midst of political upheaval that has stressed us out too! When we’re feeling the weight of the world and are gravely concerned about the social issues impacting our own lives and those of our clients, it can be difficult to hold space for our clients while we too feel like we’re spiraling.
Carving out time for yourself during difficult times is a crucial part of ensuring your continued ability to do the work that you do. Prioritizing our own self-care and preventing impairment are our ethical responsibilities. As therapists, we want to show up for our clients, but it’s difficult to do that if we’re struggling with our own mental health or difficult life circumstances. And, fortunately, there are many therapists, like those at LifeSpring Counseling Services, who are passionate about providing therapy to other therapists.
We owe it to ourselves and to our clients to take good care of ourselves. Whether we seek individual counseling or find a safe space among like minded professionals, we need to make sure our mental health is our top priority. Considering the state of our nation, we need to be at our best. We need to be safe spaces for women, immigrants, people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We need to hold space for difficult conversations and challenge opposition with understanding and grace. We need to hold individuals accountable for how they show up and engage in conversations that benefit the whole rather than the part. In order to do that, however, we need to first protect our own mental health. Our clients are counting on us!
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Interested in Online & In-Person Counseling for Burnout and Compassion Fatigue?
If you’re a Marylander who knows that counseling is the direction you need to take, the therapists at LifeSpring Counseling Services are here to help. We offer online counseling services for mindfulness, depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief and loss. We also offer Brainspotting as a specialized service, and Brainspotting can be done online, too!
Here’s how you can get started! Online and in-person counseling for burnout and compassion fatigue aren’t the only services offered at our Baltimore, MD office.
The counselors and social workers at our Maryland office also offer counseling services for trauma, grief and loss, boundary setting, communication skills, and difficult life transitions. We also offer specialized counseling services including Brainspotting and spiritually-integrated counseling. Because we are located next to several local universities, we also work with college students and international students.
Written by Ali Miller, LifeSpring Intern and Melissa Wesner, LCPC
Ali Miller is a counseling intern from McDaniel College (link) who is passionate about providing individual therapy to LGBTQI+ individuals and those who have experienced religious trauma or negative impacts of purity culture.
Melissa Wesner, LCPC is the Founder of LifeSpring Counseling Services. She is a Certified Brainspotter who offers Brainspotting Intensives here in Maryland. As a Brainspotting Consultant, she also provides Brainspotting Consultation to therapists who are seeking Certification in Brainspotting. Over the years, Melissa has worked with a number of therapists and has found that her Brainspotting Intensives are particularly popular with therapists in particular.
