A therapist can be used to making room for someone else’s experience, then find it less straightforward to speak about their own. That tension is one reason we’re asking qualified therapists about the barriers to talking about our own mental health and getting support.
The role does not tell the whole story
Being a counsellor or psychotherapist does not make someone’s own needs disappear. But the work can bring particular questions: where to turn for support, how professional boundaries fit, and whether it feels possible to speak openly in a professional setting.
These are questions for exploration, not assumptions about what therapists experience. People’s circumstances and views will differ, and the project is intended to make space for that range rather than prescribe one answer.
Listening before drawing conclusions
We want to understand what gets in the way, as well as what might help. Asking therapists directly can contribute to wider discussion and professional learning, without treating any one person’s experience as representative of everyone.
The survey is being developed for qualified therapists and is intended to be anonymous and voluntary. When it opens, we’ll explain what taking part involves, how the information will be used and the limits of confidentiality before anyone decides whether to respond.
Support is not one conversation
Understanding barriers is a starting point, not a promise that a survey can solve them. We hope the findings can inform thoughtful discussion, and that any next steps are shaped with care. For now, the useful question is a simple one: what would make it easier for therapists to seek support when they want it?