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The Self-Discovery Guide for Getting more Clients

Reset and overcome any emotional patterns that may have developed through client work. Work through these 6 modules to gain insight into how client work has impacted your mindset, beliefs, and effectiveness in gaining clients and helping clients succeed. By allowing yourself time to explore your own emotional health and well-being, you’ll boost both your productivity and success, as well as that of your clients.

 

As therapists, the unique emotional and psychological demands of our profession can sometimes block what we’re trying to acheive with our clients. The work we do requires constant emotional regulation, deep empathy, and managing the complexities of human behavior, but sometimes these very responsibilities create blocks we’re not aware of.

 

Let’s explore a few examples of how these blocks might show up for you as a therapist:

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What if you're hesitant to take on a new case or expand your practice because part of you fears that more responsibility will lead to emotional burnout?

 

What if you avoid certain tasks because of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or fear that your interventions might not be as effective as you’d hoped?

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What if you're putting off paperwork, notes or courses you've signed up for, because you’re emotionally drained from a tough session or compassion fatigue?

 

What if the deep emotional connections with clients (such as transference or countertransference) leave you conflicted, creating internal resistance to fully engage in certain activities?

 

These problems can often be tied to deeper psychological patterns that have developed without us noticing, many of which we see in our clients. But as therapists, we can also struggle with the same internal conflicts. We might judge ourselves harshly, or believe we “should” have better control over these feelings because of our training. However, the pressures we face in managing compassion fatigue, emotional burnout, and the constant navigation of therapeutic boundaries are real and challenging. What starts as a feeling of unease can develop into a position of stickiness that holds you back from doing what neeeds to be done, to get new clients and the desire to do their sessions. 

 

Emotional Blocks

Emotional blocks can develop when a new feeling surfaces. As therapists, this can relate to feeling overwhelmed by client notes, the weight of emotional labor, or fear of making mistakes with clients. These feelings might stem from being out of alignment with your own emotional needs, underlying beliefs about your adequacy as a therapist, or fear of professional vulnerability.

 

Judgment or Overwhelm - secondary blocks

When we think we shouldn’t feel this way as therapist, we often compound the issue with self-judgment. "Why can't I handle this better?" or "How can I support clients if I can't manage my own emotions?” This judgment leads to increased feelings of inadequacy, which further fuels the cycle.

 

Stalemate

We become stuck in a stalemate: not wanting to face the uncomfortable emotions while also thinking we should have got over that ages ago. This can occur when trying to balance the deep emotional work of therapy with your own life events and circumstances.

 

Placater

To cope, we might find ourselves engaging in comforting distractions—watching videos, organizing files that don’t really need organizing, signing up to another course or scrolling social media. While this brings temporary relief, it leads to more self-criticism later and what we want to achieve getting put on the back burner. So, instead of addressing it, you skirt around the issue. You, the therapist, become the client and the counselor in this situation, but it’s difficult to see blind spots by yourself. Until you identify and remove the underlying emotion or belief that needs attention, the cycle will continue.

 

Listening to Block Signals

Sometimes, discovering blocks can be a sign that you need a break. As therapists, we are constantly giving emotionally, and it can take a toll. Compassion fatigue and emotional burnout are real risks in this profession. When you find yourself struggling with something in your professional life, it could be your mind and body’s way of telling you that it’s time to slow down. Learn to listen for this signal. Close your eyes, take a moment to breathe, and ask yourself what you really need. This course will help you develop that self-awareness further and tackle the blocks now, increasing your success and theirs now and in the future. Increasing your likelihood of being able to continue to earn a living from therapy work. The key to overcoming blocks lies in first identifying them and then removing them, one by one.

 

For therapists, these blocks may be deeply tied to:

 

Emotional Burnout:

Not achieving what you want for your clients might occur because you're emotionally drained and need to recover before tackling tasks.

 

Compassion Fatigue:

You might avoid certain responsibilities because your emotional reserves are low after giving so much to your clients.

 

Transference/Countertransference:

Emotional entanglements with clients might create internal conflicts that manifest as procrastination.

 

Imposter Syndrome: Feelings of inadequacy or self-doubt might cause you to avoid tasks that require self-assessment such as supervision, case reviews or asking clients for feedback and reviews. 

 

Perfectionism:

You might delay tasks because you feel they need to be done perfectly. Whether it’s writing detailed client notes or keeping up with your social media accounts or website.

 

By addressing these deeper emotional issues, each block can be removed, allowing you to approach your client sessions with greater ease and self-compassion.

 

Be Kind to Yourself

Therapists are often their harshest critics, expecting themselves to have all the answers. As you move through this course, remember to extend yourself the same kindness you offer your clients. This journey is about progress, not perfection. Some modules will resonate deeply, while others may take more time to process. That’s okay. Every therapist’s journey is unique.

 

Negative Emotions as Signals

As you work through the modules, keep in mind that the emotional and psychological challenges you face, burnout, compassion fatigue, imposter syndrome, are natural parts of being a therapist. Having negative emotions about your work is not a personal failure, but a signal that something deeper is asking for your attention. By addressing these underlying blocks, you’ll find not only relief from being held back, but also greater resilience in your therapeutic work and a greater ease of getting clients.

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Support Techniques

 

Here’s the link to 3 video techniques that are going to support you as you work through this course. You can use them at any time during the process.

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The PASSWORD for the support videos is

SUPPORTVIDEOS

 

Spin a Feeling - can be used to reduce intense feelings and to discover a different way of feeling. It can also help access other resources that can help you handle the feelings. (I’m an email away if you need me)

 

Ask Yourself - helps you access new information that you haven’t noticed before.

 

Anchor a positive feeling - strengthens positive feelings by repetition.​​​​​​​​​

Beliefs

As a therapist, you dedicate your life to helping others navigate their emotional and psychological landscapes, but what about your own? When studying to become a therapist, we are working on our own emotions, but we forget to explore our own position now ourselves as paid therapists, especially if we’re self emplowed with no supervisor. What happens when you face burnout, compassion fatigue, or imposter syndrome? Like anyone, you may fall into patterns of self-doubt and limiting beliefs, leading to reduced success rates.

 

These internal narratives can create a cycle of avoidance, especially when paired with the emotional toll that therapy work often takes.

 

Think about it: If you were to tell me a story about your life as a therapist, who would you say is writing that story?

 

You know you're in the driver’s seat, yet, like everyone else, you’ve probably deleted, distorted, and generalized your experiences to make sense of the overwhelming information that comes at you through your senses each day. While these cognitive shortcuts help manage the load, they can also skew your perception of yourself and your abilities.

 

Imagine a scenario from your career where you encountered a challenging client, and a little voice inside your head said, “I’m not good enough to help them.” That thought becomes a file in your mind labeled "I’m not enough," filled with evidence to reinforce that belief. Meanwhile, the "I am good enough" file gets tucked away, seldom revisited. You compare these mental files rarely, focusing instead on our perceived shortcomings.

 

Now, every time you face a difficult session or an overwhelming task, you instinctively open the "I’m not enough" file, which triggers an emotional response - perhaps anxiety, fear of failure, or the feelings that develop with imposter syndrome. In response, your mind tries to protect you from opening up new emotions by opening the “It’s ok, just carry on believing you’re not enough" file, choosing to avoid the emotion. And just like that, you’ve reinforced the belief that you’re not good enough.

It’s time to stop reinforcing that belief.

 

Let’s take a closer look at that mental file and explore what it’s been hiding. Are you ready?

 

(Note: This course includes free group Zoom sessions, so if you’d prefer to walk through this process with guidance, feel free to join a call.)

 

Recognizing Limiting Beliefs in Therapy Work

You know that beliefs shape your actions, which has a knock on effect on your clients, but it may not occur to you to stop this cycle, because you’re too busy getting the job done.

 

The first step is awareness. As therapists, you're trained to observe patterns in your clients’ behaviors. But what about your own patterns? What limiting beliefs have you internalized, and what long-term effects are they having on your career and emotional well-being?

 

Here’s a list of limiting beliefs that could contribute to blocks in your work as a therapist. Take a few days to reflect on these and add your own. How do these beliefs affect what you really want out of your career and personal life? Can you continue to serve your clients and yourself while holding on to these beliefs, or is it time for a shift?

 

Beliefs that Could Be Causing Blocks

 

Therapist-Related Burnout & Compassion Fatigue:

Belief #1: If I don’t give 100% to every client, I’m failing them.

Belief #2: I take on my clients’ emotional pain to understand them, so I can’t step back.

Belief #3: If I admit I’m struggling, I’m a hypocrite as a therapist.

Belief #4: I should always have the right answers; if I don’t, I’m inadequate.

Belief #5: I don’t deserve to rest when there are people who need me.

 

Transference and Emotional Boundaries:

Belief #6: If I set boundaries, my clients will feel abandoned or rejected.

Belief #7: I should always be available to my clients, even outside of sessions.

Belief #8: If my client isn’t improving, I’m failing as a therapist.

Belief #9: My personal emotions should never interfere with my professional work, so I can’t acknowledge them.

Belief #10: Feeling drained by my clients means I’m not cut out for this work.

 

Professional Growth and Development:

Belief #11: I’m not as competent as my colleagues, so I shouldn’t take on new challenges.

Belief #12: I need to be fully certified in a technique before I can use it with a client.

Belief #13: If I try a new approach and it doesn’t work, I’ll lose credibility.

Belief #14: I’m too busy to focus on my own continuing education and self-care.

Belief #15: Self-care feels selfish when there are clients depending on me.

 

Emotional Burnout and Self-Care:

Belief #16: I can’t explore my feelings or the emotional weight will overwhelm me.

Belief #17: If I stop for self-care, it’s admitting I’m not strong enough to handle it.

Belief #18: I need to prove that I’m resilient, even if it means pushing myself to exhaustion.

Belief #19: My personal wellbeing isn’t as important as the work I do for others.

Belief #20: Resting means I’m not working hard enough to be successful.

 

As therapists, you are experts in helping others challenge their limiting beliefs. But, you too are susceptible to the subtle narratives that can lead to professsional blocks. By taking the time to identify and challenge these beliefs, you can not only free yourself from these blocks, but also model a healthier mindset for your clients.

 

Challenge and Reframe your Beliefs:

I’m sure you’ve heard of Newton's Law? For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The same goes for beliefs. If one belief is true, then its opposite must also hold some truth. And there will be loads of examples of the opposite beleifs in your memory banks. But how often do you check your beliefs about yourself as a therapist. Use the beliefs you’ve uncovered and have a go.

 

For example:"I believe I will burn out" must also mean "I believe I can recover and thrive." "I’m not good enough for this client" can be flipped into "I am good enough."

 

Look back at your life and career. Find several pieces of evidence that reinforces the opposite belief. Reflect on moments where you’ve succeeded in helping clients, even during times of doubt. Ask your subconscious mind, just before you fall asleep, to bring those moments to the surface. Over time, you’ll begin to balance the scales between limiting beliefs and empowering truths.

 

Deletions / Distortions / Generalisations:

What positive / oppostie beliefs about your role as a therapist have you deleted?

What positive / oppostie beliefs about your role as a therapist have you distorted?

What positive / oppostie beliefs about your role as a therapist have you generalised?

How do these beliefs contribute to emotional burnout, procrastination, or compassion fatigue?

 

Can you shift these beliefs to be more compassionate and realistic, by searching for memory evidence?

 

Final Thoughts on Beliefs

As a therapist, self-reflection and personal growth are ongoing processes. This course is designed not only to help you with blocks but also to address the emotional and psychological challenges that come with the profession. You are not alone in facing compassion fatigue, burnout, or imposter syndrome. Acknowledge these challenges and work through them, just as you would guide your clients.

 

Remember, this course includes free group Zoom calls. If any of this feels difficult or overwhelming, feel free to reach out. You don’t have to do it alone.

Alignment

Alignment for Therapists: Overcoming Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Emotional Conflicts

 

Alignment and Your Role as a Therapist

As a therapist, alignment between your beliefs, values, and actions is essential for sustaining both your well-being and professional effectiveness. Emotional burnout, compassion fatigue, and the mental toll of transference often arise when the demands of your work, conflict with your personal values or emotional needs. When your actions are out of sync with what’s important to you, you may feel drained, lost, or demotivated, even though you are deeply committed to your clients.

This sense of misalignment might show up as emotional exhaustion, difficulty setting boundaries, or an inability to stay present in sessions. In such cases, your mind and body are signaling that something is out of balance.

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Let’s explore how listening to and aligning your head, heart, and gut can restore your energy, motivation, and sense of purpose in your therapy work. By becoming more aligned, you can reconnect with the reasons you became a therapist in the first place—helping others while maintaining your own emotional well-being.

 

Motivational Forces in Therapy Work

As therapists, you navigate different motivational forces. The passion for helping others, the professional rewards of seeing clients improve, and the challenges of maintaining your own emotional boundaries. However, when compassion fatigue or burnout sets in, these motivating forces can diminish, leading to procrastination, frustration, and emotional depletion.

Here we consider three primary motivational forces:

  1. Passion: Your internal drive and intrinsic joy in helping others.

  2. External Rewards: Recognition, compensation, or professional validation.

  3. Avoidance: The need to escape emotional exhaustion or a fear of failure.​

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When you're aligned, the intrinsic joy and passion for your work can carry you through difficult sessions and emotional challenges. But if you're primarily driven by avoidance—trying to escape burnout or constantly working out of fear of letting clients down—procrastination and emotional fatigue can take over.

 

Recognizing Misalignment and Emotional Strain

As therapists, you are constantly balancing the needs of your clients with your own emotional reserves. Misalignment occurs when:

  • Compassion Fatigue: You feel emotionally drained from taking on your clients’ pain, leading to a loss of empathy or an emotional shutdown.

  • Burnout: You experience prolonged emotional exhaustion, causing you to lose interest or feel disengaged from your work.

  • Transference/Countertransference: Emotional boundaries blur, and you begin to internalize or reflect clients' emotions, creating inner conflict.​

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If you’re procrastinating or avoiding important tasks—such as preparing for sessions, doing paperwork, or even engaging in self-care, it could be a sign that your emotional reserves are depleted and that your actions are not aligned with your values or needs.

 

Aligning Your Head, Heart, and Gut: A Therapeutic Approach

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Imagine that your Head, Heart, and Gut are three advisors in a meeting room, each with a unique perspective on how to approach your work. You’re the neutral party overseeing this conversation, and it’s your job to ensure they all work together.

 

Read the technique all the way through before doing it. 

 

To be in alignment means to listen to our head, heart and gut and follow them. But how do we do that? 

 

Each has a different job to do. Mr Head, Mrs Heart and Miss Gut. Imagine them as people in a room. There’s 4 chairs, one is for you to sit in. You're a neutral party over seeing the 3 people. 

 

It’s your job to be kind to each person, as we don’t like conflict, so it can be a bit uncomfortable to do this. When it gets uncomfortable Mr Head starts blaming and Mrs Heart becomes confused. But you’re there to offer compassion and support.

 

Mr Head is very logical and likes to be in control. He likes to be in control to keep safe. He is quite judgemental and sometimes values other peoples opinions over his own to his own detriment. It often deals with how you organize and execute tasks as a therapist, making decisions based on protocols, evidence, and expectations.

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Mrs Heart deals with the emotions. High frequency emotions such as love and connection and low frequency emotions such as fear. She provides the passion and inspiration based on what feels good and the passion and emotional engagement that drives your purpose as a therapist.

 

Miss Gut remembers everything. She is like the PR person who knows everyone, so doesn’t need to think, she just knows deep down. She represents intuition and lived experience. It’s the part that "just knows" and taps into your deeper understanding of situations.

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Now imagine you all have a task to complete, but you’re all procrastinating. 

 

Sit them all down and ask each of them in turn, what they think about the task, bearing in mind their job. 

  1. What does Mr Head need to feel safe or in control? Ie "You need to maintain professionalism and control over your schedule."

  2. Does Mrs Heart feel overwhelmed by emotions or connected to the purpose behind it? Ie "I care about this client, but I’m afraid they will feel abandoned if I set limits."

  3. Does Miss Gut remember previous successes and trust your ability to manage this situation? Ie "You’ve set boundaries before, and the client respected you more and learnt more for it."

 

What new information can you find out? 

Negotiate with them by finding common ground, then make a decision about the task. If this is difficult for you to do, it can help to think about times in the past when you didn’t listen to one of them. 

I’ll give you an example. I procrastinated while I was writing this course. My head said "you should find this easy, why aren't you writing it?". My heart said "you really want to write this but everyone’s going to think its rubbish". My gut said "you can do this". So I did the following:

 

I used the Spin a Feeling exercise to stop the judgement. 

 

I used the Move things Left and Down to find out if everyone would really think its rubbish and where that idea came from. 

 

I used the Anchor Exercise to build the 'you can do this' feeling. 

 

Go and do them now, then do the task using the Do it Now method. If you find you still can’t do the task, come back here and find out some more information.

 

The link for the Support Videos mentioned here is: 

https://janettebishop.com/support-techniques#supporttechniquesvideos

 

The PASSWORD for the support videos is

SUPPORTVIDEOS

 

Clarifying What’s Important

To stay aligned, it's crucial to be clear on your values and what you can control in your professional and personal life:

  1. Create a Values List: Write down the values that brought you into therapy work. Do you value helping others, self-growth, empathy, or emotional resilience? Reflect on whether your current actions align with these values.

  2. Things I Can Control: In one column, write down the tasks you have direct control over (e.g., scheduling, setting boundaries). In the next column, explore how you can make these tasks easier or more aligned with your values (e.g., setting client boundaries to protect your emotional health).

  3. Things I Can’t Control: In the first column, list the elements of your work or life you cannot control (for example, client's emotional states when not in sessions, how others perceive you). In the second column, link these challenges to your values (for example, “I can’t control my client’s emotions, but I can control how I respond to them with empathy and professionalism”).

 

Final Thoughts for Therapists

Misalignment, compassion fatigue, and emotional burnout are common in therapy work, but recognizing these issues and bringing your values, actions, and beliefs into alignment can restore balance. By addressing your Head, Heart, and Gut with compassion, you can create space for self-care and rediscover the intrinsic joy in your work. If ever in doubt, take a step back, realign with what matters to you, and trust your intuition.

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Remember, if you’re struggling with alignment, this course includes free group Zoom sessions where we can guide you through the process. You’re not alone in this journey.

Fear

Overcoming Fear and Procrastination for Therapists: A Guide to Navigating Emotional Challenges

 

Understanding Fear as a Therapist

As a therapist, you may find yourself not wanting to do tasks that seem routine, such as paperwork, supervision reports or even client sessions. However, this procrastination is often rooted in subtle fears that can manifest as avoidance behaviors. These fears might not always be the kind that leave you "shaking in your boots," but may be quieter fears that subtly disrupt your ability to move forward.

Whether it's compassion fatigue, emotional burnout, or transference, fear plays a key role in fueling avoidance. You might fear failure, rejection or even success, because with success comes more responsibility, higher expectations, or self-doubt. Let's explore how fear contributes to being blocked and the role it plays in your emotional well-being as a therapist.

 

The Role of Fear in Avoidance 

Fear triggers an avoidance response—encouraging procrastination through placating activities resulting in self judgement, like checking emails or staying busy with non-important tasks. However, avoiding the difficult or overwhelming task reinforces the fear, making it more challenging to address the issue in the future.

For therapists, fear can take many forms:

  • Fear of Emotional Exhaustion: After back-to-back client sessions, you might fear the emotional toll of engaging deeply again.

  • Fear of Failure: The worry that your therapeutic intervention may not help a client as expected, leading to leaving preparing for sessions to the last minute.

  • Fear of Transference: If you’re noticing patterns of transference in a client, you might fear the emotional complications that arise from managing those boundaries.

  • Fear of Burnout: The constant worry that taking on too much will push you over the edge into burnout, leading to avoidance of extra responsibilities.

  • Fear of Judgment: Asking for feedback from clients or supervisors can trigger fears of criticism or failure.

 

Sometimes, fear is paradoxical. You might fear success because it could bring about new challenges or expectations that you’re not sure you’re ready for. For example, you may worry that if your practice grows, you’ll have less time for family or self-care, or that you won't be able to maintain high standards.

 

Exploring Your Fears: A Dissociation Technique

By exploring your fears and using dissociation techniques, you can reduce the intensity of the fear and regain emotional clarity. This approach is particularly helpful for therapists dealing with emotional overload, compassion fatigue, or when procrastination is stemming from a deeper emotional source.

Exercise: Listing Your Fears

Start by listing your fears related to a specific task you’re procrastinating on:

  1. Column 1: Things you don’t want to get from completing the task (e.g., increased stress, emotional burnout, judgment).

  2. Column 2: Things you do want from completing the task (e.g., professional satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment, positive feedback).

Spend some time reflecting on how both parts of you - the part that fears the task and the part that wants to complete it - are actually trying to protect you in different ways. Both are striving for what they believe is best for you, but in different directions.

 

Reframing Fear from a Distance: Taking a step back to see the bigger picture.

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Let’s now use a dissociation technique to reduce the intensity of the fear. By creating emotional distance, you can access more helpful feelings and insights, which can make it easier to approach the task. Here's how you do it:

  1. Identify a Task: Think about a specific task you’re avoiding, like writing notes after a difficult session or preparing for a clinical presentation.

  2. Visualize the Fear: Look down and to the left and ask yourself, "What am I scared of?" A mental image of that fear may come to mind—if it doesn't, imagine what it might look like.

  3. Disrupt the Fear: Now think about something unrelated—what color shirt are you wearing today? This small distraction helps break the fear state momentarily.

  4. Imagine the Theater: Picture yourself sitting in a theater booth with a thick glass screen in front of you. Look down at the stage and imagine a version of yourself on the stage, dealing with the task you're avoiding. Now, float up into another booth above, further from the stage. Observe yourself in the scenario, but from a distance. The glass and distance blur your vision a little.

  5. Evaluate the Scenario: From this distanced view, notice how your reaction changes. Does the intensity of the fear decrease? What have you overlooked about the situation now that you're observing it from a calmer, more detached perspective?

  6. Access Helpful Resources: Now that you're calmer, think about how you’ve handled similar situations in the past. What strengths or resources can you bring to this task? You’ve likely faced and overcome similar challenges before.

  7. Color the Calmness: As you feel calmer, imagine this new feeling as a color in front of you. Place this color gently into your chest, allowing it to expand as you float back down from the theater and out into the real-world.

  8. Move Forward: With this color and sense of calmness in your chest, attempt to start the task you’ve been avoiding. Use this calm feeling as a resource when the fear starts to arise again. You can also create an anchor for the feeling for whenever you need it. 

 

Self-Trust and Reducing Emotional Overload

As a therapist, your emotional resources are precious and trust in your ability to handle difficult tasks is vital for both you and your clients. When procrastination is driven by fear, it erodes that self-trust, creating a cycle where avoidance becomes a habit. This is especially true in the face of challenges like compassion fatigue, where the fear of emotional overload can make simple tasks seem overwhelming.

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By using techniques like dissociation to lessen the emotional intensity of fear, you can re-establish self-trust and find new ways to handle the demands of your work. This allows you to break free from the cycle of procrastination and tap into your strengths as a therapist.

 

Final Thoughts for Therapists

As a therapist, managing emotional challenges such as fear, burnout, and compassion fatigue is crucial not only for your own well-being but also for your clients. By understanding how fear influences procrastination and using techniques like dissociation and emotional anchoring, you can reduce the intensity of fear-based avoidance and re-align with your professional values.

Remember, fear and self-doubt are normal, but they don’t have to dictate your actions. With practice, you can regain control over your emotional responses, rediscover your passion for helping others, and move forward in your work with renewed clarity and confidence.

Judgement

Addressing Judgment for Therapists: Navigating Self-Doubt and Emotional Challenges

 

Judgment and the Therapist’s Experience

As a therapist, you are no stranger to emotional and psychological challenges, both in your personal and professional life. While helping others, you may also face your own inner struggles such as compassion fatigue, emotional burnout, transference, or countertransference. One of the most common and often overlooked obstacles that therapists encounter is self-judgment. This self-critical inner voice can exacerbate blocks, causing emotional exhaustion and creating a cycle of avoidance.

Judgment plays a significant role in blocks. Therapists may be particularly prone to harsh self-criticism, as they are often trained to be self-reflective and hold high standards for their professional performance. When you procrastinate on a task, whether it’s completing session notes, preparing for client sessions, or managing personal responsibilities, the cycle of judgment can intensify your avoidance.

 

Judgment 

When you struggle to do what you need to do, judgment often follows closely behind. This judgment can manifest in several ways:

  1. Negative Self-Talk: “I’m not good enough” or “I’ll never be able to get this done” may be thoughts that arise, fuelling doubt and anxiety.

  2. Self-Criticism: You may start criticising yourself and then criticise yourself for criticising in the first place, creating a loop where judgment leads to more problems.

  3. Externalised Judgments: Therapists often internalise external pressures from supervisors, colleagues, or clients. This may lead to feelings of inadequacy, especially when perfectionism or fear of failure comes into play.

  4. Comparisons to Others: Comparing yourself to other therapists or professionals can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy. You may think, “They seem to handle this better than I do,” further fuelling procrastination.

These self-judgments can be overwhelming, particularly when combined with the emotional weight of dealing with clients’ struggles, maintaining boundaries, and managing your own well-being. Without addressing internalised judgment, you may fall into a cycle of procrastination and avoidance, increasing stress and burnout.

 

How Judgment Leads to Self-Doubt and Avoidance

By judging yourself harshly, you begin to doubt your own abilities, which can reinforce feelings of low self worth. When you avoid tasks, you don't give yourself the opportunity to prove that you are capable of doing them, creating a vicious cycle of self-doubt and avoidance. In many cases, therapists might overgeneralise, believing that if they failed to complete one task, they will fail at all tasks.

This can be particularly problematic in therapy work, where emotional resilience is needed. For example:

  • Compassion Fatigue: Constant exposure to clients’ emotional pain may leave you feeling depleted, and self-judgment may make you question your effectiveness as a therapist.

  • Burnout: When you're emotionally overwhelmed, procrastination can feel like self-preservation, but the judgment that follows only exacerbates feelings of failure and inadequacy.

  • Transference and Countertransference: Judgment around emotional reactions to clients can intensify feelings of self-doubt. You might avoid addressing difficult emotions, both your own and those of your clients.

 

Breaking the Cycle of Judgment: A Self-Compassion Exercise

Therapists often tell their clients to be kind to themselves, but this advice can be hard to follow personally. To interrupt the cycle of judgment and inaction, we’ll use a combination of mindfulness and visualisation techniques designed to create a little distance and space from your critical inner voice, so that new resources can come in.

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Step 1: Changing the Voice of Judgment

Identify a specific judgmental phrase you often hear in your head, especially when you’re procrastinating. For example:

  • “I’m terrible at this.”

  • “I’ll never get it right.”

  • “I’m not good enough.”

Now, imagine that voice as the voice of a squeaky cartoon character. Picture it speaking in a high-pitched, ridiculous tone. Imagine this character with exaggerated features—maybe it’s small, purple, and flimsy. Every time the judgmental phrase arises, hear it in that silly voice. Notice how this diminishes the power of the judgment.You can even draw a picture of this voice or character, making it as outlandish as possible. Shrink it down, turn it into mist, or flick it away into the distance.

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Step 2: Visualising Your Judgment as External

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Let’s take this a step further with a visualisation exercise:

  1. Get Comfortable: Sit in a comfortable chair and take a few deep breaths. Let your breath flow in and out with ease, bringing a sense of calm.

  2. Imagine a Billboard: Picture a giant billboard in front of you. On it, write the judgmental phrase you often tell yourself. Imagine the words in big, bold letters—like something you’d see on the side of the highway.

  3. Observe the Words: Just observe the words. Don’t engage with them, fight them, or believe them. Simply notice them, as if they were separate from you. These are just words on a billboard, not a reflection of who you are.

  4. Shift and Fade: As you continue to breathe, watch the words begin to shift. Maybe they blur, change colour, or start to fade away. Watch them float like clouds in the sky—unattached and impermanent.

  5. Let Them Dissolve: With each breath, the words dissolve further, until they disappear entirely. They were just words. Notice how it feels to observe them from a distance and realise they do not define you.

  6. Return to the Present: Bring your attention back to the room. Feel the chair beneath you and the rhythm of your breath. Notice how you feel now, free from the judgmental phrase.

 

Breaking Free from Judgment: A Therapeutic Strategy

Judgment, both internal and external, can be a major factor in therapist burnout and inaction. It’s important to reframe judgment as a fleeting thought or external pressure that does not define your value or abilities. Here are some additional strategies to manage judgment and procrastination in your life as a therapist:

  1. Link Tasks to Bigger Goals: Some tasks may feel mundane, but they are part of a bigger goal of helping clients and growing as a professional. Reminding yourself of these larger goals can reignite your motivation.

  2. Compassionate Self-Talk: Instead of harsh criticism, try to adopt a more compassionate inner voice. If you wouldn't speak harshly to a client, why do it to yourself? Practice replacing judgmental thoughts with compassionate, encouraging statements.

  3. Set Small, Manageable Goals: Instead of tackling overwhelming tasks all at once, break them down into smaller, more manageable steps. Each small action builds momentum and reduces the chance of getting stuck.

  4. Mindful Observation of Judgment: Practice observing your thoughts as they arise without attaching to them. Techniques like mindfulness meditation or journaling can help you recognise judgmental thoughts and create distance from them.

 

Putting It All Together: The Next Steps

To break the cycle of judgment, procrastination, and burnout, begin by identifying the judgments that arise when you feel blocked. Use the visualisation and reframing exercises to diminish the emotional charge behind those thoughts. If you notice a big judgment phrase that keeps coming up, use the Spin the Feeling technique to manage any overwhelming emotions associated with it.

This process will help you reconnect with your inner resources and self-trust, allowing you to move through procrastination with more ease and self-compassion.

 

Final Thought for Therapists:

As someone who helps others through their emotional struggles, it's important to also manage your own internal challenges. By addressing judgment and procrastination in a compassionate and mindful way, you can regain control over your professional and personal tasks, reducing stress and emotional overload while maintaining your passion for the work you do.

Overwhelm

Managing Overwhelm for Therapists: A Mindful Approach to Handling Emotional and Professional Tasks

 

Overwhelm in the Life of a Therapist

As a therapist, you may be used to dealing with the overwhelming emotional weight of your clients' struggles. However, managing your own professional tasks, combined with emotional and psychological demands, can create an additional layer of overwhelm. It’s important to recognise that overwhelm is not just about having too many tasks, but the meaning we assign to those tasks and the emotions they trigger.

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Overwhelm can stem from several emotional and psychological challenges specific to therapists, such as:

  • Compassion Fatigue: The emotional drain from constant empathy can make tasks feel insurmountable.

  • Emotional Burnout: When you're emotionally exhausted, even simple tasks feel overwhelming.

  • Transference and Countertransference: Emotional entanglements with clients can blur the line between personal and professional feelings, making it difficult to manage your own responsibilities.

  • Vicarious Trauma: Absorbing the trauma of clients can leave you feeling overwhelmed by your own emotions.

  • Perfectionism: The pressure to always be competent, ethical, and successful may make you overthink tasks and avoid them altogether.

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Therapists are often highly empathetic and attuned to others’ emotions, but this can leave little room for self-care, leading to the accumulation of unfinished tasks and an increasing sense of overwhelm.

 

Understanding Overwhelm: A Psychological Perspective

Overwhelm is often a result of cognitive overload. Your mind, much like an overloaded computer, starts to slow down or "crash" when there are too many tasks or responsibilities to manage at once. Overwhelm builds each time we think about these tasks, especially when we associate them with negative emotions like fear of failure or inadequacy.

As therapists, this can be particularly difficult when:

  • You're carrying the emotional weight of your clients’ struggles.

  • You feel like you can’t "fail" or let things slip, which reinforces feelings of inadequacy when things pile up.

  • You experience self-judgment for not being able to manage your own responsibilities despite helping others.

 

The Cycle of Overwhelm and Avoidance

Therapists may avoid tasks because they seem too big or too complex, which leads to a cycle:

  • Avoidance: Putting off tasks that feel overwhelming.

  • Accumulation: The more tasks you avoid, the more they pile up.

  • Increased Overwhelm: Realising how many tasks are left increases the feeling of being overwhelmed.

  • Negative Emotions: These tasks begin to evoke stress, self-doubt, or anxiety, making you feel even more unable to start.

This cycle creates the sensation of drowning in to-do lists, notes, client preparations, and even personal responsibilities.

 

Breaking the Cycle: A Step-by-Step Approach

Here’s a practical strategy to help therapists manage overwhelm in both professional and personal life. This includes the bubble meditation to help you detach emotionally from the tasks and break them down into manageable pieces.

1. Bubble Meditation: Creating Mental Space for Clarity

This meditation is a tool for stepping back from the overwhelm and visualising your tasks in a way that feels less daunting. By doing this, you can emotionally detach from the overwhelm and focus on one task at a time.

  1. Settle In: Close your eyes and imagine being in your favourite, calming space. Engage your senses—what do you see, hear, or feel that brings you comfort?

  2. Visualise the Bubbles: Picture each task, thought, or responsibility as a bubble floating around you. Notice how they swirl and float in your mind. Allow yourself to simply observe them without attaching any meaning or emotion.

  3. Create Space: As you breathe slowly, imagine that each exhale pushes the bubbles farther away. They drift effortlessly, leaving space for clarity and calm.

  4. Select One Bubble: When you’re ready, extend your hand and allow one bubble—just one— to land gently in your right palm. Focus on this single task. Notice that it’s light, manageable, and no longer overwhelming.

  5. Work on One Task at a Time: Accept that you can only handle one task at a time, just like holding this one bubble. Everything else can wait until you’re ready.

  6. Return to Calm: Whenever you feel overwhelmed, return to this space. Let the bubbles drift and select just one to focus on.

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2. Organising Tasks: Breaking Down the Overwhelm

Sometimes, visualising isn't enough, and organising tasks in your physical environment can also help create a sense of order.

  1. Post-It Note Method: Write each task on a post-it note. Break them down into small, manageable steps if necessary.

  2. Sorting Tasks: Arrange the post-it notes into three rows:

    • Easiest tasks: Tasks you know you can complete quickly and with little effort.

    • Medium difficulty: Tasks that require a bit more time or mental effort.

    • Hardest tasks: Tasks that feel overwhelming or that you’ve been avoiding the most.

  1. Start with the Easiest: Begin by focusing on the first row of easy tasks. Completing these will create a sense of accomplishment and help build momentum.

  2. Build Confidence: As you work through the easiest tasks, your confidence will grow. This confidence will help you tackle the more difficult tasks in the second and third rows.

 

Applying the Overwhelm Module to Common Therapist Challenges

As a therapist, you face specific emotional and psychological challenges that can intensify feelings of overwhelm. Below are some tailored examples of how this module can apply to those challenges:

  1. Compassion Fatigue: The emotional energy spent caring for others can leave little for your own tasks. Use the bubble meditation to create emotional distance and give yourself permission to take things one task at a time. Prioritise self-care tasks like scheduling time for rest or lightening your workload temporarily.

  2. Burnout: Emotional burnout can make even routine tasks feel impossible. Organising tasks using the Post-It Note Method allows you to focus on the easiest tasks first, gradually restoring your sense of control and accomplishment.

  3. Transference and Countertransference: Strong emotional reactions to clients can make managing your own feelings and work difficult. Use the bubble meditation to visualise emotionally charged tasks and situations as bubbles, helping you detach and approach them with more clarity.

  4. Perfectionism: If you're struggling with perfectionism, the organising tasks strategy can help you break down large projects or tasks into manageable steps. By focusing on smaller, achievable goals, you can combat the tendency to feel overwhelmed by the need for flawless outcomes.

 

Conclusion: Managing Overwhelm with Self-Compassion

Overwhelm can manifest in the professional and personal life of a therapist in many ways. By recognising that overwhelm is often tied to the meaning we attach to tasks, you can begin to disentangle yourself from the emotions associated with them. This module offers tools like bubble meditation and practical organising methods to help you navigate feelings of overwhelm with patience and self-compassion.

Remember, the tasks and responsibilities you face are not insurmountable—they are just bubbles, and you can handle them one at a time. By taking things slowly and intentionally, you’ll build resilience and regain a sense of control over your professional and personal life.

What about the boring stuff?

Module 6: Overcoming the Boring Tasks for Therapists

 

As a therapist, you are familiar with managing complex emotional dynamics in your sessions, but certain administrative or mundane tasks may feel tedious and monotonous. These boring tasks—whether they’re paperwork, session notes, scheduling, or sorting insurance —often lack immediate rewards and drain your mental energy. Since these tasks don’t provide the instant emotional satisfaction that client work can, it becomes easy to procrastinate or feel uninspired.

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For therapists, boring tasks can also feel amplified due to factors like:

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  • Emotional fatigue from intense sessions.

  • Compassion fatigue leaving little room for mundane tasks.

  • Mental fatigue from handling emotionally charged client sessions.

  • The pressure to perform: You may feel that completing client-related tasks should take priority, pushing boring but necessary tasks to the back burner.

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This module aims to shift your mindset, help you incorporate sensory strategies, and boost your motivation to tackle these tedious tasks in a way that aligns with your emotional and psychological needs.

 

Understanding the Psychology Behind Boring Tasks

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Boring tasks are typically avoided because they are:

  • Time-consuming: They often take longer to complete than anticipated.

  • Tedious: These tasks involve repetitive actions that lack novelty or stimulation.

  • Lacking in immediate rewards: The satisfaction from completing these tasks is delayed or doesn’t feel significant.

As a therapist, you may be particularly vulnerable to avoiding boring tasks because:

  • You are used to engaging in deeply meaningful work, and monotonous tasks can feel devoid of purpose.

  • You may experience burnout or compassion fatigue, making even simple tasks feel emotionally draining.

  • You have limited energy after emotionally intensive sessions.

 

Transforming Boring Tasks: Linking Them to Larger Goals

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One of the keys to overcoming boring tasks is to link them to your personal values, professional goals, and desires. This shifts the focus from the dull nature of the task to what it helps you achieve. As humans, we naturally avoid pain and seek pleasure. To complete these tasks, we must reduce the focus on avoiding pain, by connecting them to a more meaningful or rewarding outcome.

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Intrinsic Motivation & Self-Esteem Boosters

Think of a time when you completed a task you didn’t want to do, yet after finishing it, you felt a sense of growth or accomplishment. Reflect on how that experience helped you develop or build your self-esteem. By focusing on personal growth, even through mundane tasks, you can cultivate a sense of purpose and build long-term intrinsic motivation.

Engaging the Senses

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By using sensory strategies, you can make boring tasks more engaging and enjoyable. Here’s how you can use your senses to make the experience more fulfilling:

  • Visual: Create visual cues that track your progress. For example, you can use apps or charts to mark off completed tasks. Visualising progress can provide a sense of accomplishment and motivate you to continue.

  • Auditory: Listen to motivating podcasts, uplifting music, or audiobooks that make you feel productive or inspired. The auditory stimulus can make repetitive tasks feel lighter and more enjoyable.

  • Kinaesthetic: Move around while you complete these tasks. For example, work while standing up, using a massage chair, or walking around when possible. Physical movement helps prevent mental stagnation and promotes productivity.

  • Auditory-Digital: Create a personal mantra or song you sing to yourself when completing these tasks. Having a light-hearted jingle or affirmation associated with task completion can create a positive mental association.

 

Building a Motivated State: Using a New Self-Image

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It’s important to establish a motivated mental state before starting a boring task. By cultivating a strong, confident self-image, you can approach these tasks with more energy and direction. Here’s how to create that new self-image:

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Imagining a Role Model

Think of someone you know who always gets things done. They might be efficient, well organised, and seem to move through their day with purpose and ease. Although no one is perfect, imagine this person at their best.

  1. Visualise Them: Where do you place this person in your mind’s eye? Are they in front of you, to the side, or above? Are they in colour? Are they big or small in your visualisation? Now, make their image bigger and more colourful.

  2. Create an Image of Yourself: Where do you visualise yourself? Is it in the same place as the role model, or somewhere else? Now, place your self-image next to that of the role model.

  3. Step into the Role Model’s Position: Imagine stepping into the role model’s position. How do they walk? How do they approach tasks? Can you imagine yourself standing as they do, with the same energy and enthusiasm? Visualise yourself getting tasks done with their same attitude and purpose.

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Anchoring the Positive Feeling

Once you have cultivated this new self-image:

  • Visualise yourself completing the boring task. What does it look like? How do you feel once it’s done? Picture the long-term benefits it will bring—whether it’s a sense of accomplishment, better time management, or financial growth.

  • Enhance the image: Make it brighter and more vibrant. Feel the positive energy flow through your body as you imagine finishing the task. What does the satisfaction feel like in your body? Give that feeling a colour and make it glow, filling you with the energy to complete the task.

Practice Visualisation Daily

Practice this self-image visualisation daily, even when you’re not working on the task, to reinforce the feeling of getting things done efficiently. Once you’re ready, link this feeling to the specific boring tasks you need to complete. Over time, you’ll condition your brain to associate these tasks with a sense of accomplishment and personal growth.

 

Building a Reward System That Enhances Self-Esteem

Rewarding yourself for completing boring tasks is essential, but instead of relying on temporary pleasures, you can create a reward system that boosts your long-term self-esteem and motivation.

1. Small Victories

Break the task into smaller, more manageable parts. For example, if you have a large report to write, break it into sections such as data gathering, writing, and editing. After completing each section, reward yourself with something that makes you feel accomplished—whether it’s reading a book chapter, taking a walk, or enjoying a brief break.

2. Emotional Rewards

Instead of focusing solely on external rewards, tap into the emotional satisfaction of getting the task done. Visualise the feeling of accomplishment, relief, or pride. Bask in that positive emotion and use it to motivate future tasks.

3. Growth-Oriented Rewards

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Choose rewards that contribute to your personal growth. After completing a task, take time to reflect on what you learned or how you’ve grown from the experience. For example, finishing a long, tedious report may have improved your time management or attention to detail. Reflecting on these growth areas helps build intrinsic motivation and enhances self-esteem.

 

Practical Tips for Completing Boring Tasks

  1. Time Blocking: Set a specific time to work on boring tasks, and limit the time spent to prevent burnout.

  2. Environment Matters: Prepare your environment with either sound or silence, depending on what energises you. Adjust lighting, temperature, or seating to make the experience more pleasant.

  3. Combine Strategies: Use a combination of the sensory strategies and visualisation techniques to make boring tasks more engaging.

  4. Stay Consistent: Consistency is key. The more you practice linking positive emotions and personal growth to these tasks, the easier they will become.

 

Conclusion: Aligning Boring Tasks with Professional Growth

For therapists, completing boring tasks is essential, but they don’t have to drain your energy. By aligning these tasks with your larger goals and personal development, and by incorporating sensory engagement, self-image visualisation, and an effective reward system, you can turn even the most mundane tasks into an opportunity for growth and accomplishment.

With practice, you will begin to associate these tasks with positive emotions and self-growth, helping you stay motivated and productive in both your professional and personal life.

Last but not Least

Final Notes for Therapists: Completing Your Journey to Overcoming Emotional Blocks

 

Congratulations on completing the course!

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As therapists, you face unique emotional and psychological challenges. Whether it’s compassion fatigue, emotional burnout, transference, or simply the weight of your day-to-day tasks, these hurdles can make stagnation feel almost inevitable at times.

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You’ve worked through emotions that can block productivity and now have the tools to move forward. Here’s how you can apply the course lessons to your specific professional life:

  1. Compassion Fatigue & Emotional Burnout: The emotional demands of your job can be draining, and it’s easy to put off self-care or administrative tasks when you're feeling emotionally exhausted. The key is to recognise when burnout is creeping in and to use the techniques you’ve learned—such as sensory engagement and linking tasks to intrinsic rewards—to keep yourself motivated and balanced.

  2. Transference & Countertransference: Dealing with these emotional dynamics in sessions can lead to emotional fatigue and even avoidance of reflective practice or paperwork related to these difficult client interactions. Use the visualisation techniques from this course to maintain focus on the bigger picture and remember that even small, mundane tasks help support your clients' long-term well-being.

  3. Emotional Overload: You are often tasked with holding space for intense emotions, which can leave you feeling mentally and emotionally overloaded. This emotional load can make boring or administrative tasks seem insurmountable. However, by breaking tasks into small steps and building a reward system that fosters self-growth, you can reduce overwhelm and build momentum in completing them.

 

The Ultimate Answer to Procrastination: Do What You Love

At its core, the ultimate antidote to procrastination is inspiration. When you love what you do and feel deeply inspired by your work, even the mundane tasks become a means to an end, rather than a burden. The key is to find ways to align your professional life with your passions and values.

For therapists, this might mean rediscovering the aspects of your practice that truly inspire you—whether it's witnessing client breakthroughs, fostering meaningful relationships, or deepening your own expertise. The tasks that once seemed like a chore will naturally feel lighter when you’re focused on your larger purpose.

 

Finding Inspiration in Your Current Role

If you’re feeling disconnected from your work or struggling to maintain the same passion you once had, consider if there’s a way to adjust your current responsibilities. Could you change your approach, work with a new client population, or shift your focus to areas that truly excite you? If you’re unsure how to make this happen with the life you have now, schedule a 1-1 session, and together, we can figure out how to bring more inspiration into your work.

 

I’d Love to Hear From You

Whether you found this course easy or challenging, I’d love to hear about your journey:

  • If you experienced wins throughout the course, share them! I’m excited to hear how these tools have made a difference in your practice and personal life.

  • If you’re still facing challenges, let’s talk. I’d love to hear about the areas where you’re still struggling and explore how we can work together to move you forward.

 

What’s Next for You?

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning new ways to manage procrastination and that these strategies will become tools you can use in your everyday life as a therapist. Remember, the journey doesn’t stop here—there is always room for growth and self-improvement.

 

Final Thoughts & A Special Offer

To help you reflect further, I’m leaving you with a 10-minute video that showcases a 1-1 session with me. As you watch, consider whether there are areas of your professional or personal life where you could make a change. If you’re not entirely happy with where you're heading, I encourage you to take the time to reflect on what’s next. I’m here to support you whenever you’re ready.

 

And Finally, Congratulations on your Successes!

You’ve taken a big step toward improving your practice, your life, and your well-being. Be proud of the progress you’ve made, and remember: the work you do is incredibly important, but so is your personal growth and fulfilment.

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Take care, and I’m here when you need me.

Contact

Use this form to arrange a free chat or ask a question

Worldwide on Zoom or WhatsApp

Based in Hertford, Hertfordshire (room available in Bengeo)

I can also come to your home, if you are local to me.

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Phone or text me on: 07527 577987

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