Psychotherapists and Counsellors Answer your Questions
Conversations with Therapists
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What led you to choose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession?
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Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?
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Which particular aspects of health or the human journey are you interested in?
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What methods do you use?
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When do you think the client will start to feel that progress is being made?
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How has therapy made a difference in your life?
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What do you like most about being a therapist?
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Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?
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What do you think is the most significant problem we face, in the world today?
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Can you share the name of a book, film, song, event or work of art that inspires you?
Teresa Wilkinson
Yes, Therapists are just people. I try and use my skills to hold myself kindly and gently at these times and hope to role model to my clients that it is also okay for you to have bad hair days too.
Lisa Moore
I am growing in my silvers so it is not so much as a “bad hair” day as an exciting adventure to see what finally emerges (most of the time).
Carlyn Chen
Absolutely! We are all human, and the older I get, the more I am able to embrace the complexity of life and accept being perfectly imperfect. Also, as a parent, there is no escape from bad hair days,...
Johanna Waugh
I think every one has a bad hair day, every once in a while. I wouldn't be normal if I didn't go through one of those days.
Vivian Baruch
Of course. I'm human. That's where I'm given more of an opportunity to practice what I'm teaching.
Tania Djipalo
Yes I do, but I longer have to be perfect to show up to life. I can also tend to my fragile parts and make sure I ring a friend or be extra kind and loving with myself and show up to life.
Donald Marmara
Yes - whilst I dislike bad hair days, they give me the opportunity to reflect on the part I play in creating these, and enable me to get to know myself better.
Karen Potter
I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful to be doing something I love completely and to have a very balanced work-private life.
Reed Everingham
Yes, both literally and metaphorically! Like everyone else, I am broken yet beautiful. I strive to stay authentic, feel my emotions, and lead a life with meaning. However, life can be unpredictable,...
Tamara Pallos
Always! I have never been someone who devotes much time to hairstyling, and this usually shows :).
Michele Stewart
Every one has a bad hair day! I know this is also part of the greater scheme of things. I know how to look after myself with supervision, professional development and self care.
Helen Basili
Of course! Like most other humans on the planet, I experience the full spectrum of emotions and some are more enjoyable than others.
Heather Cavill Greer
Of course - I learn more from these experiences than the easy ones!
Nigel Bailey
Definitely. I have more than my fair share of bad everything days.
Petroula Quinn
Yes, I am human first and foremost, I have my own strengths and weaknesses. We are all learning and growing.
Jim Filshie
I have fewer and fewer bad hair days as I get older (and my hairline recedes). Or is it that every day becomes a bad hair day, meaning that none of them are? What a conundrum...
Ron Dowd
They're more like 'bad hair' moments, but yes. I'm not 'perfect', never will be, and I'm fine with that.
'Bad hair' moments are the triggers that remind me what's important - and how I can gently...
Kathleen Goossens
Yes, learning to be kind to myself and knowing that ‘this too will pass’
Martina Palombi
Of course! All the time! I am human like everyone else. I do not see myself as necessarily more advanced than my clients. I see therapy as a person to person, human to human process. I am still...
Vassilka Dimitrova-Isbell
Yes, often, but I also have 'good hair' days. I appreciate and enjoy both states of my hair.
Uri Bookman
Like everyone, I have days that don't go well. Sometimes, I wake up feeling sad, frightened or lost. In the past, I would try to push those feelings away, hoping that I would just feel happy again....
Karen Druce
Like most people, I certainly do have bad hair days. I see such days as a timely reminder that I am all too human. The good thing about bad hair days is that they tend to throw the good hair days...
Carolyn Zantis
Oh yes!!
And if I'm following my process and realise I need to pull back and be quiet, or go within, I make that happen.
Kate McMaugh
Absolutely. I usually straighten my hair but when it is rainy the messy curls escape. This can shock the clients who think I genuinely have straight, smooth hair.
Tom Skotidas
I do when my hair has grown too long. However I try to avoid that by cutting my hair short every 30 days. Sometimes I miss that train.
Nicole Kinnaird
Yes of course! I can get as moody and grumpy as anyone. I get tired and sooky and forget I have many wonderful tools and supports around me. It all passes, even though sometimes it's hard to remember...
Amanda Dounis
Let me just say this....when I am with a client, or clients /groups /families, I am entirely WITH them for the duration of the session regardless of my h.a.i.r. I learned that I compartmentalise...
Rachael Carter
Yes of course! The saying two steps forward and one step back definitely rings true in my world. As things shift, particularly inside, stuck patterns release and there can be stronger sensations and...
Natalie Meijer
Yes dont we all - don't they say that 9 out of 10 times life does not go as expected. I do try to smile though no matter what sort of day it seems to be - this too shall pass
Christopher Seager
Good question! It is very important for me to remain as emotionally regulated as possible when seeing clients. If I am not present and attuned to the client then this negatively affects the therapy. I...
Carolyn Choy
Of course! It's the love and support of family and good friends that gets me through them.
Michelle Lam
Yes I do. What helps me most is remembering to be kind and gentle to myself. This may involve practicing mindfulness, looking after myself better (such as exercising and sleeping more, healthy eating)...
Lisa Champion
Of course! I have days when I have lots on my mind or deadlines to keep or family matters to attend to - all of which can make me feel a bit unsettled. But, when I feel those things, I work to centre...
Sara Beresford Terry
Of course I do! Doesn't everyone?
I like to think I have more ability these days to ride-out difficult events, to dig deep into my bag of 'Resilience' and know 'things will get better'. I find...
Stefan Durlach
Sure. Don't we all? The kind of days when nothing seems to go right and we're feeling out of centre. Within a therapy context there are two kinds: The ones that emanate from my own life and the ones...
Philip Hilder
I cut my hair short with a electric clippers, so apart from the need for a beanie on cold days I generally feel good :)
Lisa Barrett
Yes, but a lot less since I discovered GHD straighteners about 15 years ago -another life changer!!
But yes, I do. And I have parts that try to tell me that I shouldn't and other parts that suggest...
Debby Heath
Of course - I'm human after all. I appreciate my clients' patience with me when I sometimes struggle to find the right words or make a mistake (which I will always take responsibility and apologise...
Jacinta Franich
Of course. This is where mindfulness and self compassion have brought me so much relief in my own life, understanding that being kind to oneself and trying to remain in the present moment is critical...
Urja Refalo
I certainly do have these type of days where my brain seems to be stuffed with cotton wool. Usually some quite time, a coffee and a hug straightens me out and gets me functioning well again.
Ash Rehn
Of course! Everyone has bad days and for many different reasons. I think it is helpful, on days when things are not going so well, to be okay about that. Living with imperfection can be quite...
George Turnure
You bet. I am a human with vulnerabilities and fallible too.
Nick Batty
Please refer to my profile picture. As you will see its not an issue!!
Michael Booth
Yes, of course. Being mentally or emotionally in the wrong space certainly does occur despite my best efforts. That means I might miss things the client is saying or I may make less than optimal...
Rachel Troia
100% yes! But I don't choose to wear a wig or disguise it with a hat. I allow space for my 'bad hair' so that I can learn and grow from it.
Philipa Thornton
I am human and like anyone have my up and down day's. I think this helps me have greater empathy for others. On those days I give myself permission to take a break and take care of myself as best I...
Rina Taub
Of course we all do but it is not about a Performance or test. As long as I am genuinely listening, authentic and collaborative we can check and get back on track.
Julie Sweet
Of course, too many to mention. That is why I draw upon a collective group of people in my personal life and professional world to gain support from. Ironically enough it's the 'bad hair' days that...
Nerine Strachan
yes everyone does, but as a therapist your focus is always the clients wellbeing.
Lidia Smirnov
Absolutely, coming back to the buddhist philosophy around 'common humanity' I am not immune to having off days but I know I handle them a lot better now than before.
Hadass Segal
I have curly hair and a curly approach to life. Need I say more?
Jenny Sanbrook
Thank goodness I have bad hair days - imagine how self assured and lacking in compassion I would be without them. It is much easier to deal out advice to others than apply that knowledge to my own...
Jessica Ryan-Zeman
All my clients know I wear my heart on my sleeve I am pretty transparent and when I make a mistake I am the first to own it! I definitely do not model perfection!!
Amber Rules
I have literal bad hair days at least once a week! And yes, I have professional bad hair days like anyone else - fortunately, these moments often offer opportunities for my client and myself to...
Karen Rushbrook
Of course, therapists are human too. But, I learn from all my bad hair days and become better with each experience.
Nicole Rikos
Of course! It's a part of being human. You can be doing all the right things for your health and well being but sometimes you just have a bad day. Learning to ride the ups and downs in life and...
Victoria Redbard
LOL what kind of question is this? I'm assuming they are asking if I am challenged by life. Overall I find my life relaxing and fulfilling, I have the time and space to explore and live how I choose...
Robyn Price
Sure, I have days when my concentration is challenged, when I'm tired or something has happened in my life. A person I'm seeing will always know something is up. I acknowledge this and show that as a...
Lara Petrulis
Yes, 'bad hair' days definitely happen - as is the ebb and flow of life. At these moments I draw on the support of family and friends and when I am able, try to use these experiences as opportunities...
Anna Petinsky
Yes, I do. If I didn't have bad hair days, I wouldn't be real. It is a part of being human.
Matthew Evans
Yes, that's when I get to practice some of the strategies which I usually share with others. On those days I do my best to 'walk the talk' and take some of my own medicine.
Rosa Oyta
As a psychologist, I am only human and can have days where I feel more challenged than others. However, it is important for me to maintain a professional demeanor and provide the best care possible...
Debbie O'Connor
Of course I have bad hair days! Like everyone I have days where I am not at my best, due to life pressures, just not feeling 100%, family needs or other pressing matters. On these days I know that I...
Jacqueline Nevin
Everyone has 'bad hair' days - we are all human beings, with flaws and learning. Without them. there would be no growth.
Maggie Morgan
Of course. I'm human. I make mistakes, just like anyone else.
Marie Mooney
You bet! My approach is to be real and as authentically present as I can be.
Dana Mitrovic
Of course! I believe that 'bad hair' days are part of being human. There are days where we all feel lost, hopeless and generally just not ourselves. I am thankful for these days as they teach me how...
Kate Mikhailouskaya
I do, just like everyone else. Life is not a quest for happiness or a hunt for the Good days. The bad ones signify that we are alive and life is happening to us. I take the moment to self-explore, sit...
Hope Michaelson
I can have an unintegrated' start to my day and have a 'bad hair' day however when I see a smile - and there is always one there if you want to see one, then I remember to use my mindsight' and...
Jacqueline McDiarmid
Yes my hair is often bad!
I definitely have days and weeks that are more challenging than others.
Jessica McMillan
Of course I do, everyone does. Things don't go the way I want them to sometimes. I can have the best of intentions, but whether I am just having an 'off day' or something has happened in my personal...
Karin McLennan
Absolutely, as issues continue to arise in my life that need to be healed.
Michael Grunwald
I don't think I have 'bad hair days' (I don't have enough of it anymore), but I certainly believe in the concept of optimal and suboptimal client-counsellor fit. I think that it is important for...
Deb Gavan
ALL. THE. TIME.
I approach bad hair days with humour, mindfulness, open mindedness (and chocolate).
Jean Gamble
When I let my boundaries and self-care slip I can become tired and feel a bit jaded about my work. I know that this is a signal for me to return to the level of self-loving choices and behaviours that...
Elaine Ford
At times, but I make sure to nurture my own soul and work with my supervisor to ensure that these days have a minimal, in any, impact on my therapy
Giulia Fiore
Of course, I am human. It is unrealistic to think that as humans, we are never going to experience pain. Nevertheless, I have learned effective skills to manage my thoughts and actions in order to...
Miranda Fagan
I tend to try to avoid fixating on my appearance these days and judging whether my hair is good or bad. But yes, of course I do!
But what I love about the days I don't feel so confident about...
Lissette Endacott
Of course, we all do.
Life is full of ups and downs and we need the psychological resources to delight in the good and navigate the tricky parts. I'm thankful for creativity that allows for a...
Gregory Egan
I think everyone has a bad hair day now and again, as life has it's ups and downs and no life is perfect.
Nathan Dick
Yes, I have come to accept these days, often they last a few days or a week. I find my own therapy and supervision supportive. I also have built a network of people around me who I trust and am able...
Catherine Devetzis
Robert Grant refers to trauma as the way of the wound, of course this path is often scary, painful and fraught with misunderstandings. However, I have learnt that maintaining my responses as...
Kate Deakin
I've never met a human being who doesn't! We are all human, we are all imperfect, we all have difficult experiences in life. I think that for all of us it's about finding a balance of making peace...
Conny Davis
Who doesn't, it goes with being human, being vulnerable, real and, imperfect.
Karen Curran
Absolutely. But I choose to let go of my feelings and focus on my client. I pause, take deep breaths and return to centre. When I am with a client, they have my full attention.
Ivan Cunningham
Oh boy, do I ever! There is never enough hair product to keep my hairstyle in place - especially when I'm doing my Walk and Talk sessions. Good thing we have a lot of hats in our house!
Howard Colin-Thome
I have ups and downs like everyone. I've had periods where I've had stress, relationship issues, anxiety and probably low mood. They are useful periods however as they help me understand myself and...
Mairead Cleary
I have plenty of them... literally. Curly hair is far more demanding to manage than straight!
But I've built a solid support base around me over the years, so I always have someone to laugh about it...
Mary Cantrill
Yes. I encounter difficulties and stressors like all people. It's important to prioritise self-care, seek support when needed, and maintain a healthy work-life balance to navigate these experiences...
Jan Campbell-Thompson
It is important to realise that essentially the work is not about me. My focus must and does remain on the person in front of me.
Kerstin Buccoliero
Certainly, or those days where I prefer to pull the blanket over my head and stay in bed, rather than get up, and walk the dog in the rain...again. I think it is unhealthy to always want to be joyful...
Steve Bonanno
Haha. As a bald guy, actual bad hair days are a thing of the past... but when it comes to the ebbs and flows of the human condition: yes! I have my good days and my bad days. It really helps me to...
Christine Bennett
As a real human having a human experience, I do occasionally have a bad hair day. To me, this is an indication that I need some time out for appropriate self-care to recharge by batteries.
Duda Baldwin
Totally having a few bad hair days. I learnt to be kind to myself and not to beat myself up.
I am a therapist who likes to share my own flaws with clients in order to create a space of two equals,...
Heather Adams
Crikey - no - yes - of course - I am human is my reply! What I have learnt is 'resilience' and that 'courage' is something to aspire to after one of 'those days'. As Brene Brown says 'Sometimes the...
Janelle Wright
I definitely do!
In those bad hair moments it is important to become aware of managing my shame and providing myself with self soothing and kindness. I'm then in a better position to repair any...
John Woodcock
There are on occasion, clients who, for their own healing, need to launch an attack on the therapist's vulnerabilities which become clearly visible to that client. In effect they can seek to violate...
Judith Withers
yes, sometimes. It is what we do about them and how we manage them that are important, not whether we have bad hair days or not.
Veronik Verkest
We all have times when we experience challenges. They make us feel frustrated, sad or lost. This is part of being human.
Michael Vaccaro
Well even with a shaved head, I can honestly say that there are moments in everyday that challenge me, test me, and call me to take another look at who I am and how I am showing up in the world. The...
Stacey McCraw
Not really - I make sure that I eat nutritious food, exercise often and sleep well, and balance life with a bit of fun so that come each morning, I am able to be as present as possible for the people...
Graeme James
Therapists are people too. While the context of everyone's life is different, we all have potential for 'bad hair' days. Why should it be any different for therapists? The world will shift and change...
Michelle Lin
I have exactly 1 hair style that works and anything else I've tried has been bad hair days.
Mia Kennedy
Yes and the older I get the easier it is to admit it. I feel very blessed by the training I was fortunate enough to receive. Early on in my career I volunteered at Lifeline and I stayed there for many...
Gabriele (Gabe) Marranci
Yes, just like everyone else, I have days where I may not feel at my best. In the Internal Family Systems (IFS) context, we can think of these moments as different parts of me expressing themselves....
Lana Lubimoff
We can take comfort in knowing everyone has bad hair days.
Andrew Lindsay
I keep my hair no longer then 1cm for this reason! Yes, of course, but I think it's not about not having them. Mostly these days I can remember it is ok to have them and I don't have to hide it....
April Lewis
Yes, of course I do. I am, after all, a human being, with all of the fallibilities, vulnerabilities and weaknesses (and strengths) that are part of the human condition. I am also a product of my past...
Tessa Ipp
Sometimes, then I realise I need to give to myself to again find my balance and presence as counsellor/psychotherapist.
Natasha Lawrence
Of course! On these days I acknowledge it to myself and allow compassion and space for me to be and perform however I need to
Kelsey Hendrickson
Absolutely I have bad hair days. Sometimes I wake up and the weather is sticky and humid and my hair is just frizzy that day. The key for me and for my clients is to remember that tomorrow the weather...
Martin Hemsley
Blimey, my hair is often so bad! Being human is not easy, I think. I can be anxious, feel overwhelmed and a bit shut down at times.
Geoff Heard
Yes, because I'm human. It can also happen that what feels like a bad hair day is the result of relationship dynamics within a therapy session, useful information about the process and not to be...
Megan Haire
Yes, I'm human like everyone else. I have moments of frustration and distraction. However, I manage my practice in such a way that I look after my health and don't compromise my ability to empathise...
Volker Krohn
Looking at my receding hairline I have to answer yes'. As Buddha used to say: “Life is suffering.†We cannot escape it. We all have to face our own mortality and loss in different ways....
Sarah Bergman
Everyone has 'bad hair' days. If I am having a particularly bad day (which isn't very often) and time permits I will cancel my client list. As a therapist it is important to me that any problems I may...
Steven Segal
Rather than fighting my 'bad hair' days, I have learnt to accept them which allows me to focus on something else, e.g., go for a walk in the park. I find this very helpful in allowing me to tune in...
Brenda Rowlandson
Oh yes! And 'bad clothes days' and sometimes I work with a headache, or a backache, but even on those days I still wouldn't want to be doing anything else (except perhaps lying down!). In saying that,...
Dinah Buchanan
Absolutely! I think the more authentic we are and the more we share the journey - its hardships and challenges in a very real way, then we will be better able to accept ourselves with compassion and...
Steven Dromgool
I don't have enough hair for that fortunately. But I definitely notice when I am not connected well with my family it's harder to feel in my integrity. On the flip side I think it also builds my...
