Ask the therapist: “Have you had sessions in this work yourself?”

The theme that arose a bit this past month from a number of people and therapists that I have been talking to has been about the well known fact that the best therapists are normally the ones that have had a major problem/health issue that they healed in themselves before becoming therapists.

Why is that?

My three reasons:

1/ The therapist has been in your shoes. They have been a client and have sat in that other chair and know what it is like. So there is a greater empathy and care. The therapist doesn’t ‘look down’ on the client.  The relationship is more equal.

2/ The therapist believes in the work they trained in, because it helped heal them. So there is a high confidence that ‘you too can be helped’. It’s not just theory. They ‘know’ it can help the client. And many clients certainly need some hope that they can get better. It rubs off easier when the confidence is real.

3/ The therapist healing themselves most likely means that they have received an adequate number of personal  therapy sessions. Which means they are more clearer, less reactive and calmer when working with people. And the client feels that. The client tends to feel safer in the therapist’s presence. The technical work can be performed with more professionalism and care.

So it is always a good question to ask a therapist you are interviewing on the phone or in person: “Have you had session in this work yourself?”

The answer is a definite yes for me. And (surprise surprise) the work helped me so much that I decided to change careers completely and become a Body Psychotherapist. Originally I was a qualified accountant (with a University Honours Degree in Economics). I worked as a computer programmer /IT consultant for 12 years (in my 20’s) before switching, (saw my first client just before my 30th birthday.)  I was a client myself for about 500 sessions in Radix Body Psychotherapy. Plus many sessions in other body based therapies too. Amazing work. Completely transforming.

I also did the P.S.H. Therapy early on in my P.S.H. Therapy two year training. That had a remarkable effect also (See my story on my website My personal Story).

Now each year I am wise enough to see a body based therapist for a number of session (normally 3 to 10) to help maintain and improve things further. So nothing is allowed to ‘stick’ for too long. In the sessions I always discover something I had been carrying/holding onto that was weighing me down that I didn’t realise was there. Doing such maintenance work actually helps me feel better every year. Lighter, freer, calmer, happier.