ABSTRACT
In Part II, I discussed how to change your outer environment and make it work for you. This section is about managing your internal world-your thoughts, your feelings, your body, yourself-so that you are a happy and effective therapist. To learn to navigate your inner world, the first step is to know yourself and keep yourself optimally functioning at all times. In psychotherapy, probably more than in any other profession, you are the instrument, and you need to keep that tool sharp, to tune it regularly and take care of it, not only to avoid your own burnout, but so that you can do your craft and be effective for your clients. Because so much of being a therapist depends on “being there” emotionally and being attuned to your own feelings and experiences, it is essential that you get a clear reading when you are conducting therapy, rather than one colored by fatigue, distractions, and distortions.
