The Hard Truth: Your Clinical Mindset Might Be Blocking Your Growth

Therapist training is rigorous, ethical, and grounded in service. But it also shapes how you think, act, and even see yourself.

From day one, therapists are taught to:

• Prioritise neutrality over self-expression

• Listen deeply but rarely challenge directly

• Stay behind the scenes, letting the client lead

• Minimise personal needs in the name of client care

These habits are vital in the therapy room but outside of it in business, coaching, or personal growth, they can create inner conflict, paralysis, or underperformance.

Psychologist and leadership expert Dr Valerie Rein calls this "patriarchal conditioning" in healing professions. Therapists are praised for being responsible, self-sacrificing, and quiet rather than visible, confident, and boldly stepping forward.

It is no surprise many therapists feel guilt or fear when they want more.

In therapy, you are trained to hold space. In coaching, you are required to take up space. That shift can feel jarring.

Leadership expert Tanya Geisler describes this transition as moving from "echoing the client’s voice" to "amplifying your own." This does not mean abandoning your clinical ethics. It means stepping into a new kind of service where guidance, visibility, and strong boundaries are part of your impact.

This is about evolving with intention. As psychologist and business coach Dr Julie Hanks says, "You are not abandoning the work. You are expanding its reach."

Therapists who become coaches or consultants are often more ethical. They are building new channels for service and gaining more personal alignment.

You can be clinically grounded and creatively free. You can honour your training and step into coaching in ways that feel authentic. You can still serve, but it’s not from a place of silence, sacrifice, or invisibility.