Managing Our Own Shit When It's Activated in Session

Edge of the Couch

Our penultimate episode this season explores what can happen when the content of the session tugs at all of our own shit! Maybe we’re experiencing something similar to our clients in our own lives or the client says something that reminds us of ourselves. Maybe the client experience is pulling forward memories of something we’ve said or done before. This episode is all about what to do in the moment when we are flooded with our own stuff AND we still need to be present for the client.
We share examples of topics that tend to poke at our personal stuff, times when we were more susceptible to being activated, and how we have managed these moments with as little disruption to the client as possible. We spend a great deal of time weighing the pros and cons of sharing with a client when our own shit is coming up and we land on our personal opinions about whether therapists should share that or not!
Because we believe in being fully present and allowing energy to flow bi-directionally, it is inevitable that work with clients will sometimes stir up our own big feelings. It’s not about ensuring it never happens but instead it’s about how to manage and respond effectively when it does.
How do you respond/act/manage when your shit comes up? Any particular topics that you know poke at your personal stuff? What, if anything, do you share with clients about that?