Therapy for Therapists.

When appropriate, I have shared with my clients my own experience with mental health issues. The general reaction is surprise that I also go to therapy and even take medication to manage my mental illness. This can be a tricky disclosure for therapists, and even we still struggle with the internalized stigma of mental illness. We certainly do not want our clients to see us as mentally unstable, but we also want them to recognize us as being human also.

When someone asks me if therapists’ have their own mental health struggles, I always answer with “the good ones do”. Many of us chose this profession because of our own experience with mental illness and the healing benefits of therapy. This helps build empathy in us to truly understand what our clients may be experiencing. For the issues we have not personally experienced, we have learned skills on how to build empathy regardless.

This of course, needs to have a balance. Therapists have a duty and obligation to address, treat, and manage their own mental health issues before taking on the responsibility of helping others with their mental health. This is why you are always hearing your therapist preach about “self-care”. The saying is very true that you cannot take care of others well until you take care of yourself first.

Long story short, if you have any curiosity of whether your therapist has experienced any of their own mental health struggles, the answer is likely yes. This can be a very private experience for us, so we may choose not to share with our clients. If you have a strong relationship with your therapist, you can always ask, but be prepared for your therapist to potentially say they are not comfortable with sharing that information. Just remember, we are just as human as you are, and most of us certainly understand what it feels like to be sitting on that couch you are on, bravely being vulnerable and open with a stranger.