How to Use Self-Reflection to Be a Better Therapist

The ability to engage in self-reflection as a psychologist is not just a skill but a necessity. Reflective practice is a cornerstone of effective therapy, offering a mirror through which psychologists can view themselves. Self-reflection involves a conscious examination of thoughts, feelings, and motivations and shines a light on unresolved traumas, biases, and beliefs that might influence professional practice.

Reflective practice is essential because a psychologist's self-awareness can significantly impact therapeutic outcomes. Engaging in regular self-reflection can assist in ensuring that therapy remains empathetic, ethical, and client-centered. Building self-awareness can promote the ability to connect with and support clients and pave the way for continual self-improvement.

The Process of Reflective Practice

Reflective practice typically follows these steps:

1. Description: Detail a specific therapy moment or session. It can be about a strong emotional reaction, but it doesn't need to be. Sometimes, seemingly non-eventful sessions can bring to light profound reflections.
2. Feelings and Thoughts: Reflect on the emotions and thoughts experienced.
3. Evaluation: Assess objectively and curiously explore potential reasons for the particular reactions experienced and what assumptions and biases may have been present.
4. Analysis: Understand what this may mean, including any biases, unresolved wounds, or areas for skill development and professional improvement.
5. Conclusion: Determine key learnings as a result of the reflection process.
6. Action Plan: Decide how to apply this learning to your therapeutic practice.

Integrating Self-Reflection Into Daily Practice

Making self-reflection a habit requires dedication. Here are some strategies for how to include this in your daily practice:

• Reflective Questions: Post-session, ask questions like, "How did I feel during the session?", "What triggered these feelings?" and "How might my reactions influence the therapy?"
• Peer Discussions: Regular discussions within the context of peer or individual supervision can illuminate points for reflection.
• Journalling: Journals are effective for developing reflective practice (Bruno & Dell'Aversana, 2016). Journaling can serve as a means for monitoring and enhancing reflective practice, forming part of a broader metacognitive strategy for psychologists.

Benefits for Psychologists

Reflective practice offers numerous advantages to psychologists, including:

• Enhanced self-awareness: The more psychologists reflect on themselves in the therapy room, the more insight they gain into their impact on therapy.
• Improved client care: Learning from self-reflective practice can enhance therapeutic outcomes. The more aware psychologists are of themselves in the therapy room, the more they can engage in a professionally competent, ethical, and effective way.
• Professional growth: Regular self-reflection allows psychologists to be mindful of their shortfalls and provides skills development and growth opportunities.
• Ethical practice: Engaging in reflective practice assists psychologists in maintaining professional boundaries with their clients and making ethically appropriate therapy choices.

Challenges and Considerations

While invaluable, reflective practice also presents challenges for psychologists:

• Time and commitment: Reflective practice requires dedicated effort. Engaging in this practice and keeping up with it consistently can feel time-consuming. Scheduling 15 minutes at the end of a work week may assist with forming this practice into a habit.
• Emotional intensity: Reflecting on complex cases can be emotionally taxing. While this may be something psychologists instinctively want to avoid outside of business hours, working through these reflections will likely benefit their mental health and well-being in the long term.
• Bias and subjectivity: Reflection takes being aware of personal biases. For some, this may be challenging to begin with. However, the more psychologists practice this skill, the more they may notice themselves and their implicit biases in the therapy room.

Therapeutic Implications of Self-Reflection

Self-reflection is not just about personal growth; it directly impacts therapeutic outcomes. It fosters a deeper understanding of clients, enhances empathy, and contributes to more effective therapeutic interventions. Moreover, promoting healthy self-awareness can be a vital tool in preventing burnout.

Conclusion

Reflective practice fosters a deeper understanding of oneself as a psychologist and enhances the quality of client care. Reflection forces us to confront our thoughts, feelings, and biases in a therapeutic context and productively use this. By embracing this approach, psychologists can ensure continual growth and ethical, effective practice.