When we hear the words therapy, psychotherapy, or counselling, a range of meanings and connotations comes to our mind. For many, these terms represent a means to address psychological and emotional distress, while others see them as forms of guidance and support for situational issues. In simple terms, to me therapy is a supportive intervention designed to improve mental health, facilitated by a trained therapist.
As therapists, we are here to support and guide our clients, help them navigate through challenging emotions and behavioural issues. But an important question arises: Can we, the ones who help our clients in stress awareness and stress management, experience stress as well? Yes, of course! Therapy is a work and it is normal to feel stressed about your work. Therapy involves deep meaningful work, but it comes with unique stressors that often go unrecognised. Today, I want to shed light on the sources of stress that therapists experience.
Let’s first talk about the challenge of providing a safe space; When I started my journey of becoming a therapist, one of the first key principles I learned was the importance of providing a safe space for clients. I did not know that space implies more than physical space, that the idea of space can be a person as well. For me when I started out one of the biggest stressors was to provide a safe space or rather help them experience safety while having a conversation with me. So as part of my introduction, I would tell Clients, “Consider this a safe space; feel free to share.” But I quickly realized that merely saying it wasn’t enough. Building true safety requires trust, consistency, and a deep level of empathy, which can sometimes feel overwhelming. I would often ask myself, Am I doing enough to make my clients feel safe? How can I tell if they genuinely feel comfortable?
This constant questioning and emotional investment lead to feelings of overwhelm.
Another significant stressor for therapists is managing client resistance. Clients may resist discussing difficult topics or confronting challenging feelings for a range of reasons. As therapists, we recognize and respect these boundaries. Yet, it can be challenging when clients seem not receptive to engaging with the therapeutic process.
This often leads to an internal conflict for us therapists: as we want to support our clients’ progress, but we must respect their pace and readiness. Imposing our own expectations on clients would be counterproductive and could harm the therapeutic relationship. Sometimes it feels like we want to help our clients grow but they are not helping themselves grow. This tension or dilemma between our desire to help and our need to respect clients’ boundaries becomes a persistent source of stress.
I am often taken aback by the risk of confrontation as therapeutic confrontation, even when approached gently, is an essential yet risky part of therapy. Addressing harmful patterns or encouraging clients to confront difficult realities involves cracking the right time and analysing client’s emotional readiness. Misjudging this can lead to setbacks in the therapeutic relationship.
The stress here lies in finding the balance: wanting to support clients in seeing their own patterns without pushing them too far or too soon. Seeing clients repeat self-defeating behaviours over sessions or stay in unhealthy environments becomes frustrating as you can’t intervene and impose your perceptions. Situations like these require us to maintain professional composure and empathy, while holding back personal feelings, causing friction and stress.
The last stressor I want to talk about is about the weight of high-risk situations/clients; Working with high-risk clients those dealing with suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or abuse brings an added level of responsibility. For therapists not specifically trained in crisis intervention, this responsibility can feel overwhelming. Some therapists hold themselves accountable for managing these situations ethically and ensuring the client’s safety. Therapists sometimes take on an enormous emotional burden, feeling responsible for future consequences.
In these cases, establishing and maintaining clear boundaries becomes critical yet challenging. The weight of high-stakes situations can become a significant source of stress and emotional exhaustion.
Therapy is emotionally and mentally intensive. It requires a balance of empathy, professional boundaries, and continuous self-reflection. For us as therapists, taking time to pause, reflect, and acknowledge the stressors in our practice is essential.