When Starting Out Seems Impossible: An Open Letter to New Counsellors and Therapists

Hi, and welcome back and if this is your first visit, welcome aboard. It's really great to have you here. Now, just before I start, I just want to say I've got horrible cough and cold. So if I found a bit croy and a bit rough, then you'll know why. So just ignore that. Okay? So now as a new counsellor or therapist, I know that the idea of starting your own practice could be really daunting.

You know, it's, it's not in the slightest bit uncommon is it to feel anxious or apprehensive and even really fearful about taking this step. You know, I hear a lot of new counselors and therapists talking about anxiety, apprehension, trepidation when it comes to starting in practice. So do you ever feel like that?

And if you do, look, I really do get it. I've been through it. You know, I was in private practice myself for 14 years and I've been there, and to be honest, I revisit some of those fears many times over. You know, it's not a once and done thing because these things keep popping up to bite me on the bomb from time to time, which is completely annoying, but also pretty normal, I'd say.

So. You know, if you are a new therapist about to start in private practice, there are a lot of fears that could be spooking around in your head. You know, could be fear of the unknown, so maybe, maybe you haven't worked for yourself before. No. Maybe you've always had a paid employment and the thought of working for yourself, it's a whole new way of working, and you don't even know what that might even look like.

You know, you've got no idea what that's like and what you have to do. You might have a fear of not being good enough. You know, this is classic imposter syndrome and just because this is something that we're all aware of, we all know about imposter syndrome, doesn't make it any harder to work through.

It can still be an absolutely massive stumbling block. So yeah, imposter syndrome, that can, that can take us off course, can't it? Maybe. Maybe you've got a fear of failure. You know, maybe you think to yourself, look, can I even do this? And if it all goes horribly wrong, I'm gonna be publicly humiliated.

And what are my friends and family gonna think? You know, what's my, I. Critical uncle gonna do? Is he gonna laugh at me at the family Christmases? You know, there's does that can go on in the back of my mind. All those little, I say little, it's, it's not little at all if you've got that worry there and you know, these are things that can just be spooking around in our head.

Maybe you've got a fear of not attracting clients. Maybe you think, well, why would somebody come to me? Why would anybody choose me when there are so many other counselors that are better qualified, that have got more experience, that are just gonna be better? You know? Are you telling yourself that?

Well, maybe you've got a fear of letting down your clients and disappointing them. You know, maybe you've got a fear that somebody does choose you and they come to you for therapy and you realize that. You can't help them. You don't know what to do, and you freeze up. Maybe you've got a fear of that. I mean, that's the real fear and that can really stop you from putting yourself out there.

Or maybe you were really worried about being overwhelmed. You know, when you're starting practice, there's so many new things to do. You know, there's setting up your private practice, there's doing things like working out your accounts, social media, website, niche.

All of those things. You know, you might be thinking, well how on earth can I learn all of those new things? You know, I've already got plenty of things in my life to do. How can I possibly learn all of those things? Now, if you are worried about that, you may or may not know that I run the Grow Your Private Practice membership, and we actually, I'll walk you through all of those things.

So if you are worried about getting overwhelmed, I'd just like to say, There is help out there, there's affordable help out there to help you. And so just take a look at the Grow Your Private Practice membership and you know, I'm there to help you, but yeah, being overwhelmed is something that it's pretty normal.

Most people go through that at some time or other. And again, in the membership we do talk about how, how you can help to get rid of some of that overwhelm as well. Something else that's quite, Quite an interesting one is a fear of being successful. Now I think we can all understand a fear of failure, but there, there's, it sort of, there's, its, you know, distant cousin, which is the, it's not a distant cousin.

It's more like an evil twin, isn't it? The fear of being successful, a feeling that I'm gonna be successful, it's gonna be too much. I'm not gonna be able to cope with it. I'm gonna have too much to do. People are gonna want too much from me. So, you know, it might be that you have that. And I, I have actually done a podcast all about that, so it might be, I'll put a link to that in the show notes so you can go and check it out, because that's something that's a really strange fear. It's, it's, it sounds counterintuitive, but if you have a fear of being successful for whatever reason, that can hold you back.

You might have a, have a fear of getting it wrong. You know, you might think to yourself, well, what if I manage to really mess up? And what if somebody complains? You know, what if I get into trouble in some way? What if I mess up my tax and the tax people come round? That's terrifying. You know? So that's, that's quite a common fear, isn't it?

I mean, is that something that you worry about? Well, if you, if you do, I'm right there with you. It's horrible, isn't it? Really horrible. Maybe have a fear of not being taken seriously. You know, maybe you grew up with people that didn't take you seriously and kind of poo-pooed the things that you did, and kind of just thought it was just, you know, just a silly little thing that you were starting to do.

So, you know, if you have a fear of not being taken seriously, then that can sort of. Come out, you might be worried that people won't take you seriously. And after all, if you are new, inexperienced, you might think to yourself, well, why would people listen to me? Why would people choose me? Maybe you've got a fear of being disappointed.

You know, maybe you've are worried that you're gonna be disappointed, that this exciting new career that you've gone into and you love and you feel passionately about and you do nothing but you know, read counseling books and you know, you just love it. What happens if you can't do it? What if this is a career that isn't gonna work for you?

Of course you're gonna feel fearful of that. Or maybe you've got a fear of being criticized. I had this, I had an, uh, an extremely critical dad, and he was very critical. My first supervisor, the very first supervisor that I had was critical and. To the point that I almost gave up. I mean, literally the only reason I didn't give up was because a, a counseling friend of mine said, look, come to my supervisor and see how different it is. So yeah, the fear of, if you are somebody who's been criticized in the past, the thought of being criticized can be, again, quite crippling.

So, yeah, you know, sorry, that was a bit yucky, wasn't it? That was all a bit horrendous. Like, so just laying out all of those big, horrible, yucky fears. So sorry about that. But you know, sometimes going toe to toe with your fears and really being aware of them is needed. It's necessary because if you don't know what you are worried about, if you don't know these things, then you are going to be more susceptible to self-sabotage. And self-sabotage is when we put blocks in front of ourselves without our own knowledge and self-sabotage can stop you in your tracks.

I think the important thing to remember is that you are not in any way, shape, or form alone in feeling like this. You know, many, many others have gone through this process, but have come out of the other side stronger and more successful. So I just want to let you know that, you know, it's really, really important to acknowledge these fears. Like I say, if you don't acknowledge your fears, then you run the risk of self-sabotaging yourself. So just really look at the fears that you have and acknowledge that these are. Their valid fears. You know, starting in a private practice is a big step and it's natural to feel overwhelmed.

However, it's important not to let these fears hold you back. You've put in the time, the effort and the money to become a trained counselor or therapist and. You know, if I know you, which of course I dunno if I do, but, but I bet you that you are a really passionate person, really passionate about helping people and making a difference to their lives.

So what if you could work through these fears? You know, what if you discovered that actually you are good enough? You know what, if you discovered that? You are going to be successful. You know what if in a couple of years time you realize that, hey, look, I'm doing it. I am successful. I'm serving my clients and I'm helping them to change their lives.

So the better. How would that feel? And what if this is what you are meant to do? What if this is the thing that you are meant for and it becomes the best thing that you ever did in your life? I mean, what if this was the making of you? And what if you can earn a good living by doing the thing that you feel so passionately about?

I mean, how would that feel? What if you went on to help hundreds of people? And what if the work that you do meant that you actually save lives? So many people die through suicide. Counselors are there preempting that and helping people so it doesn't get to that. So what if you can change this dream into reality?

These are important questions to ask yourself. You know, it's is really important to remember that you have a choice. You know, you can let fear control you, or you can trust in your own abilities and take the necessary steps to start your private practice. The reality is that you can do this. You really can, you have the skills, knowledge, and passion to really make a difference, not only in other people's lives, but in your own life as well.

How would it feel, you know, in 10 years time when you've got a lovely, thriving private practice? That would feel good, wouldn't it? You know, starting a private practice may seem daunting, but you know, come on, starting anything new is, but it's also exciting. It's an exciting opportunity for growth and for success. You know, it's a chance for you to take control of your career and make a difference in the world.

So look, please, please don't let fear hold you back from reaching your full potential. Embrace the challenges that lie ahead because that's how you learn and trust that you have what it takes to succeed. I believe in you. Maybe you can practice that too. So look, you're not alone in feeling apprehensive about starting your own private practice, but you know, with work, with determination and with a willingness to face your fears head on, you can achieve your goals, and you can make a positive impact into the world and into your own life.

So look, take that first step, practice believing in yourself. Practice knowing that you are going to be okay, and practice understanding that you are capable of great things. Okay, it's just a short one today I'm gonna go now and have a, a hot tody or something.

Thank you so much for listening to the Grow Your Private Practice Show. If you are looking for some additional free resources to help you to grow your private practice, be sure to check out my website. You know, my website is Jane Travis. Co uk I've got a variety of free resources available that you can download and use today.

So simply head on over to James travis co uk slash start here and see what's available for you. And as an added bonus, you'll be added to my email list, which means I'll send you helpful tips and strategies to grow your private practice. But look, don't worry, I promise not to spam you.

Okay, so that's it for this week. I hope you found that really useful. And if you have and you've got counseling friends, be a friend and share it with them and I shall look forward to seeing you again next week. You take care. Bye.