A few weeks ago I found out a colleague who used to work on the other side of town now worked close by, so I asked her if she wanted to go to lunch or something. I had a lot on my to do list and I have been pounding the pavement so they say for a while, and so lunches in the middle of the day on the work week outside of the office have been few and far between. I was almost afraid to go because I didn’t want to set back my never-ending to-do list and miss those ever so important to me (that I set for my overachieving self) deadlines.

But I went.

And MAN am I so glad.

Sometimes, even in a setting where I work around other people I start to feel like I live on an island. I was so self-focused and focused on the day to day that I didn’t even realize how much I needed that break in my week. We talked, we relived past work experiences that had been toxic or that we had seen as off the chain, and even laughed about the craziness of a profession we call counseling.

It really hit home for me the importance of reaching out and asking for help, and asking for social interaction with others in the profession. It helps me feel like I’m not so crazy, and we’re not alone.

We can get so focused on our to-do’s, our busy schedules, and the heavy material that we carry from our clients that we can forget that there are others out there, experiencing similar things.

We are not alone.

Say it with me: WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS PROFESSION.

We are not on an island; we are not machines.

The more and more I study counselor self care and how stress effects us, the less I believe I can separate self care and seeking support from others from how well we can do our jobs. I found myself on more than one occasion lately needing to reach out to others for support, to reboot, revitalize, and refocus so that I can be there for my clients, supervisees, and family.

It is our responsibility as mental health professionals to look out for each other in the field and support each other. Together. Put aside our differences whatever they are and be there for our brothers and sisters in the profession. We were made for this connection. This is part of what helps us live and breath what we do.

Jill Osborne, EDS, LPC, CPCS, RPTS