Reflecting on 2024
2024 seems to have flown by, and I can’t believe I’m reflecting on a full year in my last working week before I go on leave for 2 weeks from Friday 20th December 2024. Lots has happened, and there are exciting things in the pipeline for next year, so in this post I’ll share some of my thoughts and plans for the year ahead.
Professional shifts
I had a busy start to the year, as I presented my portfolio to become a Creative Arts Practitioner, and also submitted my final written piece for my accreditation with UKCP as a psychotherapist. I was delighted to pass both assessments, and have regained so much mental bandwidth that I’ve been able to apply to new projects and opportunities, and I feel more energised and excited about future potential.
2025 will mark the 5-year anniversary of the launch of my private practice, which is bizarre and wonderful! When I started, I didn’t know if it would work out financially or practically, or if I would enjoy it enough to push through the challenging, frustrating days that would inevitably occur. I certainly didn’t anticipate that it would coincide with a pandemic that would upend many of the first steps I’d taken! And yet here we are, and I am so grateful and happy to be doing a job I love, and to be working with so many brilliant human beings; long may it continue.
Alongside my private practice work with individual clients, I’ve also been delivering monthly wellbeing workshops for a local charity, and facilitating fortnightly Creative Being sessions. It’s been refreshing to have a mixture of work to get stuck into, and it’s been a privilege to meet people with such varied experiences and stories to tell. I’m delighted that both of these areas of my work will continue in 2025, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they evolve. If you’re interested in joining the Creative Being sessions, they’ll be restarting from Monday 13th January 2025, and you can find out more and purchase tickets here.
I’ve been approached by a lot of trainee and newly-qualified therapists about getting support with setting up and maintaining a private practice this year, and have recently launched a new mentoring service to meet this demand. Supporting other therapists in their private practice journeys is one of my passions, so if this is something you’re interested in, you can find out more here.
Personal shifts
Having continuously been in my own personal therapy for 8 years, and worked with 3 different therapists in that time, in February I decided that the time was right to close that chapter for now. It coincided with my therapist’s decision to retire, and although I’m sad to no longer work with them, it’s been refreshing to have space to be without feeling like I have to analyse all aspects of my life! I’ve recently started having monthly Therapeutic Creative Arts sessions to explore some more of my “stuff” with a different lens, and it’s been fascinating to see what emerges.
I’ve had the privilege of attending the wedding of one of my school friends, and several of my oldest friends have had children this year, and it’s been a joy to step into being “Auntie Emma”! This is a time in life when my peers and I are experiencing a wide spectrum of changes, challenges and opportunities, from career progression, to buying a first home, to navigating health conditions and caring responsibilities. I often remind myself that there are no “absolutes” in life, nor are there any specific “right” times to reach any particular milestones, so if you’re finding yourself comparing where you’re at in life to those around you, I hope that this is a useful reminder for you too.
My word of the year for 2024 was ‘Connection’, and I’ve been making a conscious effort to seek out and create more meaningful opportunities for it personally and professionally. I’m a member of an online writing group, and several of us gathered every week for 3 months to work through Julia Cameron’s ‘The Artist’s Way’, which was good fun and gave me lots of food-for-thought professionally as well as personally. It’s been wonderful to get to know new people, as well as re-connecting with and maintaining existing friendships, and I plan to continue with this in 2025.
Future plans
2025 is already shaping up to be a busy year for me! Personally, I’ve got several exciting trips away in the diary, a wedding to attend, and creative hobbies to reintroduce into my routine. I’ve been committing to regular PT and gym sessions every week, and am looking forward to continuing with both of these, as they make a huge difference to my sleep and overall energy and headspace. Finding, creating and making space for joy is going to be my priority!
Professionally, I’ll be continuing with my usual client work alongside the Creative Being sessions and wellbeing workshops for the local charity. I’ve decided to focus on developing my existing skills rather than starting longer-term training in new areas for now, as I want to give myself room to breathe and notice what I’m drawn to. I hope to develop the mentoring aspect of my work, as it really is something I love!
I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me and my practice, whether you’ve been there right from the start or have only just stumbled across me; it really does mean the world. My biggest thanks go to each and every client who has shared so much of themselves, and allowed me to be alongside them as they work through their “stuff”.
At the time of publishing this post, I’m not taking on new clients until mid-January 2025 at the earliest. If you’re interested in the possibility of working with me, keep an eye on my social media (@emmapooleytherapy on Instagram and Facebook), or check back on this website for the latest updates.