ABSTRACT
I have these words, which I saw on a sign during a trip to Canada, framed on my desk, serving as a constant reminder of the value of therapy in my own life and to treat my clients the way I would like to be treated if I were coming for help. I am apparently not the only practitioner who believes that having therapy oneself is crucial to conducting it. In a large national survey on therapist attitudes and practices, fully 80% of presenting psychotherapists had undergone personal therapy and felt that personal analysis was an essential prerequisite for competent clinical practice (Prochaska & Norcross, 1983). Some feel that seeing a psychotherapist should be a mandated requirement in graduate training and cite literature that this view is overwhelmingly supported by administrators of programs in professional psychology (Gilroy, Carroll, & Murra, 2002). Not only does psychotherapy provide a priceless training experience, it also helps therapists achieve a greater degree of emotional stability and mental health. Psychotherapy helps you know yourself and, in turn, benefits your client. Your own analysis is a worthwhile way to learn about your inner workings and keeps your main “instrument”—you-sharp. In this chapter, I will discuss further the importance of counseling for your own well-functioning and for that of people who come to you with their problems.
