Cathy Connan Psychotherapy

Qualification means you’ve arrived … or does it?

I remember graduating from my training and being able to call myself a Psychotherapist. I was a weird mix of over- and under-confident. My training had been superb, and I trusted it and the tutors who delivered it. I was already working in private practice, and it was going well. But suddenly I was out there alone.

Who holds the therapist?

We don’t talk enough about what happens after qualification. During training, therapists are surrounded by support. We have our tutors, who seem to know and understand so much. Our placement does the work of attracting and assessing prospective clients. The clinical lead will judge whether we are the right therapist for them, and safeguarding leads provide an invaluable backstop for challenging ethical concerns.