Elizabeth Lombino

I’m going to make a bold statement – all social workers who conduct therapy need to be in therapy themselves.  I know this is a controversial topic.  There have been debates about this in workshops, supervision sessions, and classrooms around New Jersey and, I would imagine, around the country. Some feel it isn’t necessary.  Some feel it is imperative.

When I was in social work school, I had the opportunity to work with some seasoned and knowledgeable clinicians.  The ones who had the most to give, who were still happy in their work, and who seemed to be the most successful with their clients, were those who taught me the value of taking care of myself, including being in therapy.  

My clinical supervisor with whom I’ve been working with for the past 6 years told me from the start that we, as therapists, cannot do effective work if we are not working on ourselves.  Anytime I would present a case or discuss an issue that seemed to have deeper meaning for me, she would gently remind me to discuss this in my own therapy while giving me the tools to not let it effect the work I was doing with the client.

Many of us have non-clinical supervision and/or some additional opportunities for clinical discussions. This is not enough.  We need our own therapy.  We need more intensive clinical supervision that goes beyond case presentations and treatment planning.  We need ongoing support and strategies to take care of ourselves.  We need to look at our counter-transference, our stress management skills, and our self-care strategies.  We need Clinical for Clinicians.  Without this support, good clinicians can experience burnout and compassion fatigue.  Our profession needs great clinicians who are not suffering from these work hazards.

Many clinicians I know make this commitment to take care of themselves.  We receive our own therapy, form our own consultation groups, stay connected with our supervisors and colleagues, ask the hard questions of ourselves and seek to work through some of the challenges we face.  I am one clinician who has made this commitment.  I was in therapy during my social work school years and I have continued.  It is clear that I am not at my best if I am not working on my own issues.

It is important for social workers to be open and honest about the challenges of this profession, and to continue to learn and grow in the work we do.  The world around us is constantly changing and we need to be able to keep current and effective.  Only when we are aware of our own thoughts and feelings and learn to deal with them can we be fully present with our clients and assist them in being more productive members of society.

For more information on this issue, I welcome you to participate in my workshops at the NASW-NJ Annual Conference May 2-4 in Atlantic City, including Experiencing a Parallel Process: Using The Wellness Community Model in Working with Clients and Working on Ourselves and Building Self-Awareness Skills: A Fresh Look at Who We Are in the Work We Do. We can continue this conversation and share ideas and strategies to help us to be the most effective clinicians we can be.

Filed under: Compassion Fatigue, Consulting, Hope Notes, Presentations, Self-Care, Social Work, Strengths Perspective, Stress Reduction | 6 Comments »