As a therapist with a background in nursing, I’ve come to realise that my dual professional identities have significantly influenced the way I respond to critical incidents in the therapy room, especially medical emergencies. Over the years, I have encountered a range of acute situations with clients, including serious self-harm injuries and, sadly, even a client's death. These moments, while deeply challenging, have shaped my understanding of what it means to be fully present and responsive in a crisis.
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When these emergencies have occurred, I found myself instinctively switching into "nurse mode", acting swiftly and calmly, often without conscious thought. I would manage wounds, initiate emergency protocols, and ensure the immediate safety of the client. At the time, I simply did what needed to be done, without hesitation or panic. My focus was always to serve the client in front of me, adapting in the moment to offer the best possible care, even in the most distressing of circumstances.

It wasn’t until I brought these experiences into clinical supervision or peer discussions that I began to understand how unique my response was. Fellow therapists often expressed disbelief or discomfort, admitting they would feel unprepared or overwhelmed in similar situations. Many shared that they had never received training or guidance on how to handle medical emergencies within a therapeutic context.
This was a turning point for me.....

I realised that there is a significant gap in our professional training: we are taught how to work with emotional crises, but not medical ones. Yet, in practice, these two can and do co-occur, especially when working with high-risk or vulnerable populations.
From this awareness, a deep passion was born. A strong call to support fellow therapists in building confidence and readiness for handling medical emergencies in the therapy room. My aim is to offer practical tools that are grounded in both psychological and medical best practices, and to help others feel more equipped should the unexpected occur.

I believe that by sharing my experiences and offering concrete techniques, we can bridge this gap and create safer, more responsive therapy spaces, not just for our clients, but also for ourselves as practitioners.
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