Sometimes your therapist needs their own therapist – and that’s a good thing

‘Therapists’ understanding of their own unconscious contribution to the therapeutic relationship is crucial to the treatment.’ Photograph: PeopleImages/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Psychotherapists often need to embark on their own therapy to understand themselves more deeply and to unpack more specifically how their own issues and relational patterns affect their work.

All forms of psychotherapy share in common a significant relationship between patient and therapist, with research strongly indicating that the quality of this relationship is crucial to the treatment.