Resources
Looking after yourself as a practitioner
We ask clients to be gentle with themselves. We are often much slower to offer ourselves the same care.
Counselling is meaningful work, and it is demanding work. We sit with grief, trauma, fear and despair, often several times a day, and we carry some of it home whether we mean to or not. Many of us came into this field because we care deeply, and that same care can leave us running on empty.
Self-care for practitioners is not a luxury, and it is not a bubble bath at the end of a hard week. It is an ethical responsibility. We cannot offer clients a steady, attuned presence if we are depleted ourselves.
Recognising the signs
Burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma tend to creep in gradually. It can help to notice early signs such as:
- dreading sessions, or feeling relief when a client cancels
- feeling numb, detached or cynical about clients or the work
- finding it hard to switch off, or thinking about clients late at night
- irritability, exhaustion, or poor sleep
- intrusive images or thoughts from clients’ stories
- pulling away from friends, family or things you used to enjoy
- a creeping sense that nothing you do makes a difference
None of these mean you are not good at your work. They mean you are human, and doing hard work. They are a signal to pause and look after yourself.
Supervision is not optional
Good supervision is one of the strongest protections we have. It is a place to make sense of difficult cases, notice what is being stirred up in us, and check our blind spots. It is not a sign of struggling. It is part of ethical, sustainable practice.
It is worth asking yourself honestly whether your current supervision feels safe enough to bring what is actually happening, not the tidied-up version. If it does not, it may be time to look for a different fit.
Everyday practices that help
- Build in transitions. A few minutes between clients to breathe, stretch, have a drink of water or step outside. Leave space rather than booking back to back.
- Create an end-of-day ritual. Writing notes, washing your hands, changing clothes or a short walk can mark the shift from work to home.
- Protect your caseload. Notice how many high-intensity clients you are holding at once, and balance where you can.
- Keep firm working hours, and resist the pull to answer messages late at night.
- Stay connected with peers. Peer consultation, professional networks and colleagues who understand the work reduce isolation, especially in private practice.
- Look after the basics: sleep, movement, nourishing food, time outdoors. They sound simple, and they matter.
- Have a life beyond the work. Hobbies, creativity, rest and relationships that have nothing to do with counselling.
If you work in private practice
Sole practitioners often carry everything alone: the clinical work, the business, the admin and the worry. A few things can lighten that load:
- regular supervision, and a peer group or consultation network
- clear policies for fees, cancellations and contact between sessions, so you are not renegotiating boundaries every week
- a plan for leave, so you actually take it
- a professional will, so that you know your clients would be looked after if you could not work
- your own counselling, whenever you need it
Seeing your own counsellor
Many practitioners have their own counselling at different points in their careers. It is one of the most useful things we can do for ourselves and our clients, and there is nothing unusual or shameful about it.
A gentle reminder
You do not have to be endlessly available, or completely unaffected, to be a good practitioner. Looking after yourself is not selfish. It is what allows you to keep doing work that matters, for years to come.
This article is general information and isn't a substitute for professional advice or supervision.
Looking for supportive supervision?
I offer individual and group supervision for counsellors and mental health practitioners, in person and online.