URGENT HELP

RELATE
  • LEARN MORE
    • About Us
      • Our Mission
      • Dr. Chua Sook Ning
      • Partners and Advisors
      • In the Press
    • What Is Mental Health And Wellness?
      • Mental Health and Exercise
      • Mental Health and Nutrition
      • Building Resilience
        • Physical Resilience
        • Mental Resilience
        • Emotional Resilience
        • Emotional Resilience: Helping Your Child Build Emotional Resilience
        • Social Resilience
      • Early Warning Signs
    • Mental Health Laws & Guidelines Overview
      • What are your mental health rights in Malaysia?
      • Persons With Disabilities Act 2008
    • Mental Health Conditions
      • Anxiety
        • Anxiety Disorders: Introduction
        • What Causes Anxiety?
        • Getting Help for Anxiety
      • Bipolar
        • Bipolar: Introduction
        • What Causes Bipolar Disorder?
        • Getting Help for Bipolar Disorders
      • Depression
        • Depression: Introduction
        • What Causes Depression?
        • Getting Help for Depression
      • Eating Disorders
        • Eating Disorders: Introduction
        • What Causes Eating Disorders?
        • Getting Help for Eating Disorders
      • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
        • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Introduction
        • What Causes OCD?
        • Getting Help for OCD
      • Schizophrenia
        • Schizophrenia: Introduction
        • Getting Help for Schizophrenia
        • What Causes Schizophrenia?
    • Treatments For Mental Health Problems
      • Psychotherapyy
        • What is Psychotherapy ?
        • When To Consider Psychotherapy
        • What Happens In A Therapy Session?
        • Questions To Ask Your Therapist
      • Medication
        • Anti-Anxiety
        • Anti-Psychotics
        • Anti-Depressants
        • Mood Stabilizers
        • Stimulants
    • Think tank – We are Malaysia’s first mental health think-tank. Read more about our research and advocacy.
      • Projects
      • White papers
      • Brief reports
    • Articles
      • Opinion
      • Current Issues
      • Therapists’ Corner
      • Your Voice
  • DO MORE
    • Events
    • Events Calendar
  • GET HELP
    • Mental Health Check
      • Depression Test
      • Anxiety Test
    • Why Get Help?
    • First Steps to Getting Help
    • Relate Therapy
      • Sign Up for Relate Therapy
      • Sign Up: Group Therapy For Depression
      • Meet our team
      • Relate Therapy Internship
    • Public Hospitals and Private Clinics
      • Submit Your Practice
    • Suicide Prevention
      • Warning Signs
      • Myths about Suicide
      • Getting Help for Suicidal Thoughts
    • Where to get urgent help?
  • RELATE PODCAST
  • CONTACT
  • 0
    • LEARN MORE
      • About Us
        • Our Mission
        • Dr. Chua Sook Ning
        • Partners and Advisors
        • In the Press
      • What Is Mental Health And Wellness?
        • Mental Health and Exercise
        • Mental Health and Nutrition
        • Building Resilience
          • Physical Resilience
          • Mental Resilience
          • Emotional Resilience
          • Emotional Resilience: Helping Your Child Build Emotional Resilience
          • Social Resilience
        • Early Warning Signs
      • Mental Health Laws & Guidelines Overview
        • What are your mental health rights in Malaysia?
        • Persons With Disabilities Act 2008
      • Mental Health Conditions
        • Anxiety
          • Anxiety Disorders: Introduction
          • What Causes Anxiety?
          • Getting Help for Anxiety
        • Bipolar
          • Bipolar: Introduction
          • What Causes Bipolar Disorder?
          • Getting Help for Bipolar Disorders
        • Depression
          • Depression: Introduction
          • What Causes Depression?
          • Getting Help for Depression
        • Eating Disorders
          • Eating Disorders: Introduction
          • What Causes Eating Disorders?
          • Getting Help for Eating Disorders
        • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
          • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Introduction
          • What Causes OCD?
          • Getting Help for OCD
        • Schizophrenia
          • Schizophrenia: Introduction
          • Getting Help for Schizophrenia
          • What Causes Schizophrenia?
      • Treatments For Mental Health Problems
        • Psychotherapyy
          • What is Psychotherapy ?
          • When To Consider Psychotherapy
          • What Happens In A Therapy Session?
          • Questions To Ask Your Therapist
        • Medication
          • Anti-Anxiety
          • Anti-Psychotics
          • Anti-Depressants
          • Mood Stabilizers
          • Stimulants
      • Think tank – We are Malaysia’s first mental health think-tank. Read more about our research and advocacy.
        • Projects
        • White papers
        • Brief reports
      • Articles
        • Opinion
        • Current Issues
        • Therapists’ Corner
        • Your Voice
    • DO MORE
      • Events
      • Events Calendar
    • GET HELP
      • Mental Health Check
        • Depression Test
        • Anxiety Test
      • Why Get Help?
      • First Steps to Getting Help
      • Relate Therapy
        • Sign Up for Relate Therapy
        • Sign Up: Group Therapy For Depression
        • Meet our team
        • Relate Therapy Internship
      • Public Hospitals and Private Clinics
        • Submit Your Practice
      • Suicide Prevention
        • Warning Signs
        • Myths about Suicide
        • Getting Help for Suicidal Thoughts
      • Where to get urgent help?
    • RELATE PODCAST
    • CONTACT
    • 0

As a new therapist, I’m feel lost – what can I do?

July 16, 2023  |  By Sandy Clarke In Therapists' Corner

Question: As a new therapist, I find myself struggling with feelings of self-doubt and uncertainty about my abilities to provide effective therapyto my clients. Despite my training and education, I often feel like I don’t know what I’m doing, and I feel like I’m letting my clients down or that they could be better served by someone else.

Is this feeling of uncertainty and self-doubt is normal for new therapists? Do all therapists experiencing similar feelings? If so, how can I deal with these emotions and gain the confidence I need to provide the best possible care to my clients?

I would appreciate any advice or resources you can recommend to help me develop my skills and build my confidence as a therapist. I feel like I’m lost at sea and trying to find way while having to deal with other people’s struggles at the same time.

Response from Dr. Chua: It’s normal to feel self-doubt when you first start out. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to what you’re going through and your next steps depend on why you are feeling this way. You said you often feel like you don’t know what you’re doing and you feel you’re letting your clients down and they could be better served by someone else.

There are basically only two possibilities: your concerns are true or they’re not. Is it really true that none of your clients are making progress based on progress measures, or is this a feeling you have even though your clients are improving? Do you really have no idea about what you are doing, or do you have some ideas but you still feel uncertain? Do you really have no idea about what you are doing even when you are reflecting about the session?

If these concerns are true, you need more supervision and training. Your supervisor should listen to your sessions and go from moment-to-moment to understand what is happening during sessions and help you understand how to be more therapeutically effective in session. This training and guidance can be supplemented through readings and workshops.

If these concerns aren’t true, you’ll still benefit from ongoing supervision and training because you’re a new therapist. This is true for therapists at all levels of experience. You have a lot to learn and it’s hard to learn on your own.

In addition to further professional training, it would be useful for you to deal with these concerns in your own personal therapy sessions. These are personal issues that can get in the way of being an effective therapist and your own personal therapy can help you process and address any underlying issues and patterns that contribute to feelings of self-doubt.

—
Need to talk? Sign up for our therapy services here.
Keep in touch by clicking on the buttons below…

counselling training how can I improve as a therapist how to become a better therapist professional development why am I feeling lost as a therapist

Related Articles

  • What can I do when my client focuses on everyone except themselves?
  • My client doesn't talk much...what can I do?

0 Comments

Leave your comment Cancel Reply

(will not be shared)

May 2025
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Mar    

Recent Updates

  • Are you a lefty or righty when it comes to the brain?
  • Our brain is always ‘on’ – here’s how to support its health
  • How to create a psychologically rich life

CONTACT

    inquiries@relate.com.my

 

         

BE IN THE KNOW

Sign up to our newsletter to be informed on the latest events and activities. We hate spam ourselves, and will only email you ONCE a month at most.

SEARCH

© 2017- Relate Mental Health Malaysia Berhad (Reg: 1251126-M) | All Rights Reserved.

Loading...

RELATE

  • LEARN MORE
    • About Us
      • Our Mission
      • Dr. Chua Sook Ning
      • Partners and Advisors
      • In the Press
      • Back
    • What Is Mental Health And Wellness?
      • Mental Health and Exercise
      • Mental Health and Nutrition
      • Building Resilience
        • Physical Resilience
        • Mental Resilience
        • Emotional Resilience
        • Emotional Resilience: Helping Your Child Build Emotional Resilience
        • Social Resilience
        • Back
      • Early Warning Signs
      • Back
    • Mental Health Laws & Guidelines Overview
      • What are your mental health rights in Malaysia?
      • Persons With Disabilities Act 2008
      • Back
    • Mental Health Conditions
      • Anxiety
        • Anxiety Disorders: Introduction
        • What Causes Anxiety?
        • Getting Help for Anxiety
        • Back
      • Bipolar
        • Bipolar: Introduction
        • What Causes Bipolar Disorder?
        • Getting Help for Bipolar Disorders
        • Back
      • Depression
        • Depression: Introduction
        • What Causes Depression?
        • Getting Help for Depression
        • Back
      • Eating Disorders
        • Eating Disorders: Introduction
        • What Causes Eating Disorders?
        • Getting Help for Eating Disorders
        • Back
      • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
        • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Introduction
        • What Causes OCD?
        • Getting Help for OCD
        • Back
      • Schizophrenia
        • Schizophrenia: Introduction
        • Getting Help for Schizophrenia
        • What Causes Schizophrenia?
        • Back
      • Back
    • Treatments For Mental Health Problems
      • Psychotherapyy
        • What is Psychotherapy ?
        • When To Consider Psychotherapy
        • What Happens In A Therapy Session?
        • Questions To Ask Your Therapist
        • Back
      • Medication
        • Anti-Anxiety
        • Anti-Psychotics
        • Anti-Depressants
        • Mood Stabilizers
        • Stimulants
        • Back
      • Back
    • Think tank
      • Projects
      • White papers
      • Brief reports
      • Back
    • Articles
      • Opinion
      • Current Issues
      • Therapists’ Corner
      • Your Voice
      • Back
    • Back
  • DO MORE
    • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Back
  • GET HELP
    • Mental Health Check
      • Depression Test
      • Anxiety Test
      • Back
    • Why Get Help?
    • First Steps to Getting Help
    • Relate Therapy
      • Sign Up for Relate Therapy
      • Sign Up: Group Therapy For Depression
      • Meet our team
      • Relate Therapy Internship
      • Back
    • Public Hospitals and Private Clinics
      • Submit Your Practice
      • Back
    • Suicide Prevention
      • Warning Signs
      • Myths about Suicide
      • Getting Help for Suicidal Thoughts
      • Back
    • Where to get urgent help?
    • Back
  • RELATE PODCAST
  • CONTACT
  • Cart