Do Therapists in Recovery Make Better Therapists?

“Can I work with a therapist who is in recovery because I know they get it?”  I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this question asked while working in treatment centers over the years.  Clients will request a transfer from therapists who honestly acknowledge that they are not in recovery despite having excellent credentials and experience.  But is it true?  Do therapists in recovery make better therapists to clients with Substance Use Disorder?  I cannot deny that a therapist in recovery may understand what it is like to use and detox from drugs or sit in handcuffs while waiting to be bailed out of jail by angry family members but do those experiences give them a leg up on joining clients?  My response to clients always includes my dreaded Mount Everest speech. 

I am fascinated by mountaineering.  I watch videos, documentaries and I’ve read every one of Ed Viesturs books on the topic  I’ve climbed a few mountains (walk ups) like Mount Saint Helens and Mount Washington but nothing like Mount Everest or K2.  People pay upwards of $65,000.00 hiring guides to deal with permits, food, porters, yaks and all the leg work needed to succeed at their own summit bid.  I noticed that these expedition outfitters usually offer two types of guides.  There is the guide (usually the owner) sitting at advanced base camp watching with binoculars to make sure the team doesn’t go off track or get lost.  They track the weather with expensive weather reading equipment making sure they communicate updates.  Guide #2 is usually a Sherpa (people native to Tibet and Nepal).  The Sherpa guide walks up the mountain with the team setting ropes, encouraging team members and making sure clients are safe.  So here is the big question?  Which guide is more valuable?

The answer is pretty clear.  You need both.  Climbing without weather readings, food, porters and yaks will likely mean catastrophe is inevitable.  It is also safe to say that climbing without the knowledge and strength of the Sherpa could mean you don’t come home.   Ed Viesturs is famous for saying, “Getting to the top is optional.  Getting down is mandatory.”  A simple quote but one that certainly changes ones perspective when considering such an endeavor as summiting an 8,000 meter peak.  

I realized that to make summiting a safe endeavor you need both guides.  I believe the same wisdom applies when comparing therapists who are in recovery versus therapists who are not.  You can benefit from the perspectives, experiences and education of both.  I've battled clients over this topic as many believe they will receive better counsel from a therapist in recovery and they hold on tight to that belief.  We all (at one time or another) engage in cognitive dissonance which is a recipe for stagnancy and confinement with our own limited thoughts and beliefs.

The term cognitive dissonance is common among therapists and we battle that internal resistance every day (both within ourselves and with clients).  The definition is fairly simple but it is so difficult for humans to battle.  It reads:

“Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong.  When they are presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new evidence cannot be accepted.  It creates a feeling that is extremely uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance.  And because it is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalize, ignore and even deny anything that doesn’t fit in with that core belief.”  

We all remember the dreaded election between Trump and Biden.  You are probably feeling dread just thinking about it.  The lovely hardcore Trump and Biden supporters who often fought (sometimes physically) over who was right refusing to listen to the other person’s argument.  I always wondered why?  It’s not like we can control who someone votes for so why not listen?  They were each experiencing cognitive dissonance and neither wanted their core beliefs challenged. 

When a client has concerns about working with a therapist who is not in recovery, I remind them of the dangers of dissonance.  It is my experience that most people want to heal and once we become aware of our tendency to push away ideas that create conflict in our bodies, we can resist and challenge ourselves. If I listened to my own dissonance without a challenge, I wouldn’t be here today writing this blog. 

I have learned over the years that remaining open to new people and new ideas is vital to our success and growth as human beings.  If you go through life only engaging with people who have the exact same experiences and belief systems, you will miss out on new ideas, creativity, wisdom and growth.  My greatest moments are when I lean into discomfort and enjoy the cool connections and experiences that are possible.