Expert Blogs on Clinical Experience, Career Development, and More
Therapist Career Blog
Welcome to our Mental Health Career Blog! Whether you’re a student, a recent graduate, or someone passionate about pursuing a career in mental health, this is your go-to resource. Our blog offers expert insights and answers to common questions about becoming a therapist, gaining clinical experience, navigating career development, and exploring a career path in mental health.
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We’re always adding new content, so be sure to check back often for the latest updates on becoming a therapist, gaining clinical experience, and navigating your career development.
CBT, DBT, or ACT: How Do New Therapists Decide Which Approach to Learn First?
Starting out as a therapist can mean navigating a sea of therapeutic approaches. Learn the differences between CBT, DBT, and ACT - and how to decide which modality to study first based on your clients, clinical setting, and training goals.
How to Write Therapy Progress Notes Without Overthinking Every Sentence
Writing therapy progress notes can feel harder than the session itself. Learn how to document client progress, choose a consistent structure, and write clear, clinically useful notes without getting stuck editing every sentence.
How to Build a Professional Website as a Therapist
Building a therapist website doesn't have to be complicated. Learn what to include, how to communicate your clinical approach, improve your visibility online, and create a professional website that grows with your career.
How to Navigate a Client's Request for a Diagnosis
What do you do when a client asks, “Do I have ADHD?” or arrives with a diagnosis they found online? Learn how to navigate diagnostic conversations with clinical care, appropriate assessment, and confidence.
How to Help a Client Who Struggles to Identify Their Emotions
What do you do when a client struggles to name what they're feeling? Explore six practical strategies therapists can use to build emotional awareness, navigate "I don't know" responses, and help clients understand their internal experiences.
The Difference Between a Client Being Resistant and a Client Not Being Ready
A client who isn't changing isn't necessarily resistant. Learn how to recognize the difference between resistance, ambivalence, and simply not being ready for change.
5 Steps to Building a Community as a New Therapist
Building a career as a therapist doesn't have to mean figuring everything out alone. Here are five practical ways new therapists can start creating a professional community.
When a Client’s Story Reminds You of Your Own Life
Sometimes a client says something that hits surprisingly close to home. Here's how therapists can recognize personal resonance without letting their own experiences take over the work.
The Things You Only Learn After You Start Seeing Real Clients
There are some things you simply can't learn from a textbook. Once you start seeing real clients, you begin learning how to tolerate uncertainty, manage your reactions, use supervision, recover from mistakes, and develop the confidence that comes from actual clinical experience.
The Difference Between Knowing a Technique and Knowing When to Use It
Knowing a therapy technique is one thing. Knowing when, how, and why to use it with a particular client is an entirely different skill. Learn how new therapists can move beyond memorizing interventions and begin developing the clinical judgment that makes therapy responsive and effective.
When a Client Wants You to Tell Them What to Do
When a client asks, “What would you do if you were me?” it can leave a new therapist wondering whether they should give advice or redirect the question. Learn how to support clients without taking over their decisions—and how to develop the clinical judgment to know when guidance is appropriate.
The Client Who Doesn't Want to Change: What Are You Actually Supposed to Do?
When a client keeps talking about the same problem but doesn't seem ready to change, it's easy for new therapists to feel frustrated and responsible. Here's how to work with ambivalence, stuckness, and the pressure to make progress happen.
When You Realize You Made a Mistake With a Client
Realizing you made a mistake with a client can send even a good therapist into a spiral. But mistakes aren't always clinical disasters. Learn how to assess what happened, take appropriate responsibility, seek support, and use difficult moments to grow.
You Can Be a Therapist and Still Have Bad Coping Skills
Being a therapist doesn't mean you've mastered every coping skill you teach. You can understand avoidance, boundaries, and emotional regulation and still struggle with them yourself. Here's why that doesn't make you a bad clinician.
When Being a "Good Therapist" Starts Turning Into Over-Functioning
Caring deeply about your clients is part of being a good therapist—but when caring turns into feeling responsible for their progress, it can become over-functioning. Here's how to recognize the difference and build more sustainable clinical boundaries.
When You Disagree With Your Supervisor
At some point, every developing therapist will disagree with a supervisor. Learn how to question clinical guidance respectfully, advocate for your clients, and develop your own professional judgment without becoming defensive.
Why New Therapists Are So Afraid of Getting It Wrong
The transition from therapist-in-training to practicing clinician can come with an overwhelming fear of getting something wrong. Learn why uncertainty is normal, how supervision can help, and why becoming a good therapist isn't about being perfect.
What Happens When You Don't Like Your Client?
Therapists aren't going to naturally connect with every client. Learn why disliking a client doesn't make you a bad therapist—and how self-awareness, supervision, boundaries, and curiosity can help you navigate the relationship professionally.
What Nobody Tells You About Your First Difficult Client
Your first difficult client can make you question everything you thought you knew about being a therapist. Here's what new therapists should know about difficult therapeutic relationships, boundaries, supervision, and learning to tolerate uncertainty.
Nobody Tells You How Much of Being a Therapist Is Making Decisions
Therapist training teaches you how to listen, assess, and understand—but the day-to-day reality of being a therapist involves making decisions constantly. From choosing interventions to navigating boundaries and knowing when to seek consultation, clinical work requires judgment, flexibility, and confidence that develops over time.