The work of psychotherapists is quite arduous , tiring and above all loaded with varied emotions that are expressed within the consultation. For these reasons it is important to take care of yourself emotionally. Each therapist has different rituals for downloading all this content, but there are some who don’t, especially those who are taking their first steps.
Ideally, you should know how to identify when you are beginning to experience burnout due to this emotional flow caused by interaction with patients. Don’t worry, it’s nothing strange; In fact, it is very common for psychotherapists who do not change their routine and remain in continuous contact with their patients without breaks or vacations. To regulate this phenomenon, It is desirable to resort to self-regulation and emotional care strategies which involve maintaining a balance in what each psychotherapist feels after seeing several patients in a day, a week or a month continuously.
Some emotional care strategies for psychotherapists
I’ll give you some examples of emotional self-regulation strategies that you can use as anchors or small “rituals”.
1. Use an emotional journal
A powerful tool that you can use every day is the emotional diary. In it you can write how you felt, what emotions you experienced in each session and how you dealt with them or how you would like to do it. This tool is very useful for those who like writing or drawing.
Positive thoughts are powerful, but they are more so when they are accompanied by images, especially if they are of some experience that evokes sensations and feelings of love, gratitude, joy, etc. You can prepare a notebook full of these memories and turn to it when you feel this type of emotional conflict.
3. A break between sessions
When we are in the middle of a session we often go into a state of alert, especially if our patient goes into crisis. The sympathetic nervous system, responsible for survival, is activated in these cases to regulate the situation. Surely you have felt it; You have become nervous and you have no idea what to do or say. For this reason, at the end of the session, I recommend drinking a little water and taking a 10 to 15 minute break before receiving the next patient. This way you will give your nervous system time to return to its normal state.
4. Mindfulness or full attention
The practice of mindfulness is very powerful. Do it at least 3 times a week, during the time you have available, It will help you be more aware of your emotions and regulate them. Additionally, I recommend several related practices: Vipassana Meditation, Tonglen or Metta bhavana.
5. Seek supervision
When we care for a variety of patients, conflicting emotions cause loss of therapeutic precision. It is very useful to seek supervision with trusted colleagues, with whom you can share your concerns, sensations, worries and feelings about your patients. In this way we will be preventing ourselves from being subjugated by the accumulated conflictive emotional flow.
It sounds trite, but carrying out activities that are not related to your clinical practice is one of the best strategies to take care of your emotional regulation and, of course, your health in general. Go for a run in the morning, take walks in places that make you feel comfortable, go out partying with friends or family, go to the movies, sing, go to dance or Zumba practices, frequently go to the gym or do art, among others. many other activities, serves as help.
The important thing is that you carry out activities that generate positive, rewarding and edifying sensations and emotions for your life.
