Managing your own stress in practice
How do you stay calm when it feels like the odds are stacked against you?
Mental Health Awareness
As a UK counsellor or therapist, you dedicate yourself to helping others navigate their emotional challenges, but in doing so, it’s easy to overlook your own mental health and well-being.
The nature of therapy work - listening to clients' emotional struggles, offering support during times of crisis, and managing a busy caseload - can be incredibly rewarding but also highly demanding. The risk of burnout, emotional fatigue, and stress is real, especially when the odds feel stacked against you.
Fortunately, managing stress in your practice is not only possible, but essential. May is Mental Health Awareness month, and it shines a light on the importance of looking after you, as well as everyone around you.
It’s important to implement strategies that will help you remain calm, grounded, and resilient, enabling you to continue offering the best care to your clients.
Shape a plan for calm
Easier said than done in some circumstances, admittedly. But the work you do as a therapist is emotionally taxing. You are constantly holding space for clients’ struggles and supporting them through challenging moments and it’s easy to forget that you, too, need to take time to decompress.
Without proper time to reset, the stress of your work can build up and have a real impact on your mental health.
But with love, life and the universe stacking up on the average to-do list, not to mention the demands of the PTA WhatsApp Group, how exactly do you build decompression time in alongside a busy caseload?
Schedule regular breaks: Don’t schedule back-to-back sessions with no time to recharge. Regular breaks throughout the day are essential for maintaining focus and managing stress, and don’t forget to step away from your consulting space. If you’re working in a busy practice, be sure to block out time for self-care in your calendar.
Get moving!: Regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to manage stress and boost your mood. Whether it’s yoga, a daily walk, or a more intense workout, physical activity can genuinely help alleviate the physical symptoms of stress – even if the thought of getting off the sofa and away from your Doom Scrolling can feel like the last thing you want to do at the time... as your grandmother always used to say, ‘you’ll feel the benefit when you’ve done it’!
Get out and see the people: Spending time with friends and family can be a welcome distraction and provide the emotional recharge necessary to return to your practice with a fresh perspective – the beauty of client confidentiality means you can’t carry those work burdens into this personal time, so a coffee with friends really is a safe head space away from work.
Build confidence in ‘no’
At the early stage of your career, many of us find ourselves saying yes to every client that comes to our door. Is it the fear of there not being another one behind them? A lack of confidence? Not wanting to let them down? Whatever it is, being a yes-person will only lead to one place, an overflowing book of clients that aren’t right for your practice.
Be firm with yourself in what is right for you. If you feel that a client’s needs exceed your expertise or emotional capacity, it’s okay, in fact, it’s better, to refer them elsewhere or set boundaries that protect your own well-being.
Saying no is hard, but it’s vital for both you, and your client. Building a network of trusted colleagues – those who may specialise in areas that you don’t, for example - can help you manage situations where you feel a referral is necessary.
Lean on your village
It is that network of ‘co-workers’ that will become your village. The support team that provides that invaluable ear to bend, arm to lean on, or shoulder to cry on when needed.
You’re not in this alone. Whether through supervision, peer support or collaboration, knowing that you’re part of a supportive network can really help alleviate the sense of isolation that can come with working as a solo practitioner.
Hold the ship steady
Stress can feel like part and parcel of being in the helping profession, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Managing stress isn’t about eliminating challenges, that’s an impossible ask. Instead, you need to have a suite of strategies in place that work for you. Being away of your own well-being, taking steps to manage it, and knowing when you need to reach out for support can all go a long way to helpin maintain a healthy work-life balance.
You are your most valuable resource. It may feel alien to do so, but you owe it to yourself, and your clients to absolutely put yourself first – after all, everyone needs you on top form to be able to offer the very best support!
(And mute the class WhatsApp group - World Book Day’s over, you’re all good for a while…)
