Combating the End of Day Drain

How I give each client my best

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that I am a worse therapist at 6pm than I am at 10am. Especially if I’ve seen clients back-to-back, and especially if I haven’t taken time to slow down between sessions. By the end of the day I’m hungry, tired, and ready to go home.

If I simply let this happen, I would be providing a disservice to my late clients. Luckily, the ACT Matrix can help me reconnect to what matters so I can do my best work.

Here’s how I use the matrix on myself in between sessions, even if I only have 2-minutes to spare:

Step 1: Who is my next client?

On a sheet of paper I draw a blank matrix and write my client’s name in the center circle.

Step 2: Who & What are important to me about this client in particular?

In the bottom right hand quadrant I list who and what are important to me about this client specifically. I also find it helpful to think about who and what are important to this particular client. The goal here is to get in touch with what matters for them and for me.

Step 3: What might show up to get in the way during our session?

I think about past sessions with this client and try to identify what shows up that gets me stuck. I also consider the time of day and what’s going on with me at that moment.

Step 4: What do I tend to do (in session) when that stuff shows up?

All of my favorite away moves go here.

Step 5: How could I connect to what matters during our session?

And finally I think about how I could be most present with this client here and now.

The entire process takes no time at all, and if I’m in a crunch, I run through the questions in my head instead of on paper.

If you’ve ever felt that end of day drain, you might want to try this for yourself and notice what happens.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jacob Martinez // Through the ACT Matrix