A day in the life of an art therapist
When the alarm sounds on Monday morning, Maria Lazopoulou knows the week ahead is unpredictable. Each day in the life of an art therapist is unique. It’s her job as a counsellor to remain grounded and be that reliable constant for her clients, regardless of what they may bring into the room. The more clients, the more challenging this can become. Maria stays centred by practising self-care and getting support from a supervisor, who helped her overcome impostor syndrome. Her Adminly Virtual Assitant has taken over draining admin tasks, so there’s more time to enjoy with family and expand her private practice.
Supporting clients with arts counselling
Maria finds it extremely rewarding to witness and facilitate the growth of another human being. As an art therapist, part of her job is challenging behaviours to bring about positive changes in her clients’ lives. This type of confrontation is not easy, but it’s essential. No two sessions are alike because each client brings something different into the room. The only constant throughout these sessions is Maria. She must maintain herself intact throughout a multitude of situations to really be there for her clients. At the same time, her schedule can rapidly change according to her clients’ needs. By the time Friday hits, the work week looks nothing like the schedule initially planned for Monday.
Overcoming impostor syndrome as a therapist
Perhaps the biggest struggle of working with clients is overcoming impostor syndrome. Many therapists wonder if they really have adequate skills and experience for this type of work. Eventually, Maria realised this voice of doubt only stops you from developing your expertise. Supervision provided a more encouraging voice to follow and is a continual source of courage for further growth. A good supervisor can be trusted to share constructive criticism and an invaluable perspective, without judgement. In fact, it was Maria’s supervisor who helped with confronting her impostor syndrome.
Maintaining a self-care routine every day
Self-care is extremely important for staying centred and managing the unpredictable work of arts counselling. Maria also has clinical supervision and psychotherapy to ensure that she truly provides the best support for her clients. Physical health is obviously important, so being active and having regular medical check-ups are musts. Though her daily schedule can easily be turned upside down, Maria has established morning and evening routines: her constants. During her morning shower, Maria envisions adorning herself with armour for the day. The evenings are for doing something relaxing, like putting on a face mask and watching mindless TV. At the weekend, the best way to recharge is to spend extra time with loved ones, especially her son.
Getting support from a Virtual Assistant
Maria considers having a Virtual Assistant another vital part of self-care. Dealing with all the admin outside of art therapy sessions, especially in the midst of developing her private practice, would be too much without a Virtual Assistant. Interacting with another human makes business planning more enjoyable, raising levels of inspiration and keeping procrastination at bay. Maria has been able to hand over draining tasks, like invoicing clients, and find a rhythm that works really well for her. A day in the life of an art therapist can be full of many surprises, but thankfully Maria has a Virtual Assistant to help reduce the workload. With extra time, it’s possible to increase her caseload of private clients, while also spending more quality time with family.
