In the busy, client-focused world of health coaching and holistic therapy, it’s easy to lose sight of your own needs as a practitioner. You dedicate your time and energy to others, helping them heal, grow, and thrive. But who helps you pause, reflect, and nurture your own professional and personal development? This is where reflective practice comes in.
What Is Reflective Practice?
Reflective practice is a structured, intentional process of reviewing your work, exploring your responses, and identifying areas for growth. It’s not about finding faults but about fostering self-awareness and continuous improvement. For health coaches and holistic therapists, it offers a valuable opportunity to deepen understanding, refine techniques, and ensure a healthy balance between giving and receiving.
Why It Matters for Practitioners?
Many of us work alone in our businesses, so it can sometimes be challenging to find the appropriate space to celebrate our successes as well as to review the darker corners of our working life.
Improves Client Care: When you reflect on your interactions, you gain insights into what worked well and what could be improved. This allows you to approach future sessions with greater clarity, compassion, and confidence, ultimately enhancing the care you provide.
Prevents Burnout: Reflective practice helps you recognize and address signs of fatigue, emotional overload, or professional stagnation. By taking time to focus on your own wellbeing, you can replenish your energy and maintain your passion for your work.
Sharpens Professional Boundaries: As a practitioner, it’s crucial to differentiate between your own emotions and those of your clients. Reflective practice provides a safe space to explore emotional triggers and ensure your responses remain client-focused.
Supports Ethical Decision-Making: Therapists and coaches often face ethical dilemmas, whether it’s managing boundaries, handling sensitive client information, or navigating dual relationships. Reflective practice offers a structured way to think through these challenges and act with integrity.
Fosters Growth and Confidence: By celebrating successes and acknowledging areas for improvement, you build confidence in your abilities. This growth mindset ensures you’re always evolving as a practitioner, which is key to long-term success.
How to incorporate Reflective Practice
Reflective practice can take many forms, including journaling, peer discussions, or facilitated sessions. Whether you choose one-to-one or group settings, the goal is the same: to create a supportive environment for growth and self-awareness.
To get the most from reflective practice, start with attending a facilitated session led by an appropriately experienced and trained Coach or Supervisor, this will provide a and supportive opportunity for self-reflection allowing you to gain greater understanding in yourself as a practitioner, celebrate your successes and safely explore and resolve any issues that may be affecting your work. I’ll have further blogs coming out over the next few months exploring more about these areas.
In caring for others, don’t forget to care for yourself.
Reflective practice is not just a tool for professional development; it’s a form of self-care that ensures you can continue doing the work you love with energy and purpose. If you’re ready to explore how reflective practice can transform your approach, consider starting today—you and your clients will feel the difference.
“Inside everyone of us is a garden and each practitioner has to go back to it and take care of it.” –
Thich Nhat Hanh
A bit about me & my background
Claire is a Functional Health Specialist and Consultant in Workplace Health & Wellbeing at Restoring Balance. She has many hats including:
- Coach
- Multi disciplined trauma informed therapist
- Supervisor & Mentor
- Author & Educator
Lover of all things women’s health and anything remotely taboo, awkward & uncomfortable in the health & equity space
Claire specialises in providing person-centred care for those going on a surgical journey.
Claire hosts and facilitates both group and individual reflective practice/supervision for therapists and coaches.
She works both online and in person from my home-based clinic on Hayling Island, Hampshire.
