Balancing Roles: Clinician, Therapist, Manager – and Ongoing Learner. By Emily Hoskin

In the world of mental health care, we wear many hats. Social Work Clinician. Therapist. Supervisor. Manager. Mentor. The list goes on. With these roles come layers of responsibility, connection, and leadership. Yet, in the midst of holding space for others, making ethical decisions, and keeping teams afloat, it’s easy to overlook something fundamental: our own growth.

It’s a gentle but firm reminder – we are not just professionals; we are also people. And people need care, reflection, learning, and nourishment.

The Self-Care and Professional Development Connection

Often, when we speak about self-care in the clinical world, we reference downtime: rest, mindfulness, boundaries. These are essential. But self-care also includes professional development. Not the rushed online CPD to tick off a requirement, but meaningful, engaged learning that connects us back to our purpose.

Carving out time for professional development can feel impossible in the juggle of full caseloads, team meetings, and home life. Budgets are tight. Calendars are full. But that doesn’t mean the learning has to stop. In fact, it’s often during the busiest seasons that we most need to reconnect with why we do this work.

The Power of Supervision and Reflection

Supervision is not just a compliance requirement. It’s a space for transformation. I encourage every clinician – whether you’re early in your career or decades into practice – to explore your professional development needs through the lens of supervision.

Ask yourself:

• Is there a therapeutic modality I’ve always wanted to learn?

• What do I know about myself as a manager or leader?

• How can I grow my skills in providing more effective supervision to others?

• What feedback have I received that I can turn into a learning goal?

The answers don’t have to lead to a course tomorrow – they’re seeds. Seeds that can grow into deeply enriching professional and personal insights.

Staying Current, Staying Inspired

Staying current in your field isn’t just about regulation compliance. It’s about integrity. It’s about offering our clients the best of what the evidence shows today, not ten years ago. It’s also about staying inspired – keeping your practice alive with curiosity and creativity.

Recently, I had the rare opportunity to take personal time and visit a friend overseas. I hadn’t been to Europe in over twenty years. The trip was meant to be purely personal, but a colleague gently suggested: “Have you considered attending a PD while you’re there?”

It hadn’t crossed my mind. In fact, I didn’t even have the awareness to give myself that permission.

So, I Googled “PD opportunities in Europe.” That simple search led me to one of the most impactful learning experiences of my professional life. In the beautiful city of Prague, I found myself immersed in an international EMDR training, listening to global experts, surrounded by passionate, diverse clinicians. I walked away with more than new skills—I walked away renewed.

Keep the Continuum Open

Here’s the invitation: don’t limit yourself.

Explore opportunities in supervision. Talk to your colleagues about their learning journeys. Challenge the idea that PD must be expensive, local, or tied to a specific accreditation. Look for what moves you, what brings back the spark, what helps you serve better – not just as a therapist, but as a human.

Allow yourself to imagine learning in new ways. Learning as self-care. Learning as community. Learning as legacy.

Stay curious, stay supported, and most importantly, stay open.– Emily Hoskin