Being a therapist can be as exhausting as coal mining. Maintaining mental health practice at the top level is quite challenging, especially when you constantly deal with the trauma and sufferings of others. Let’s see how you can help yourself become a better expert and keep helping others.
When you make a step toward private practice, you have a vague idea about upcoming challenges. Routine tasks like creating a customer base, buying supplies, and billing documents can distract you from the main goal – improving your therapy skills to achieve better results.
Here’s what you should really pay attention to!
Online vs offline counseling
While the after-pandemic world encourages doing everything online, in-person sessions can be your competitive advantage. Yes, virtual therapy is more accessible for the majority of people, but it doesn’t provide a personal connection and privacy.
We recommend being flexible and adapting to the needs of a client. And though getting a permanent mental health office is expensive, there are solutions. On Wellerz platform you can easily find affordable psychotherapist office for rent, and pay only for the actual use of rooms and spaces. It will allow you to provide support face-to-face, which is essential for many people.
5 pillars of an effective mental health practice
Love for helping others and good listening is not enough to make a great therapist. There are many personal and professional traits that you need for a positive outcome – from setting the right boundaries to finding a mental health room where your client feels safe.
Here are 5 ways to improve your practice and develop a more professional attitude.
Rent a safe space for in-person sessions
Therapy via Zoom or Skype has been a thing for more than 2 years. However, some patients still prefer it the old-fashioned way – with a couch, box of tissues, and a calming hand of a counselor. Don’t turn your suffering and traumatized clients down if you prefer working online. Find on Wellerz an affordable mental health space with an hourly rate for your sessions. The most important advantages are that you can rent a therapy room near your client’s location and pay only for the time that you have used. Without any commitments, contracts with free cancellation.
There are such locations in Midtown Manhattan, which were created specifically for this purpose – to provide solitude and privacy for personal and group therapy. A sound-proof mental health office space for rent near the buzzing city center is the best option for seeking peace of mind.
Work on your body language
Non-verbal cues are crucial for understanding a patient’s true condition. Hand gestures, facial expressions, and body posture will reveal what a person truly wants to convey. Part of a therapist’s work is to decipher non-verbal information and pay attention to the smallest changes in position and eye movement.
Sadly, it’s impossible to catch these expressions during virtual therapy. Carefully ask a client if he supports the idea of face-to-face sessions. Use a simple phrase like “I feel that we’d make better progress if meeting personally. Do you want me to find mental health office space for rent near me?”. Don’t push your patient into it but explain the importance of such sessions.
Become free from judgments
As a counselor, you encounter hundreds of different people with unique personalities. Not all of them behave the way you approve. Not all of them make choices you agree with. It takes a lot of courage and strength not to be shaken or triggered by the information patients share but it’s a key moment to improve your mental health practice.
According to surveys, the fear of being judged is the main reason why people lie to their therapists. By showing your clients that you are on their side no matter what you create a strong relationship and make them more relaxed and open.
Get a supervisor
An important step in becoming a more qualified specialist is completing a certain number of supervision sessions. This is necessary to maintain ethical boundaries with your clients, expand your knowledge, focus on self-care, avoid burnout, and get ready for challenging cases.
Constantly educate yourself
Since the world and people living in it continue to grow and evolve, life-long learning is a crucial aspect for a therapist. Here are a few ideas:
- books;
- workshops and seminars;
- conferences;
- podcasts;
- online and university courses.
Physiology is a dynamic field and you should stay flexible and adapt to the changes in the world. Continuing education ensures that you stay up-to-date and provide the best services.
