Therapist: Can You See YOU?
Have you ever lost yourself (in a bad way) in EFT?
You’re in session, and you have no authentic voice, no heart and no real presence. You’re emulating something else while your mind is running a million miles a minute. You can’t keep up.
Maybe this is for baby therapists - and it doesn’t resonate with you. Or maybe this is for seasoned therapists trying something new. Or maybe it’s for those of us that are just tired.
Wherever you are - I want to help you find your way back to you.
Let’s do a little exercise together. Like, really. Stop what you’re doing, and do this with me.
Think of a time in session when you felt alive. You felt yourself, and you could tell your client felt seen and heard.
Slow that moment down. Close your eyes.
As you see yourself back then, what do you feel on the inside right now?
Stay with it.
Can you see you? In your therapy chair? In your office?
In that memory I bet you’re not thinking about yourself - you’re in flow.
What’s an image that describes this feeling? This version of you as a therapist?
This is you. You are a beautiful therapist who has always just wanted to help people find their way back to themselves.
Sometimes we have to find our way back too.
I did this exercise with someone on my team.
His image was so beautiful. He’s an avid movie watcher. He could see himself sitting next to his client, watching the film of the client’s life projected onto a big screen. They share a remote. He is curious and open. He is emotionally engaged and in close proximity - right next to the client, not ahead and not behind.
Sometimes he pauses the scene and asks if they can stay in it. Sometimes in the harder bits, he stops the movie and turns toward the client to offer support and validation before they go back to the story. He is both a witness and a facilitator.
What’s your image? What can you hold close in your mind's eye when you need reminding of who you are as a therapist?
Stay the course in this beautiful, challenging and rewarding work!