Psychotherapists who abstain from personal therapy: do they practice what they preach?

Abstract

The authors examined the attitudes and reasons of 119 American psychologists, counselors, and clinical social workers who had never sought personal therapy. Nontherapy seekers, compared to therapy seekers, expressed less-positive attitudes toward its value as a prerequisite for clinical work and for ongoing professional development. Women, men, and members of all three professions were equally likely to have sought therapy, but cognitive-behavioral therapists and academics were significantly less likely to do so. Top reasons for not undergoing personal therapy entailed dealing with stress in other ways, receiving sufficient support from friends and family, believing coping strategies were effective, and resolving the problem before therapy was needed. The likelihood of seeking personal treatment in the future as well as reasons for doing so are discussed.

Utilization of personal therapy by psychotherapists: a practice‐friendly review and a new study

“…It is evident from this study that most therapists in English-speaking countries do indeed ''practice what they preach'' (Norcross et al, 2008), as therapists clearly also do in many European countries . Substantial majorities were found across professional disciplines, theoretical orientations, experience levels, age, and gender.…”

“…Seeking therapy was associated with year in the training program, believing that therapy was necessary to training, having positive attitudes towards help seeking, and concerns about confidentiality. However, a proportion of therapists choose not to undertake personal therapy, citing sufficient social support and a belief in their own understanding of coping strategies for the maintenance of their well-being (Norcross, Bike, Evans, & Schatz, 2008). (Wiseman & Shefler, 2001).…”

Factors for Personal Counseling Among Counseling Trainees

“…In an effort to train ethical and well‐adjusted counselors, it is important that we understand any potential barriers that prevent mental health professionals and trainees from seeking therapy, or whether these individuals differ from their therapy‐seeking counterparts in any meaningful way. To this end, Norcross, Bike, Evans, and Schatz () surveyed 119 therapy‐declining American psychologists, counselors, and social workers in an effort to determine the existence of perceived barriers to therapists seeking their own therapy. The authors also examined the participants' attitudes about personal therapy.…”

“…Importantly, several earlier studies (Deutsch, ; Gilroy, Carroll, & Murra, ; Norman & Rosvall, ) did not list many of these reasons as possible responses. Therefore, until the research by Norcross et al (), it appeared that issues of cost or concerns about confidentiality were the most prominent barriers to clinicians seeking personal therapy. Indeed, the authors also reported that only 31% of therapy decliners indicated that they were likely to ever seek therapy.…”

“…In general, there is a lack of research concerning the discipline of counseling as a whole, with extant research focusing primarily on psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, or counseling psychologists. Studies that include counselors usually do so as one discipline among an array of mental health professions (Norcross et al, ). Furthermore, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) does not require trainee counseling as a training component (CACREP, ).…”