Know Thy Self
To be an effective counsellor or psychotherapist, you must deeply understand yourself, who you are, your strengths and weaknesses, and what triggers you. Using interception, you can understand your own needs and desires that can sometimes block the therapeutic relationship and place us in ethically challenging situations. For example, if financial security drives you, you might be more inclined to see a client outside your scope of practice to receive financial gain. You might also see a client longer than necessary, creating a dependence so that you have a regular income. If you do not have insight into your motives and are not prepared to look at and address them, this leaves an opening for unethical behaviour.
Self-awareness is the ability to understand oneself at a deeper level, encompassing an individual’s needs, desires, habits, weaknesses, and strengths. This understanding of oneself empowers people to adapt and respond better to changes in life. With self-awareness, individuals can recognise themselves as unique and distinct, which helps them identify areas for improvement and growth. It is often the first step towards setting achievable goals.
Based on research findings, self-awareness plays a vital role in both emotional intelligence and success. Being self-aware helps individuals to set achievable goals, as they can take into account their strengths, weaknesses, and what motivates them. It also enables individuals to make informed choices by pursuing opportunities that align with their skills, preferences, and tendencies. With self-awareness, individuals can easily identify situations and people that may trigger negative reactions and as such, anticipate and manage their responses better. By practising self-awareness, individuals can make positive behavioural changes that lead to personal and interpersonal success.
Consider the scenario where a counsellor lacks self-awareness. Without a minimum level of self-awareness, counsellors can easily identify with their client’s problems and assume that they are either similar to or the same as their own. The opposite of this situation is also possible. Without self-awareness, it is feasible to assume that everyone else is experiencing the same issues as they are. As a result, the counsellor’s own issues are projected onto their clients. Self-awareness aids the counsellor in establishing boundaries and distinguishing between what is theirs and what are their clients’. Additionally, self-awareness allows the counsellor to use themselves consciously. With self-awareness, the counsellor is more confident in providing therapeutic interventions since they are more aware and thoughtful rather than impromptu and uncomfortable.
Some techniques that can help you, or your clients if you are a therapist, become more self-aware include:
- Journaling, where one reflects on one’s experiences by writing about them outside the therapy session. Such insights can make therapy more effective.
- Bibliotherapy, including self-help books, especially those recommended by one’s therapist, because they are particularly insightful and based on sound research.
- Writing a biography to support self-discovery and unpack any residual pockets of resistance
- Going to therapy to unpack some of the baggage that you might be holding onto and talk with someone about your potential triggers
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) helps people manage physical and emotional pain.
- Meditation, especially anchoring and body awareness techniques to support recognising somatic cues
- Group therapy allows individuals to enhance self-awareness through feedback and shared experiences while also addressing social interactions observed by the therapist and the group.
Self-awareness helps build a strong therapeutic relationship and improves one’s overall well-being. Self-awareness is the capacity to identify and acknowledge one’s own strengths and weaknesses. This realisation empowers individuals to make choices and decisions that match their abilities. Developing self-awareness requires investing time and energy into the journey of self-discovery, as it cannot be acquired through reading alone – it is something that needs to be applied. It involves reflecting on oneself and using that knowledge to inform one’s actions, decisions, and interactions with others.
The documents below can be used to support developing your self-awareness and as an exercise for clients to develop their own connection to self.
References:
Dowden, A., Warren, J., & Kambui H. (2014). Three Tiered Model Toward Improved Self-Awareness and Self-Care. VISTAS Online.
Seligman, M. E. P. (1995). The effectiveness of psychotherapy: The Consumer Reports study. American Psychologist, 50(12), 965-974. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/dn3ofg