Recounting my experience as a novice psychologist of eight months

This article is written by our team member Vaish, who is an early-career psychologist. Vaish has a Masters is Counselling Psychology and is currently located in Bangalore.

Moving from a psychology student to a psychologist has been nerve-wracking, to say the least. Although the first few weeks were difficult, the journey has been full of learning, reassurances, and reflections.

Here are the 8 things that I learned in these 8 months:

1. There is no perfect session: After every session, there are thoughts about what could have been done better and what went wrong. These can be around interventions, the words used, the phrasing, and many more. No doubt, these thoughts are a part of the learning process. These questions give rise to improvement in the later sessions. During the initial days of taking sessions, there is a desire for each session to go perfectly. Over time, I have understood that there is no perfect session and it is okay not to say the right thing always.
   

2. Personal therapy is very important: One of the mandates for early-career therapists is to have their therapy where they can discuss their struggles and feelings. Having such a safe space has been tremendously helpful. I was able to discuss the things that were coming up for me as a therapist. My therapist has been instrumental in helping me navigate being a novice therapist.
   

3. Holding a safe space and not jumping to rescue: During my initial sessions, I would want to rescue clients from the distress they are in. There would be instincts to jump and save them from their issues or problems. Now, I can be aware and hold such feelings better and not react. I have understood that I cannot rescue my clients from what they are going through. Therapy is a safe space to explore their distress, situations, feelings, life stories, patterns, etc. Although therapists can help clients bring changes into their lives, they cannot rescue them from difficulties.
   

4. Therapy is a slow process: A lot of us enter this field because we want to help others through their difficult times. Along with my interest in the subject, one of the major reasons for choosing this field was somewhat the same. I already knew, during my studies, that therapy takes time. But that was only in theory as this is the first time I am experiencing being on the other side of the therapy process. While the intention to provide a safe space for others is great, change takes time (and also depends on the concerns that we are exploring). Many times, I experienced stuckness with my client, and it was frustrating. Now I have warmed up to this stuckness as I have realised that this is also a part of the therapy process. So there goes another learning.
   

5. The power of supervision: One thing that all therapists may agree with is that supervision is key to effective therapy. Supervision space has helped me look at what I missed, what I did well, new perspectives and threads I can explore, what I can do better, and much more. My supervisors have helped me to acknowledge progress, held space after tough (read: difficult topics, emotionally draining, etc.) sessions, brainstormed the way ahead, and much more. Supervision has been an anchor throughout my short journey.
   

6. Some days are slow, some days are fast: Another major learning is that the number of sessions varies daily and breaks are very important. Sometimes sessions get canceled or rescheduled and that can be slightly difficult to manage. The number of sessions during the weekends vs. the number of sessions at the beginning of the week can vary a lot. Especially during the fast days, it is important to take breaks between sessions and ground myself. When sessions are back-to-back without any breaks in between, it can be slightly overwhelming. By taking breaks, I have been able to be fully present during my sessions, which would have been difficult otherwise.
   

7. Attending courses, webinars, and talks: Psychology is a dynamic science. There are many approaches, a lot of research, and a lot of information. New researchers, theories, and approaches keep popping up almost every day! Keeping up with them is difficult. But attending webinars, talks, and courses can open a door to theories, perspectives, and interventions that you might have never heard of. There is a lot to take from listening to experienced psychologists. The ideas, cases, and reflections that they share can be helpful in your work with your client. So attending as many good talks and learning from fellow psychologists as is my seventh—but not final—learning
   

8. Your plan for session: As a novice therapist, I plan all my sessions. What I have understood in the past months is that almost all times the sessions don’t go according to that plan. The client may want to discuss something completely new or would bring up a new goal or a different thread of discussion. There might be something more of a priority for the client. During such times, I tend to calm myself down, be attentive, and use my knowledge and intuition. So planning for each session is okay and is important, but we must also be ready to throw that plan away if needed.
   

Are you also a psychologist who started practicing just a few months ago? How has your journey been?

Do reach out to us and share your learnings, experiences, and reflections with us!