It's been a while since I last wrote about my practice. Mostly this is because I have been waiting for some things to be confirmed, and in that time I have been thinking about my practice and its viability in the long-term.
Now I'm in a better position to see how things will develop, here are some 'headlines':
I'm reducing my private practice to one day per week, on Fridays. This is because I am stepping up to a full-time position in my other job, which is a 4-day week.
I'm pursuing a Level 5 qualification in trauma-informed therapy. Hopefully, I will have completed the course by March 2025.
To say a bit more about the first point: I have found private practice very difficult. I have loved my client work, and wouldn't change anything about that aspect. However, trying to market myself and be active on social media does not come naturally, and I have felt the impact on my mental health. From what I can tell from speaking to colleagues, I entered the market at a bad time, and many therapists have seen a drop in referrals. The market is incredibly competitive. I have felt quite angry and self-conscious at my 'failure' to make this work. Overall, I feel very lucky that I have had another source of client work (and income!) that has given me another option.
That brings me on to my other job. For the last 14 months, I have been working with survivors of suicide bereavement, in a third-sector organisation. This work has been incredibly meaningful, and has increased my skills and confidence massively. My organisation is now developing specialised support for trauma survivors, to bridge a gap in local services. This is exactly the kind of work that made me want to be a therapist. I feel very lucky to be a part of this.
Regarding my qualification in trauma-informed therapy: the developments in my workplace have spurred me to undertake this training, but my interest in trauma is much more longstanding. Bessel Van Der Kolk's iconic book on trauma, 'The Body Keeps the Score,' is the reason I chose to pursue a career in counselling. I sincerely believe that my person-centred training has provided an essential foundation for working with trauma. I also believe that the physiological impact of trauma often requires more than talking. As a result, I have chosen a course that centres on a 'bottom-up' approach, using the body, and embodied safety, as the focus of recovery. I am now in a phase of learning that is as intense as when I first began my training. Every client session is teaching me more about how I can integrate a bottom-up approach into my person-centred way of being. I think about it all the time. I've even started taking yoga classes!
To sum up, my private practice is changing, for both difficult and exciting reasons. I don't want to close it completely - at least not yet. I enjoy my client work too much for that. But I am scaling it back as much as I can, to reduce the pressure and uncertainty it creates. Meanwhile, I will be immersing myself in new ideas, developing my ability to be present both congruently and safely.
Below is a picture that I took in York on my birthday. It instantly reminds me of the contentment I felt in that moment. I hope it can serve as a reminder to cultivate that feeling going forward.
Thank you for reading. Take care of yourself!
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