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6 emotional care strategies for psychotherapists

6 emotional care strategies for psychotherapists

March 1, 2024

The work of psychotherapists is quite arduous , fatigante and especially loaded with varied emotions that are expressed within the consultation. For these reasons it is important to take care of yourself emotionally. Each therapist has different rituals to download all this content, but there are some that do not, especially those that take their first steps.

Ideally, you should know to identify when you are beginning to experience wear and tear because of this emotional flow caused by the interaction with patients. Do not worry, it's nothing unusual; In fact it is very common in psychotherapists who do not change their routine and keep in constant contact with their patients without breaks or vacations. To have regulated this phenomenon, what is desirable is to resort to strategies of self-regulation and emotional care , which implies maintaining a balance in what each psychotherapist feels after attending to several patients in a day, a week or a month continuously.


  • Related article: "8 tips for beginning psychologists"

Some emotional care strategies for psychotherapists

I will give you some examples of emotional self-regulation strategies that you can use as anchors or small "rituals".

1. Use emotional diary

A powerful tool that you can use every day is the emotional diary. In it you can write how you have felt, what emotions you experienced in each session and how you have dealt with them or how you would like to do it. This tool is very useful for those who like writing or drawing.

2. Notebook of positive memories

Positive thoughts are powerful, but they are more powerful when accompanied by images, especially if they are from an experience that evokes sensations and feelings of love, gratitude, joy, etc. You can prepare a notebook full of these memories and go to him when you feel this type of emotional conflict.


3. A break between sessions

When we are in the middle of a session many times we enter into a state of alert, especially if our patient goes into crisis. The sympathetic nervous system, in charge of survival, is activated in these cases in order to regulate the situation. Surely you have felt it; you have become nervous or nervous and have no idea what to do or say . For this reason at the end of the session, I recommend drinking a little water and taking a break of 10 to 15 minutes before receiving the next patient. This way you will give time for your nervous system to return to its normal state.

4. Mindfulness or full attention

The practice of mindfulness is very powerful. Do it at least 3 times a week, at the time you have available, will help you to be more aware of your emotions and to regulate them . In addition, I recommend several related practices: Vipassana Meditation, Tonglen or Metta bhavana.


  • Maybe you're interested: "What is Mindfulness? The 7 answers to your questions"

5. Look for supervision

When we serve a variety of patients, conflicting emotions make therapeutic precision lose . It is very useful to seek supervision with trusted colleagues, with whom you can share your concerns, feelings, concerns and feelings about your patients. In this way, it is prevented from being subjected by the accumulated emotional flow of conflict.

6. Betting on leisure activities

It sounds trite, but, perform activities that are not related to your clinical practice is one of the best strategies to take care of your emotional regulation and, of course, your health in general. Going for a run in the mornings, hiking in places that make you feel comfortable, going out with friends or family, going to the movies, singing, going to dance or zumba practices, going to the gym frequently or doing art, Many other activities, it serves as help.

The important thing is that you carry out activities that generate feelings and positive, rewarding and uplifting emotions for your life .


Grounding Techniques in Trauma Therapy - psychology & mental health with therapist Kati Morton (March 2024).


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