As you are considering exploration and expression of your inner self, please consider:  
 

• Where do you turn when triggered in your work, and in your life? Who do you reach out to via phone/txt/group?  Who are your key attachment figures?
• How do your attachment figures respond to your needs?
• Who has earned the right to hear your story, your vulnerabilities?  (from Brené Brown)
• How do you respond to your own needs?
• Who/what is your ANCHOR© - that secure place that helps you ride the waves of life?
• Consider various relationships - partner, children, family, friends, self, colleagues, groups, supervisor(s), mentor/therapist, higher power (God, Universe)
• What does this relationship give/do for you?  Consider bodily affect, core belief in self, grounding.
• What are you able to give to this relationship?

 
For many of us, we work in private practice in isolation; we are in the room with our clients on our own.  So then what?
 
I have grown to appreciate that the more secure I have become in myself, in the responses of trusted colleagues/family/friends, I have grown more secure, capable and able in my work with clients.  Trusting I am in the hearts of my colleague family of friends, the more I am able to hold onto the truth of not being alone in my life, the more secure I can be when I am on my own.  It is distinguishing feeling alone versus lonely sometimes.  Our work can be very lonely and isolating.  Holding onto that sometimes people can’t be right there at the very moment you reach out, but knowing and trusting they care, and will respond when they can, helps soothe us when we are on our own. 
 
Reading Reflection:  Consider the above questions in your personal journal, reach out to a secure attachment figure, or share here.
 
Next Up: Phase 2 – The Felt Experience in Reach and Response

This portion of the model will be broken down over a few weeks, in order to provide an opportunity for each aspect to be explored.  We will continue with awareness of the experiences in our work, will progress through a few different exercises each week, and then summarize this phase of the model.
 
In Phase 2 of A-E-I framework (the "E"), we begin to explore the inner workings of the therapist, who he/she is, his/her story, and experiences as a therapist and human being.   We delve more deeply into the model of self of the therapist, how we see ourselves, in the context of our work.  Additionally, the intention is to learn what to do with these places when we get triggered or stuck, as well as how to better utilize these aspects of our story to benefit the work.  The icing on the cake is that the therapist may just very well receive healing they need around some very old wounds, which is just such a wonderful bonus! 
 
Exploring your self in the context of your work is a challenging experience.  I encourage you to team up with a colleague buddy, or seek out individual consultation as you begin this exploration.
 
Elements of Phase 2 include:

• Exploring the identify of Self, core beliefs, identity, psychodynamic framework of the therapist
• Core family of origin relationships, familiar aspects of our history that we may experience with the client, core belief in self as pertains to view of others
• Facilitate expression of needs within Self, with others
• Promote validation and acceptance of emotions, Self, response from key attachment figures

 
Initial questions to explore:

• How do I see myself as a therapist? 
• Do I see a competent individual, capable of great work? 
• Do I see a new (or old), stumbling individual trying to learn all sorts of ways to help people? 
• Am I competent and confident, or am I insecure and unsure?
• How do I compare to others in my field?  Am I average, do I fall short, do I exceed my expectations?

 
A few of the core areas that therapists have expressed a personal/professional challenge in being a therapist include:

• Competence
• Learning Style Challenges
• Being/Doing Enough
• Failure in Business
• Financial Matters/Making a Living
• Abandonment/Loss of Clients
• I Don’t Matter
• Something Wrong with Me
• Taken Advantage Of
• Perfectionism

 
Yes, we are human, too!
 
Reading Reflection: explore above questions in your personal journal, with a buddy, consultant, or feel free to comment here.
 
Next Up:  Phase 2 ~ Expression of Self ~ Safe Places to Express Yourself