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?
Ashley Thomson
I like that being a therapist allows me extend something in which I really believe out into the world.
Catherine Sullivan
I value the privilege of walking alongside people as they reconnect with their strengths, find steadiness, or see themselves with more kindness. I love the sparks of recognition and understanding...
Cathy Lee
What I love most about being a therapist is that I get to help others while continuing to grow myself. This work allows me to be alongside people in their healing, which feels deeply meaningful, and...
Lisa Barrett
It is cliche but 'making a difference'. To see hope being renewed or coming alive in clients in their process, to witness them discover new awareness, greater self acceptance.. these moments to me are...
Carolyn Choy
Therapy is a very personal and intimate experience. Being able to offer a respectful, non-judgemental and supportive space to a client where they can really get to know themselves and grow is a...
Amelia Ducker
There is always more to learn, understand, and reflect on.
I also like that there is never a place of arrival in this profession- just an ongoing commitment to the path of process.
I also love...
Gaye Mallinson
Continuously meeting people from so many different backgrounds & being able to have a commonality of kindness, caring & empathy for all of them to equally support them...see them evolve and grow...
Lu Migliore
I love that I am able to walk alongside people often in their most vulnerable moments. It's been nearly 14 years since I first started counselling and I have not lost that feeling of being deeply...
Corina Johns
I see being a therapist as a great privilege - the people I meet are giving me their time and their trust, and allowing me to develop a connection unique to them. Being granted the opportunity to...
Megan E Shea
I find it meaningful to help people make sense of their experiences, reconnect with their strengths, and navigate change with more clarity and confidence. I appreciate the depth, variety, and honesty...
Michelle Collier
What I love most about being a therapist is being a support person for those who may not have that safe space elsewhere. I find deep fulfilment in validating my clients' experiences, normalising their...
Helen Brittan
I get significant joy from seeing clients come to places of greater self-acceptance and kindness. I love seeing clients develop insights about themselves, their lives and journeys that lift burdens of...
Eleni Kidis
Oh....there are so many things I really like about being a therapist. There is a certain sacredness to holding space and meeting people exactly where they are at. It feels meaningful and purposeful....
Eric Rangel Oliveira
What I value most in therapy is the opportunity to connect with clients on a deeply human level. Building a genuine, trusting relationship based on empathy, authenticity, and unconditional acceptance...
Sam Thomson
Being able to sit in the raw & real space. When that rapport is established and we can jump into the nitty gritty.. it often isn't pretty, but it is an incredibly privileged space to sit with what is...
David Nightingale
It is an absolute privilege to journey with a client to help them realise peace and healing in areas of their life that they have previously struggled. I love to listen and so find counselling a...
Weiyu Guan
Resonance, hope and wonder from walking alongside another and witnessing their (and my own) transformation.
Robyn Bowman
The honour of hearing another's story and then seeing the weight of their concerns lift off their shoulders.
Mariyon Slany
It is a privilege to hear about people's inner worlds and for them to trust me to share that.
Ann Edvall
Listening to peoples stories and being able to help them find a way forward in their issue they are faced with.
Daniella Carfi
What I love most is the honour of building a genuine connection with clients and being trusted to sit together during vulnerable moments. I value witnessing and being part of the human experience in...
John Cuturilo
Learning to be a therapist has taught me much about not just mental health and solving problems, but how our minds work in the course of our regular lives. I have learned how complex the process of...
Liela Vergara
I enjoy the variety of my work as a therapist; every day brings new experiences and learning opportunities.
Rachel Hannam
The stories! Also, the openness, emotional intimacy, and trust in the therapy room is unlike most other situations in life. And you never know what you are going to get each day. I feel very...
Auður Zoëga
The opportunity to connect deeply with my clients and create a space where they feel safe to explore their thoughts and feelings. Iâ??m honored to support them through their challenges, witness their...
Vanessa Wylie
I love about 90% of being a therapist: every client facing moment you will find me in my element - the other 10% is the admin side like invoicing and marketing... lets just say its not my favourite...
Jacquie Flecknoe-Brown
The extraordinary dreams of ordinary people, and to accompany clients in their deep desires to understand and heal themselves.
The fairy tale group is a great source of personal study for preparation...
Luke Edwards
It provides for me the opportunity to shape my life in accordance to my values and hopes for life. I also love the fact that I can continue to learn and develop my skills through the practice of...
Helen Basili
Meeting interesting, courageous people whose adventures through life inspire me.
Laura Simpson
What I love most about being a therapeutic social worker is the privilege of witnessing transformation and growth. I find immense joy in walking alongside my clients as they navigate challenges,...
Sirini Kularatne-Samarapathi
I love the ability to create a space that is safe and trusting for what needs to be witnessed at the session. One of the most important aspects of a session for me is the therapeutic space, which is...
Rima Alkadamani
What I love most about being a therapist is the privilege of walking alongside people on their healing journey â?? especially children and families facing complex challenges. Thereâ??s something...
Karen Thomas
Accompanying clients in their healing journey as they growing and transform into the authentic person they long to be.
Nicole Day
I am an empath and helper by nature. Walking at a pace alongside my client in therapy is like a dance whereby progress is natural, and assisting the client develop awareness, gain acceptance,...
Abby Draper
What I value most is creating a safe, affirming space where people feel seen, heard, and supported to be their authentic selves. I deeply appreciate witnessing clients build resilience, discover new...
Sebastian Kinne
What I value most is the honour of being invited into peopleâ??s inner worlds. Itâ??s a privilege when someone feels safe enough to open up deeply, and to witness the relief that comes from being...
Uri Bookman
Thereâ??s a sacred beauty in holding space where healing can blossomâ??like guiding a delicate flower to open in safety and trust. What I deeply cherish is the privilege of creating that intimate...
Xanthe Katsouras
I love seeing people become more anchored in themselves, able to experience more contentment, and agency.
Reed Everingham
It is an honour and a privilege to be in the therapy chair. I cultivate safe, open client relationships and witness their joy and pain. It humbles me to see people work so hard to grow and change,...
Priscilla Schwartzman
I love getting to know people from all walks of life.
Itâ??s a privilege to be trusted with someoneâ??s inner world, to hear their story, witness their vulnerability, and see their courage as...
Mark De Calmer
Seeing the transformation in others' lives, watching in many cases tears and distress move to laughter and gratitude for the lives they didn't realise they were living.
Vassilka Dimitrova
Seeing how someone transforms in front of my eyes. In fact, we transform each other; it's a mutual and shared experience.
Travis Grogan
Adding something of value to a person's life that can have large positive effects. I think therapy has high pay it forward value.
Jeannene Eastaway
Honestly, I like hearing and being close to people and their stories. Often people have not told their stories of pain and confusion, and once told can see that their can be other stories of...
Debby Heath
The privilege of getting to work with and know so many courageous and resilient people. I feel so grateful to be able to do this work and learn so much from every client - it is really humbling.
Beck Ronkson
Aha - this one is easy! Witnessing and experiencing transformation and people being in touch with their unique personal strengths. It brings me joy and is such a privilege.
Kelsey Hendrickson
What I like most about being a therapist is the relationships with my clients. It is an immense privilege to create enough trust with someone that they are willing to share things with me about...
Oliver Brooke
The opportunity to guide people into greater connection with themselves and others to give back what I have gained from therapy myself.
James Diamantopoulos
The people and the meaningful change they experience.
Claudia Rossi
Being a therapist is a privilege. I am in awe of my clients who strive to overcome challenges and work to achieve amazing change. This fills me with hope and makes me happy.
Stephanie de Niese
I like the connection I build with my clients. The relationship I have with each of my clients is truly important to me. I like being a witness and companion to them on their journey of...
Adriana Cope
I have the privilege of walking alongside people during some of the most vulnerable and transformative moments of their lives. Itâ??s incredibly meaningful to witness someone reclaim their voice,...
Joanne Taylor
Being able to help people reach their potential and seeing people able to do the most amazing things that they never believed were possible when they first came to therapy.
Dominique Caesar
What I love most about my role is the opportunity to think outside the box and build meaningful connections with people who are navigating life in ways that donâ??t fit societal norms. Thereâ??s...
Morag Paterson
It is a very meaningful and fulfilling job that I genuinely love. I value the connections that I develop with clients and feel privileged that we journey together in some deep psychological and...
Gabriele (Gabe) Marranci
What I appreciate most about being a therapist is the chance to witness and be part of the positive changes in people's lives. It's genuinely fulfilling as I see clients gain self-awareness, heal from...
Dee Kumbukage
What I appreciate most about being a therapist is the privilege of witnessing the transformative power of therapy in people's lives. It is incredibly rewarding to witness individuals' growth,...
Ron Dowd
It's a privilege to be allowed by another person to work with them on their most valuable secrets, their deepest wishes; and for them to reveal their essence. I love that, and I have much gratitude...
Dee Hardy
Giving back! Offering that platform that may give someone that feeling of hope, justification, shift at a time of their lives where they may be stuck in or wish to move from... the brainstorming with...
Carlyn Chen
Being a therapist is a creative process that calls me to be on a life-long trajectory of growth and reflection - what an honour. I feel it is such a privilege to walk with clients on the sacred ground...
Regina Gerlach
What I treasure most about being a therapist is the privilege of witnessing people's truthâ??the quiet courage it takes to show up, to be vulnerable, to face what feels unbearable and still choose...
Sarah Lawson
I love working with a person exploring and unraveling what is disturbing them. The moment they truly discover the freedom within themselves to move forward is precious moment and wonderful to...
Gregory Poll
The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformedâ?¦
I am continually growing and transforming alongside my clients.
Carolyn Zantis
I love walking with people who are choosing to grow themselves. It is those clients who come with the intention to do the work towards changing unhelpful patterns who make this work exciting and...
Nathan Dick
I love helping my clients understand themselves better, especially when related to their childhood experience. I love that moment in therapy when my clients find a new surprising hope, that has...
Ash Rehn
I value the honour of being invited into someone's life, and offered the opportunity to share in their hopes, fears, what they value and what they yearn for. It is a privilege being asked to...
Leigh Fraser-Gray
Facilitating the changes in perspective to allow an individual or groups to be able to move through a sense of immobilisation or confusion and start to make sense of their current or past experiences.
Debra Sumner
What I love most about being a therapist is witnessing clients achieve their goals and experience meaningful growth. Supporting their journey of healing and seeing them gain confidence, clarity, and...
Hadass Segal
The privilege of truly knowing people and holding space for their growth and healing.
Darius Leo
To be honest, I just really like spending time with people. Although it does have its difficult moments I find therapy to be very enjoyable. You also get to see people do some pretty amazing things....
Bev Whitehead
It is a privilege to hear people's stories and to be trusted with them. The teacher in me enjoys supporting people by resourcing them with information and with tools.
Arezu Akbarian
What I like most about being a therapist is the profound privilege and honour of being invited into someoneâ??s journey. It is incredibly humbling to witness the courage and vulnerability my clients...
Brenda Rowlandson
The wonder of the unfolding unconscious process into conscious awareness. Being witness to my clients' herculean struggles in their desire to transform and change, is very moving. I look forward to...
Alexandra Page
Forming close bonds with my clients and witnessing their growth.
Ruth Edwards
Being a counsellor/psychotherapist is what was traditionally a calling. Like nursing and teaching, I think you always knew that you wanted to help others. In my work I get to help people from many...
Gabrielle New
It is such a privilege to accompany people on their journey of transformation. To witness their strength and resiliency, and to see them thrive after adversity.
I have such a juicy and fulfilling...
Dominique Smajstr
What I value most about being a therapist is the privilege of witnessing people in their most honest, vulnerable momentsâ??and being able to offer a steady, attuned presence as they begin to...
Rachel Tyson
I get to do what I love every day, which is spending time with people and having rich and rewarding conversations. It is so wonderful to witness people's growth and change over time and to see what is...
Patrick Oâ??Brien
Going on the journey with clients and guiding them along the way.
Philip Hilder
I enjoy the wide variety of people that I meet in terms of clients and colleagues.
Steve Bonanno
I just love that my job is to focus my care and attention on supporting others. I think in times like these it is uncommon for people to really feel heard - and it's truly an honour to hear what...
Carla Van Der Poel
I absolutely love my job. Getting to witness people move through real challenges and growth is incredibly rewarding. Itâ??s a privilege to have a front row seat to the incredible strength and...
Ernst Meyer
I cannot think about a more interesting and fulfilling profession.
Katie Beckwith
Being in a state of presence with my clients. It is a wonderful experience. Being able to put into practice, not just what I learned through my studies, but a lifetime of experience and personal work....
Monica Eriksson
What I like most about being a therapist is the privilege of supporting individuals as they navigate their personal journeys of healing and growth. It is incredibly rewarding to witness the...
Cameron Trenowden
Learning about each individual and their needs and being able to adapt, change and learn new ways of supporting individuals. As therapists we are always learning.
Julia Agnoletto
What I enjoy most about being a therapist is witnessing clientsâ?? growth and transformation. I find it fulfilling to help them gain insight, develop new skills, and navigate lifeâ??s challenges,...
Alda Curtis
What I love most about being a therapist is witnessing the resilience and growth in my clients. Itâ??s a privilege to provide a safe space where people feel truly heard and supported, often in their...
Jonathan Tandos
I like the individual relationships I form with clients, hearing people's unique stories and becoming more curious. When therapy becomes longer term it is a privilege to be part of the person's...
Cecilia Calnan
I love the look on my clients faces when I can create change and when they catch themselves behaving like the person they want to be.
Max Rutherford
In my role as a therapist I get to know people in a very profound way and it's a privilege to learn what's in their hearts and minds. I have learned more about therapy and about life from my patients...
Karen Potter
Having the very special opportunity to be with people on a part of their journeys in life and to see them grow over time in themselves and be more connected to themselves, their families and their...
Megan Bodnar
What I love most about being a therapist is the opportunity to help people heal and grow. Itâ??s incredibly fulfilling to create a safe space where clients can explore their emotions and find...
Nev Guven
I love being a witness to other's life experiences and feel privileged and honoured to be a part of their journey.
Elizabeth Fairbanks
I feel very privileged to sit with my clients in the midst of their diverse lives, through all the ups and downs, and with such experience comes an overwhelming sense of interconnectedness.
My...
Suzanne Rosenberg
I love sitting with courageous people who are willing to dare to take a peek at the difficult things. I am grateful and in awe of the healing that comes in that sacred therapeutic space.
Karen Druce
The thing I like most about being a therapist is that I am privileged to walk alongside my clients while they explore possibilities and make important changes in their lives. I often witness...
Fiona Giles
I love listening to people's stories, getting to know their strengths and challenges, and working collaboratively to find solutions to problems or avenues for change. Everyone is interesting.
Josephine Borg
The ability to heal and the privilege to listen to my client's stories for healing.
Joshua Comyn
Getting to know the mind of others in the context of a warm and trusting relationship.
Tanya Rae
What I love most about being a therapist is being able to offer a space that counters the prevailing belief that we should simply suppress or bypass our emotions in order to keep moving forward and...
Tania Djipalo
The therapeutic space is a place where you can put down your masks and have permission to be real. I value the relational realness of the therapeutic space and feel privileged to be a part of this...
Felicity Ahern
I love the connection between a client and therapist. Through all my experiences, observing the moment a client understands they are free of a damaging thought process and thus free of the ensuing...
Sarah McArthur
I am motivated and deeply inspired by the chance to make a positive difference in someoneâ??s life. Being able to support a person in working through their struggles and finding healing can be...
Sheela Paul
Meeting different types of people who are connected by our own humanity.
Anthony Hubeck
I like being alongside people when they make changes for themselves in their lives, for their better.
Susan Pegg
I love seeing clients make connections and start to view their world a bit differently, particularly when they have an epiphany and realise they don't have to keep operating in ineffective or toxic...
Ajay Hawkes
I enjoy the sense of connection and the relationship that builds with the people I work with.
Sometimes there is an aha moment where someone really gets something new which I find a real pleasure...
Sudhir Dean
To be a therapist is a privilege. Each therapy session is a sacred space of trust that opens windows into truth that don't always open easily elsewhere. I am constantly left in wonder at the courage,...
Trudy Clutterbok
The way in which the spoken word becomes as weighty as the written word and the way in which what has been inscribed (written) in or by the unconscious comes to be said
Nicky Angelone
I love my clients. It is a privilege and an honour to be trusted to share intimate and vulnerable parts and places. I have always had a deep interest in human behaviour and the human mind and now I...
Jessica Vivien
The lovely people I get to spend time with and watching their lives transform. Doing something that feels valuable. The amazing insights people have, and how strong and resourceful they can be.
Geoff Heard
The privilege of being let into others lives, which I never take for granted.
And the possibility of making a difference.
George Turnure
Every day, every session is different and unpredictable. I/we may have an idea of what's going on and then together we discover something knew. Being an ally or support for someone during such a...
Tessa Ipp
I enjoy seeing my clients feeling happier about who they are and their life. I feel uplifted when together with my client there's an 'aha' moment and suddenly there's a deeper understanding of what...
Leah Wilson
What I like most about being a therapist is the privilege of witnessing and supporting people through their most transformative moments. Thereâ??s something profoundly rewarding about creating a safe...
Karen Rose
I think it is an immense privilege to be able to be 'with' people as they share vulnerable parts of themselves, and to help them to process through these issues. I can truly say I love my work.
David Anthony
I like those moments when a client leaves liking themself more than when they arrived, and when they make decisions that benefit themselves and the people around them.
Steven Segal
I get so much satisfaction from seeing people grow and develop through psychotherapy. I am very curious about the way in which people deal with the challenges of life and feel privileged to...
Martina Palombi
I love the opportunity to work with people, to understand how someone functions within themselves, their relationships and in their life. There is little else that gives me as much satisfaction as the...
Jaya Narayan
The opportunity to be a warm empathic listener and witness.
Philipa Thornton
I am a bit selfish, I like helping people. I truly get a genuine kick out of seeing persons sense of relief, them saying they feel better and how their lives are improved. through our work I love it...
Stefan Durlach
Being with people and discussing aspects of their lives that really matter to them and that, often, people in their lives don't want to hear about. This can mean that their disappointments, sense of...
Marie Mooney
Sitting with and holding space for another human being and supporting them to reflect, heal grow and ultimately transform their life.
David Indermaur
That I have to be honest. That I'm asked to go into a deep and often dark place often. I sometimes think of therapy as the mental equivalent of speleology (the study of caves). I find the deepest and...
Meg Bonnell
The privilege of being able to see someone grow and develop in their confidence and ability to cope with life's curveballs. I deeply appreciate the trust my clients have in myself and in the work we...
Rina Taub
I love the opportunity I get to meet such interesting and diverse people everyday and to learn from them. Therapy brings out the creativity in myself and the people that I am co-researching with. It...
Teresa Wilkinson
I really enjoy seeing people reorganise their internal systems into a system that supports them to achieve, stability, contentment, agency and future dreams.
Michelle Morris
I find it a privilege to get to know people and their unique stories. It is deeply fulfilling to see people, who have initially been unhappy, flourishing. The creative imagination, which is expressed...
Angelina Conias
What I like most about being a therapist is the opportunity to witness the profound transformations that occur within my clients' lives. There's something incredibly rewarding about being a part of...
Nicole Kinnaird
I love meeting new people and being present and supportive of their experiences and stories. I love working creatively with people and connecting with the inherent wisdom in our bodies, experiences,...
Amanda Dounis
Helping others. Helping kids, and adults. Seeing results. Having a unique and professional relationship with individuals who come to see me. And most of all...making a difference.
Zoe Hedges
Hearing others stories and seeing them achieve their objectives, aims and ambitions.
Rebecca Anderson
I feel honoured that people trust me with their deepest fears, insecurities and secrets. I love that my clients can be so vulnerable, raw and honest about what is happening for them. I feel really...
Karen Anderson
In short, I deeply value the aspect of sharing and exploring with another fellow human being the realm of their internal psychic world, our internal worlds as we explore and reflect together. To...
Michelle Lam
I am grateful for being given the opportunity to connect with another and accompany them on a small part of their personal journey. I am constantly in awe of the strength that shines with a client's...
Jennifer Fox
The engagement with each individual and the mapping together of what drives their suffering and change!
Moira Joyce
I am grateful that I have met some wonderful people in my consulting room and learned so much from them
Deb Gavan
I love meeting and getting to know new people, identifying goals and areas of change and working with people while they resolve issues and strengthen relationships.
Jean Gamble
I enjoy having deep and meaningful relationships with clients who are wanting to evolve and learn to understand themselves. There is a meaning, purpose and intensity to the work that makes it feel...
Erin Galt
Sharing in the personal journeys of my clients is fascinating and such a privilege.
Catherine Devetzis
I love the fact that I have to evolve on a moment by moment basis to meet my clients around their points of pain and then to help direct our discussions to a point where it is safe and possible for a...
Howard Colin-Thome
Getting to know people, their story and being able to help a person grow and develop. Seeing an individual developing.
Kerstin Buccoliero
I truly enjoy being present with other people and supporting others to settle into their bodies, hearts and lives. It is so precious witnessing all those shifts and realisations. At the same time...
Mia Kennedy
It is a unique position and no two days are the same. In my experience it is also a position where you are privy enough to offer hope to others. What I mean by that is I get to hear a lot about other...
Martin Hemsley
Working closely and creatively with people. Getting to know people and being surprised by them. Seeing someone come in distress and leaving relieved. Feeling parts of me engaged which otherwise would...
Sonia Scussel
Every single time I realize a client doesn't need my help anymore. In that moment I feel so accomplished and grateful for the honour of being part of that journey, I'm amazed by the transformation a...
Brian Whiter
Life and living is a complex matrix of certainties and uncertainties. My ongoing learning and practice continues to bring me closer to remaining connected to others in more meaningful ways.
The...
Michelle McClintock
Connecting authentically with other humans
Solving tricky, persistent, difficult things with other humans
Having fun and enjoying the process of growth and being present
Kim Bailey
Clients let me into their inner world, sometimes unexplored even to them and there is always, always beauty, kindness and love.
