First 1-2 Years: Surviving the Basics
Clinician Grief After Client Death At some point in my second year of working with adolescents, I started following the local news. Not because I
When Clients Trigger You as a Clinician There’s a fear in this work that nobody puts in the job description. Not the fear of getting
Fear of Losing a Client There’s a name on your schedule that changes the weight of your whole day. Not because you’re afraid of them
Scared of a Client There’s a fear that doesn’t make it into supervision. Not the fear of saying the wrong thing — we’ve talked about
Most Underrated Job in Mental Health I want to tell you about a colleague of mine. She was a substance abuse counselor placed in a
Difficult coworker They told you about the caseloads. The paperwork. The compassion fatigue and the clients who don’t want to be there. They prepared you—sort
I Want to Quit You haven’t said it out loud yet. Maybe not even to yourself. But it’s there. Somewhere between the third no-show of
Client Complaint You’re going to get a complaint. Maybe not today. Maybe not this month. But at some point, in your career, someone — a
Client Transference You’re mid-session and your client says something that shifts the air in the room. Maybe it’s direct: “I think I love you.” Maybe
Therapist Attraction to Client You’re six sessions in with a client who’s finally showing up consistently. They’re doing the homework. Making progress. You realize you’re
Physical + digital tools designed for your first 1-2 years: confidence planners, supervision checklists, boundary scripts, and reflection worksheets.
