October 10th, 2024

Coming Together Group: The Art of Looking After Ourselves

​As therapists and counsellors, we are very aware of the importance of looking after ourselves as part of looking after our clinical practice. We regularly encourage our clients to recognise their needs and take action in looking after ourselves on a daily basis. Yet, maintaining a consistent routine and practice, particularly when going through busy, stressful or more demanding periods, can be challenging for us. Despite knowing the importance of our own self-care, the things that support us can often get pushed aside, often at the time we need them the most.

knowing what supports our wellbeing, and consistently making space for it are two different things. our training and professional knowledge can only take us so far. As we know in our profession, the right support and relationships from others can make the whole difference. when work or life becomes demanding, routines or practices can feel more like shores on an already full list. 

Looking  after ourselves as part of our practice 

Therapeutic work can be deeply rewarding, but it can also be emotionally demanding. Over time, if we don't look after ourselves as the most important tool in our practice,  accumulated stress can leave us vulnerable to exhaustion, vicarious trauma and burnout, too common in our work.
Looking after ourselves is not something we do outside our professional lives, it needs to be a part of our practice. Our wellbeing and fitness to practice are crucial to maintain a safe, ethical and a sustainable practice.
Clinical supervision, personal therapy, supportive and meaningful relationships, appropriate boundaries and intentionally making space for ourselves are fundamental to the work we do.  

​ Why meeting regularly matters

I believe that, as with much of what we do in our work, supportive relationships can play an important part in this. Meeting regularly, sharing experiences and reflecting together in our professional lives can be an important part of looking after our professional selves.
Because of our confidentiality duty, much of our work is carried in isolation, there are few professions quite like this.  Coming Together Group offers a supportive community where therapists and counsellors can connect and be with others who understand the experiences and demands of our work.

What happens in the Coming Together Group?

Meeting online in small groups offers protected time to pause, reflect and share our experiences around a theme. Unlike clinical supervision, where the focus is primarily on our clinical work, this group focuses on us as therapists and our experiences and professional identity. It offers a space where we can reflect, discuss, and find both social and professional support, and gain a sense of belonging in our work, which can otherwise feel quite solitary.