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.
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