Being a Private Practitioner has multiple dimensions to it and though it’s quite difficult to note it down in just one post, here are three things that made me a better Private Practitioner:
Don’t be too quick to judge other professionals:
We often focus on the horror stories shared by clients about the experiences they might have had in the past with other professionals such as how they might have felt judged or maybe their therapist was rude. The perspective I had to unlearn was that non-judgment must be practiced as much as possible, not only when it’s convenient.
A therapy room consists of multiple types of conversations and each therapist has their unique potential, if a client shares their experience with a professional which might be harsh, it’s okay, let it go. Acknowledge your client’s perspective but don’t be too quick to judge the professional too (This might not sit well with everyone), there are always multiple practices towards healing as well and therapy is much complex to have a simple right or wrong answer.
This learning led me to focus on my practice and I hope it helps someone who’s reading it.
You’re Not only a Therapist/Professional:
When you’re a private practitioner, your role expands from being a Mental Health Professional to much more., your responsibilities do increase. And, you wear multiple hats, such as an accountant, marketing personnel, or promoter. It is surely a challenge to navigate and therefore it is good practice to learn about these additional skills too.
More importantly, when you seek information from multiple sources it surely helps to broaden your knowledge of the same and you are more capable of creating your own unique solutions custom to your practice.
Don’t lose your Authentic Self:
Creating a unique and individual therapeutic space is essential to stand out amongst other professionals. Therefore, it is important to explore about yourself, what practices resonate most with you, and how you can use them in providing a holistic healing environment while upholding the ethical standards.
One tip I suggest to my students is, to spend time with themselves and explore their own thought processes as well as outcomes.
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