You Help Everyone Else. Who’s Helping You?
You look like you have it all together. You’re the competent professional your clients turn to, the colleague others consult, the one who is suppose to know how to handle anxiety, relationship issues, and trauma.
But privately, you’re exhausted. Burned out. Maybe you’re dealing with your own anxiety or relationship struggles. You know exactly what you should do-and you can’t seem to do it for yourself.
You’re not alone. Between a quarter and a third of my clients are therapists like you.
Why Therapists Need Their Own Therapist
As therapists, we deal with emotional fatigue that most people never experience. We listen to hundreds or thousands of stories about death, trauma, abuse, divorce, grief. That accumulation takes a toll-vicarious trauma is real and compassion fatigue is exhausting.
We also deal with our own lives and relationships. Being a therapist doesn’t make us immune to anxiety, depression, relationship problems, or unhealthy patterns. In fact, sometimes having all that insight makes it worse. We know better, and yet we struggle.
Some truths about helping professionals:
- Many doctors drink too much
- Nurses smoke too much
- Mechanics drive beater cars
- Lawyers are told not to represent themselves in court
- Chefs eat ultra-processed drive-thru fast food
Knowing what to do is only part of the equation. Actually doing it requires support, accountability, and someone who gets it.
Why Work with Me:
I’ve been doing this work for over 30 years. I’ve worked with thousands of women, and a significant portion of my practice has always been therapists. Maybe they choose me because of the silver hair-decades of life and professional experience signal that I can hold what they’re carrying.
My approach is pro-active and results-focused. We won’t get lost in psychobabble or shop talk. If you start veering into therapist-speak to avoid the messy parts, I will kindly call you out. We’ll do the real work-understanding what’s driving your patterns, deciding what you actually want, and holding you accountable to making changes.
It’s Time:
If you are reading this, it’s probably time. There’s no shame in being a therapist who needs therapy-why wouldn’t we? Being humble enough to seek help makes us better therapists, not worse ones.
Available in Chicago (in-person or walk and talk) and online throughout Illinois, Washington State Idaho and Florida.
Questions?debdettman@wisewomantherapy.com
Ready now? Set up a free phone consultation.
Individual therapy: $70-200/session. I provide Super Bills for clients seeking reimbursement from their insurance companies. PPO plans often reimburse 60-80%. Limited availability for reduced fee for those with financial need.