Tag: Therapy experience

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Has Your Therapist Really Heard Your Story?

A sunset sky fades from orange to deep purple over a calm ocean. Bold cream text reads: “Did your therapist really hear you?” with a thinking face emoji placed beside the words. The design feels warm, reflective, and inviting, evoking curiosity and self-reflection.

When you think back on therapy you’ve had, or maybe therapy you’re in right now, what stands out?

Many people tell me they loved their therapist’s kindness, or they felt safe, seen, and heard for the first time in years. Others share a very different experience: sessions felt surface-level, not connected, or the real issues – trauma, heartbreak, betrayal, or childhood wounds – never seemed to get airtime.

💭 So here’s our challenge to you:
What did you most want from therapy, and did you get it? Be brave, and say it.

  • Did you wish your therapist had asked about your past?
  • Did you feel your trauma was addressed – or avoided?
  • Did you want more practical tools?
  • Or simply someone to sit with you and really listen?
  • Something else?

For Couples

If you’ve been in couples therapy, the answers can be even more layered:

  • Did you want the therapist to take your side – or to truly stay neutral?
  • Did you feel they understood the depth of your pain when conflict flared?
  • Did the sessions get stuck in communication skills, or did they help you reach the real wounds beneath the fights?
  • Is there more?
  • Did you and your partner walk out closer… or further apart?

So many couples tell me:
“We just wanted hope.”
“We wanted to feel safe again.”
“We wanted to know if love could be rebuilt.”

Why Your Answers Matter

I train and supervise therapists across Australia and internationally. Time and again, therapists ask: “What do clients actually want from us?”

It’s one thing to study models and techniques. It’s another to hear directly from the people therapy is meant to help – you.

Your words, even a single sentence – could change how therapists are taught, how they listen, and how they show up for the next person who sits across from them.

Share Your Thoughts (Anonymously if You Wish)

👉 Pop your response in the comments below. If you’d prefer, you can write “Anonymous” instead of your name.

I’ll gather these insights (without identifying details) and share them with therapists in training, so your voice can help shape the future of therapy.

✨ Whether you’ve had years of therapy, just a few sessions, or you’re considering it for the first time, your perspective is invaluable.

So I’ll ask again. And this time, I dare and care you to answer:
What did you most want from therapy – as an individual or as a couple? And did it feel like you got it?

📌 Please note: Comments are for reflection and learning, not a substitute for professional support. If you need urgent help, reach out to your GP, a counsellor, or Lifeline (13 11 14 in Australia).

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Psychology Employability post graduation…

I was honoured to be invited to the University of Western Sydney (UWS) Careers Expo this week.

As an alumni of UWS, Karin Fehlmann of Employer Liaison Coordinator Careers, Office of Employ-ability and Graduate Success found me on LinkedIn. Heads up it’s another great network to belong to.

Panel members included psychologists from the NSW Department of Education, Juvenile Justice, the Australia Psychological Society, Learning Links and the College of Professional Psychology.

As part of the Employability Panel we were asked questions by students. Here’s some of my advice for those early in their counselling career.

What advice would you give to students with regard to career planning and career options that you wish you would have known when you started off ?

Gain business, administration and presentation skills. Do a course in running a business. Be familiar with Excel, Word, PowerPoint, know how to type and be Social Media savvy.

I did a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment, this proved very useful and launched me into a training contract. Early on I learnt to touch type and have never looked back.

·         What skills did you gain when you first started that assisted you to transition into the roles you have now?

I had people come up to me after the panel and say how much it meant to them to hear how my call centre experience when I first arrived in Australia. Customer service skills and problem solving abilities in the workplace, in your life are transferable skills. They are attractive to employers as they demonstrate you are well rounded.

·         What are key skills required that can be developed?

Perseverance, adaptability and a yes mindset are key. Working as an intern in Relationships Australia I had field experience from the ground up. Invaluable for running a business organization and my psychology practice.

social media networking is a key part of of career planning for psychology graduates

·         How important has networking been to your career? Any tips?

Networking and have mentors is vital. I am the Randwick Mental Health Professionals Network Coordinator. The MHPN is a fabulous and free place to gain professional development points and meet others in your local area. Other psychologists are a great referral source. I like to have a mental health referrals for all over Australia. I get phone calls around the country, so I love to share my networks.

My other advice for early career therapists is to identify gaps and fill them. Aged Care, Employment Services, your local Council wherever other people may love your idea to run a mindfulness meditation group. Offer to give a presentation at an interagency. Belong to your professional body and associations. Join your Social Media groups – LinkedIn – please connect with me. Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube,Facebook join ours here: Resource Therapy Group on Facebook

Of course the classic advice still holds true. Volunteer for an organization – Lifeline, meals on wheels or training event. This gives you real world experience. I started out Youth line Wellington. It was a great opportunity and challenging.

At the Resource Therapy Institute we have had volunteers on our training workshops in the past. They get thousands of dollars of free training and benefit from networking with other health carers.

What’s your experience and suggestions you would offer an early graduate ?

Love to hear your thoughts and reflections. Please use the comment box, scroll down to the bottom. Thanks Philipa

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