Lessons from the Playroom 157. Why Therapists Attract the Clients They Do
In this engaging episode, Lisa Dion brings together three guests that are near-and-dear to her heart: Michelle Wayman, Mili Shoemaker, and Lisa Walton. All three are either Certified Synergetic Play Therapists or Certified Synergetic Play Providers and are joining her from diverse corners of the world - Argentina, Australia and the United States. Together, they embark on a profound exploration of the intricate connections between the therapist and their clients, with a particular emphasis on the intriguing question of why therapists seem to attract the clients they do.
Have you ever found yourself wondering why certain clients gravitate towards you? Have you ever noticed patterns where clients with similar struggles appear in waves on your caseload? Or, that you have clients struggling with the same type of challenges? If so, perhaps this isn’t just a coincidence!
In this episode, Lisa and these amazing therapists explore the multifaceted reasons behind the client-therapist connection. They discuss how therapists often manifest clients who reflect aspects of their own experiences and challenges, shedding light on the idea that the clients we attract serve as mirrors, guiding us toward self-discovery and growth.
Join us as we delve into:
- Why the clients who enter our therapeutic spaces are not random and what they reveal to us about our own journeys.
- How our clients are actually our teachers, mirroring back reflections of our own experiences that we might be avoiding or haven’t yet integrated.
- Why countertransference is not something to fear, but actually something we can embrace to be better therapists for our clients.
- How having an understanding of why we attract the clients we do can transform our work, infusing it with curiosity and self-awareness and offering our clients deeper experiences of co-regulation and healing.
It's a phenomenon that indeed warrants introspection. In this enlightening discussion, you'll discover that clients are not just recipients of therapy—they are our teachers. The moment we gain awareness about why we attract certain clients, we embark on a journey of self-discovery that enriches both our professional practice and personal growth.
This podcast episode is dedicated to every one of our little mirrors who have walked into our therapy spaces and showed up in our lives … helping reveal to us our unfinished business so we can know where to shine the spotlight, where to do our own work, and where to keep healing within ourselves … and offering us the gift of healing within ourselves in order for us to keep showing up for our others in more expansive and meaningful ways 💕
Podcast Resources:
- Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
- Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website
- FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey
- Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity
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