Yes, Your Therapist is Human Too

Your Therapist Probably Has a Therapist (Because They are Human Too)

And honestly, that is a Good Thing 

Let us take a moment to name something that might feel a little weird to think about at first: 

Your therapist probably has a therapist. 
And they definitely have stuff. 

They cry. 
They get triggered. 
They mess up in their relationships. 
They doubt themselves. 
They feel lonely. 
They wake up some mornings wondering if they are doing enough, being enough or healing enough, just like you. 

Wild, right? 

We do not talk about this enough. There is this old, unspoken story that therapists are supposed to be these perfectly regulated, all-knowing, serene people floating through life with endless wisdom and patience. 

But here is the truth: therapists are humans first. 

We live in the same world you do. We carry trauma, heartbreak, childhood wounds, insecurities, and nervous systems that get dysregulated too. We are not outside of the healing journey—we are on it. 

Why Therapists Need Therapists (and a Whole Support Team) 

Just like you, we have blind spots. Parts we have avoided. Grief that sneaks up when we are not looking. If we want to show up with integrity in the therapy room—to hold space without projecting or rescuing or numbing out—we need to be doing our own work. Regularly. 

That might mean seeing a therapist, a supervisor, a mentor, or a somatic practitioner. It might mean being in a 12-step group, a support circle, or even a process group where we are the ones doing the crying and integrating. 

And here is something even more beautiful: most therapists are not doing this work alone. 
They have a whole support team behind them—helping them support you. 

How incredible is that? 

The care you receive is often held by a wider web of care. Therapists lean on supervisors, peer consults, bodyworkers, spiritual guides, friends, and sometimes even their own therapist—all so they can stay grounded and attuned in their work with you. 

We are Not Watching from the Sidelines—We are In It, Too 

What I hope you know is that when your therapist sits across from you, they are not watching your pain like it is a movie on a screen. They have been there. Maybe not in your exact story—but in the experience of grief, shame, rage, or disconnection. They know how terrifying and beautiful it is to show up for your own healing. 

They know because they have had to do it, too. 

And that does not make them less qualified—it makes them more trustworthy. They are not preaching from a mountaintop. They are walking the path beside you, just a few steps ahead, holding the lantern. 

Why This Matters 

When we remember our therapists are human, something beautiful opens up. 

We stop trying to perform for them. 
We stop imagining they are judging us. 
We stop assuming they have it all figured out. 

And we realize: we do not have to have it all figured out either. 

Healing is not about perfection. It is about presence. 

And that is what your therapist is offering you—not flawless wisdom, but compassionate humanness. 

So, the next time you wonder, 
“Do they really get it?” 
Just know: 

They probably do. 
Not because they have read the books (though they have). 
But because they have lived the questions. 
They are still living them. 

Just like you. 

P.S. This Isn’t Just a Feel-Good Take — It’s Backed by How Healing Works

Therapists having therapists isn’t just normal — it’s healthy and ethically supported. The best clinical care comes from clinicians who are also doing their own work.

• The American Counseling Association (ACA) and APA Code of Ethics both emphasize the importance of self-awareness, continued self-growth, and supervision to avoid burnout, compassion fatigue, and countertransference.

• Research on therapist effectiveness shows that therapists who engage in their own personal therapy are more empathetic, grounded, and effective in clinical practice.

• Attachment theory and relational neuroscience remind us that healing happens in relationship — and yes, that includes therapists being held in their own healing relationships too.

• Models like Interpersonal Neurobiology (Siegel) and Somatic Psychology affirm that our nervous systems co-regulate — which means your therapist being regulated matters. And regulation often comes from doing their own embodied emotional work.

So yes — your therapist having a therapist?

That’s not a red flag.

It’s a sign they take your healing (and theirs) seriously.

Because healing isn’t about perfection — it’s about presence.

And presence is something we can only offer others when we’re offering it to ourselves, too.

This is how we honor both science and soul in the therapy room.