Private Practice Development Session for Therapists

As well as being a counsellor. healer and family therapist I’m also a Clinical Supervisor supporting counsellors and supervisors in practice.

At the moment I have 4 supervisees who are all experiencing a lack of confidence in their practice with one of the four looking at setting up in private practice.

I invited the four of them to a two hour practice development healing session at my home to explore the issues, take them through a guided visualisation helping to become more of the practitioner they already are and explored the difference between not knowing enough and not yet trusting the knowledge, experience and therapeutic instinct that is already there.

✦ We looked at their confidence in clinical judgement, confidence in the way they worked and confidence in trusting what they noticed in their interactions with their clients as well as reflecting on how they felt they were responding.

My group gave responses such as “I’m much more confident when I’m talking about the client afterwards than I am in the actual session.” “I question whether I’m skilled enough to work independently.” “What if clients don’t come?” Oh and a classic statement “I think I’m waiting to feel completely ready before I start.”

✦ Rest assured these are very typical concerns and supervisees, when they’re given a safe space, will start to open up about their doubts. It’s only natural and it’s great that they felt confident to share in the group.

The group were on a roll at that point jotting down all their questions and doubts but we looked at the most relevant ones for now.

The group worked hard and I couldn’t have been prouder!!!

✦ The visualisation helped them to imagine opening the door to their own practice, welcoming their first client and noticing what they would need around them to feel prepared and comfortably themselves. The group really enjoyed this exercise and it helped them to reconsider what they think society expects from them.

So although clinical supervision covers caseloads this session helped them to see themselves more clearly as practitioners.

✦ I’d actually offered this practice development as a one off simply because I’d recognised 4 of my supervisees were facing similar challenges and it made sense to work with them together.

However it’s developed into arranging a second afternoon to continue their work on self confidence, visualisation for healing and getting comfortable being visible.

Raspberry, lemon & lime juice and lemon cake set the scene for a great afternoon!!

So much goes on in Juliet’s Healing Room!!! 🤎