Each year we open submissions for our Annual Wise Therapy Spotlight, where we ask a question of particular importance to our wider therapist community. We are always moved by the depth and generosity of our community voices.
This year, we asked our community, What Is the Soul of Therapy? Read more about our inspiration for this, our 5th edition, in the letter from the editors and Academy of Therapy Wisdom founders, Brian and Ian.
Continue here to read the submission by Annah Edmonds, MA, LMHC, ATR-P. We hope you enjoy it as much as we all did.
At its heart, the soul of therapy is the therapist’s desire to hold and cultivate hope.
Eight years out of graduate school, my understanding of therapy has been harshly determined by the powerful forces above (including and not limited to) licensing boards, community health, and insurance panels. The term EBP induces an automatic eye roll. Say nothing of SMART goals.
The golden naivete I carried through graduate school quickly withered upon being thrust into nonprofit health and the medical model of care; I learned that my own ideas about how to practice came second to the agency’s expectations for productivity. I was limited by multiple factors in exploring and implementing the modalities I felt most aligned with. The first year out of school served as a grieving period.
Post quarantine, I noticed an influx of therapist entrepreneurs on social media singularly focused on how to dramatically increase (private practice) profits. Another pattern related to inaccurate statements (by clinicians and coaches) about mental health symptoms as a marketing tactic. Such ploys serve to capitalize on the public’s desire for quick solutions while also contributing to misconception regarding the nuances of a disorder.
Trauma is trending, and not in a good way.
Mental health has become a competitive business but, in the process, I wonder what is at stake. I believe it has to do with the de-emphasis on developing a solid therapeutic presence. Counselors in the workforce are generally (and significantly) underpaid and overworked. What concerns me is the commercialization aspect that begins to feel mass-produced and generic. The art and soul of therapy appears left to the wayside in pursuit of profit. For me, there is a phoniness to this that belies the initial impetus that brought (I imagine) many of us to this work.
Being a therapist today requires a chameleon-like ability to flexibly tailor a session to most any type of patient with most any presenting issue. It is an impossible task. There are ways to circumvent this challenge by entering private practice, for one. But for those of us in the trenches, cogs with little power, the options narrow. It takes energy to continuously self-advocate within established systems. Yet I believe our licensing associations play a massive role in the benefits at our disposal. The ACA has not played nearly as active a role as the NASW. This puts those with a counseling degree at a large disadvantage. It saddens me to see new grads flocking to private pay practices, yet I also understand the draw. The salaried positions available are simply not sustainable and this creates its own ineffective cycle (a shortage of knowledgeable therapists and patients who cannot rely upon consistent care).
My own sense of hope for this profession has been beaten down and picked back up. When I sit with a person who is at the end of their rope and cannot see a way out, I am reminded how critical hope plays a role in resiliency and recovery. When our patients lose hope, we can sit with them and look for the light together. It has nothing to do with the latest technique and everything to do with being fully present to the moment. The only way through is through; and together is better. My own extensive pursuit of somatic training, and preference to incorporate expressive arts has opened avenues for healing that do not rely upon language. Our bodies and emotions are constant sources of wisdom and communication. The more we befriend the wild unknown places within ourselves, the greater our ability to show up with courage for whatever presents itself.
There is room for all of us to be nourished spiritually, soulfully, and financially. Being a therapist can be quite depleting; the constant messaging proselytizing how to practice and chart, what values to prioritize, and the myriad other hoops related to gaining licensure is endless. It is easy to get lost in the weeds of state rules and regulations. The more we individually and collectively hold true to our own clinical leanings while working to promote equity among the various clinical licenses the more powerfully we can support one another.
I want to feel good about encouraging others in pursuing this path.
I want the pros to outweigh the cons. No one person can turn the tides alone. My solace is to root down into the soles of my feet, feel the earth underneath, breathe into my heart space, and find a glimmer of grace. It is this grace I try to ride when the world closes in and I find myself grasping for my own rope.
The views expressed in this essay are not necessarily the opinions of Academy of Therapy Wisdom, its presenters or its staff. This is part of a series featuring the unedited voices of our community in conversation. All content is used with permission and is copyright 2024 by Academy of Therapy Wisdom. Only the author may reproduce their content.
To read more articles or download a free copy of the final publication visit Wise Therapy Spotlight.
