EP 2.5: Behind the Scenes: When Therapists Become Clients with Dr. Elena Herrera

Why is it so hard to be in therapy as a therapist?

Why is it so hard sometimes to be a therapist for other therapists? 

What happens when we sit down and try to play this game we play with each other?

I’ve been wanting to do an episode on therapists as clients since I conceived of this show, so I’m excited to share my conversation with Dr. Elena Herrera today.

Dr. Herrera specializes in working with therapists as clients, and shares some unique insights about challenges and patterns she has noticed in her work, as well as frequent themes of shame and embarrassment and fear of judgment that come up when therapists seek therapy.

We also dug into the broader issues of therapists feeling that they need to have achieved “well-adjustedness” in order to be good therapists, what it is that makes seeking therapy as a therapist feel so very vulnerable, and what happens when our work comes with us into the room.

Dr. Elena Herrera is a bilingual (English/Spanish) speaking psychologist with over 15 years of experience treating adults, youth, and families. She has worked in college counseling centers, children's crisis clinics, and community mental health clinics helping clients from various ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. She has experience working with a range of populations, from people facing extreme emotional crises, to college students adjusting to life away from home, and engineers and techies experiencing burn out and fatigue. Dr. Herrera is also a clinical supervisor, training and mentoring future psychologists. Currently, her practice focuses on treating men and women in tech and engineering, couples, and other therapists.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• The challenges of maintaining professional boundaries and distance when working with someone whose experiences may be so similar to your own
• Why seeking therapy evokes so much shame for therapists
• The layered fear of judgment, personally and professionally, that often comes up for therapists in therapy
• Why letting go of the therapist identity feels so vulnerable
• What happens when therapists bring their work with them into therapy
• Why it’s vital for therapists to put aside rigid rules and listen when a client reveals boundary or ethical violations

Learn more about Dr. Elena Herrera:

• Herrera Psychological Services
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-herrera-psy-d-9737024/
• Facebook: @DrElenita

Learn more about Riva Stoudt:

• Into the Woods Counseling
• Instagram