Common Fears & Worries Of New Therapists

I remember graduating and having so many worries about finding my first post-grad/MSW job.

• “What if I mess up?”

• “What if I don’t know what to say?”

• “What if the client doesn’t come back?”

5 years later, these worries aren’t front of mind anymore. I’ve worked through them and developmentally, it makes sense because it’s been well…5 years.

While I still struggle with some aspects of these questions, these days, I worry more about other things when it comes to client work.

Here are common fears and worries of new and emerging therapists, especially those who have just graduated from their programs.

Common Challenges Of New Therapists

• Acute performance anxiety

• The illuminated scrutiny of professional gatekeepers

• Porous or rigid emotional boundaries

• The fragile and incomplete practitioner-self

• Inadequate conceptual maps

• Glamorized expectations

• Acute need for positive mentors

From: Struggles of the Novice Counselor and Therapist by Thomas M. Skovholt & Michael H. Rønnestad

Common Worries & Thoughts Of New Therapists

• My Client Won’t Like Me    

• I Won’t Know What To Say Or Do 

• I’ll Mess Up & Make Mistakes (I Can’t Make Mistakes) 

• I’ll Harm & Re-Traumatize My Clients

• I’m Not Good At Therapy

• I’ll Be Sued

• I’ll Lose A Client To Suicide

• I Have To Be Good At Everything

Common Feelings Of New Therapists

• Self Consciousness

• Anxiety

• Fear

• Ambivalence 

• Guilt 

Tips On How To Grow & Develop As A New Therapist

• Find a Good Fit Supervisor 

  • Finding a supervisor who matches your personality, approach, and values is important starting out

  • Ask around to see if anyone recommends a supervisor (word of mouth is so powerful)

  • Trust your gut when doing a consultation

  • Document all your hours and have them regularly signed off

  • Of course, there is also something to be said about a supervisor who pleasantly surprises you and has a different approach and personality, but you work well together!

• Find Your Learning Style

  • We all learn differently. Audio, visual, didactic, or a mixture of styles.

    • Writing and reviewing your own process recordings (and with a supervisor)

    • Recording and reviewing your own audio recordings (and with a supervisor)

    • Recording and reviewing your own video recordings (and with a supervisor)

    • Watching videos

    • Role plays

    • Reading books

    • Attending workshops

    • Attending conferences

  • Find the style that works best for you as you grow and develop.

  • Of course, therapy is a practice and repetition based type of work, so the more you practice therapy, the more comfortable you will be in the therapist chair

• Patience & Compassion

  • The 3 years it takes to be eligible for the LICSW credential is long and arduous, so try to be compassionate to yourself.

  • It will be a journey of tears, anger, frustration, joy, love, laughter, and much more.

  • So much will happen in these 3 years, not just professionally, but personally.

• Practice Direct Communication & Honesty

  • Ask/request for what you need from your workplace, clients, supervisors, etc.

  • Let your workplace, clients, supervisors, etc. know what is going on when something arises (especially ethical issues)

  • Don’t over-explain

• Healthy & Assertive Boundaries

  • Have a life outside of work

  • Find or resume hobbies

  • Take good care of yourself

    • Get a good amount of sleep

    • Drink lots of water

    • Learn to say no

    • Spend time with others who support and love you (and vice versa)

    • Eat nutritious and delicious foods

    • Move your body every day

    • Go outside and enjoy nature (even if it’s just a walk)

    • Relax and try to avoid stress

    • Have a daily practice of some sort to ground yourself

• Find Your Authentic & Congruent Style 

  • Don’t copy someone else’s style or try to be like someone else!

  • You are the most important part of therapeutic effectiveness. Play to your strengths and be genuine.

    • If you value humor, you can inject humor and irreverence into your work

    • If you are a more direct sort of clinician, be that and use it in session

  • Client’s enjoy authenticity and can pick up on someone who is acting like someone else

Questions To Reflect On

• How much of my fears are based in reality? How likely will they occur?

• What will I do or how will I respond should my fears come true?

• What have other professors, supervisors, peers, and clients told me about my work so far?

• What are my areas of strengths?

• What are my areas of weaknesses? Growth edges?