Psychologists should embrace visibility in Private Practice

Yesterday, I took a big leap forward. It was time to step out of my comfort zone and do something that, honestly, scared me. 

What was I so afraid of? Being visible. Something as simple as that.

I have genuinely been harbouring fears about being seen. What would people think? Do I look ok? Does my writing make sense? Am I wrong? Would I make a fool of myself? 

Until now, if I posted online, I generally wrote in the third person and in a matter-of-fact manner. I wasn’t comfortable sharing my views or what I could do for people. If I wrote anything I’d check and recheck it a thousand times if I even dared to publish it.

Some might find my fears ludicrous; some might say they are normal. Either way, they were holding me back and preventing me from thriving.

Despite coaching others to become more visible and seeing clients achieve excellent results, I have always stayed in my comfort zone. Pretty much hidden from view. And this mode of operating was far from being true to myself.

So yesterday, I finally bit the bullet and did what I’ve always encouraged others to do today. I wrote in the voice of my authentic self; I talked about myself and didn’t care what anyone thought. I even accompanied that post with a picture—a picture of me.  

I hadn’t done this before because I feared what others might think. I know it was irrational to feel like this, but like many of us, I have a few hangups that I need to work through.

The key to this change? Reflection, asking for help and being reminded that the answers are within me and I was more than capable of doing what I wanted to. I also didn’t need to care what others thought.

I am not ashamed to say that I only achieved this goal because I asked for help. I’m proud to say that for the past five months, I’ve had an amazing coach and mentor who provides me with the space and prompts to solve my own challenges.  She challenges me and helps me see that the answers and solutions I seek are already within me.

It’s amazing what a little help can do for our business lives or for us as individuals. Often we’ll find that when we ask for help, we are guided back to an answer that was already within us but had remained hidden. 

Asking for help, now means that I am no longer invisible and I don’t care who knows that.  I am now making huge strides towards realising my goals, in the same way that I’ve always helped others achieve their goals.