"Therapist Drive: Storage Check"
Just like "Google Drive storage," we as therapists and trainee counsellors have "the therapist drive." It consists of client stories, bills to be made, session reports, case conceptualizations, client successes, and the constant wondering whether we're good enough…whether we're doing enough as a therapist or not. This is what's running through my head, and I'm just a trainee! So imagine what a therapist with 3-5 years of experience, or more, carries. While we love this job, we also carry its weight. Call it "baggage" if you want…because don't we all carry it? Good, bad, emotional, mental, or otherwise. So if you're a trainee or therapist currently dealing with "storage issues," let's clear some space together…and figure out what else we can do about it. Because we don't want to always be on "red alert," now do we?
Let's start with a little check-in on how we are feeling about our mental storage. Feel free to make a mental note on where you stand, so that you can work on yourself accordingly:
My client's stories have been affecting me a lot lately, even after work hours.
I have been worrying too much about invoices and billing procedures.
I have not been able to focus on my self-care needs while working.
My therapy sessions have been spilling over a lot lately.
I have been able to manage my timings somehow, but I'm still feeling tired by the end of the day.
A little sneak peek into my own mind: even though I, as a trainee, still have a fair amount of time before I start seeing clients myself, these thoughts keep running…be it with assignments, subjects, intervention learning, or life itself. My storage already seems to be beeping, and I feel I need a renewal…a new storage, a new space…before I even begin working. So let's get right into it!
So here are some ways to renew that storage, and whilst not getting too burnt out at the same time !
Empty Your Trash Folder:
Just like you'd regularly empty the trash on your drive so it doesn't pile up unnoticed, try doing the same with your mind. Put in all your thoughts, worries, tensions, and any triggers from your sessions…all into one trash folder (this could be your journal, a voice note app, venting to someone close, or even talking to yourself). In place of "permanently delete," use self-assurances and soothing activities, and within an hour or so, your trash folder will be cleared…neatly emptied out, or maybe never even needed again!
2. Seek Supervision:
I personally know therapists who still go to therapy themselves when they feel heavy, or just go regularly, alongside having regular supervision hours. Think of supervision as backing up your storage to someone else's drive too…you don't have to hold everything alone. So whether you're a fully working therapist or a trainee…whatever stage you're at, as long as you're actively seeing clients…always make sure to go back to your mentor or supervisor. It matters for your mental sanity, for navigating difficult cases, and for personal issues too. Always have at least one trusted supervisor in your corner! Trust me, I might not know much about relationships and finding the right person there…but I do know a thing or two about finding the right supervisors and mentors, who can take you a long way.
3.Update Your Status (Firmly):
Be it your WhatsApp status or an Instagram story, we're always so firm about what we want to post, when we want to post it, and how we want it to look. Keeping that same firmness in mind…and keeping "mental storage" in mind…make sure that from now on, while you're seeing clients, you don't overwork yourself as a therapist. Have a life outside of it too! Weekends are meant for fun and relaxation, and weekdays are meant for work…unless, of course, you want to pay overtime with your mental strength and sanity. So firmly fix your status.
4.Don't skip the software update:
We all hit "remind me later" on that update notification…until the system starts lagging. Don't do the same with yourself. That nagging feeling, the tiredness, the "I'll deal with it later"…that's your update notification. Stop postponing it. Restart, refresh, and actually install the update your mind has been asking for.
That was that, with this week's blog post! Hope you all found these "storage check" tips helpful. And with that, I shall see you in the next one. And psst… don't forget to check upon yourself and others around you too! They might also be in need of a mental storage check!
