Tracey Wakefield

Reflections

“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.”
— Carl Rogers

  • What Would My Childhood Self Think of Who I am Today?

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    Tracey Wakefield
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    Inspiration for these reflections can sometimes come from the strangest places. I have been getting gel manicures on and off for probably about the last 15 years. It is a strategy to curb a very long-standing nail-biting habit and a reminder of how far I have come. I love looking at my healthy, strong nails…

  • ADHD and Narrative Therapy: How to Train Your Dragon

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    Tracey Wakefield
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    I remember in my counselling training doing a class on group work. We were tasked with each running a group with our classmates. One of my classmates ran a group meditation session, and we imagined ourselves as animals and explored what the image meant to us. I was a dragon. This image of myself continued…

  • The Grief Felt in Career Transitions

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    Tracey Wakefield
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    In my counselling practice, grief was almost always part of the picture my clients shared with me. We commonly associate grief with the loss of a loved one, but grief has many forms, and one area I think we don’t talk about enough is the grief experienced with job loss and career transitions. Not just…

  • Living in tension and the in-between places

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    Tracey Wakefield
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    I have lived in the in-between most of my life. My early childhood was chaotic; I experienced what I now feel comfortable labelling as ‘chronic instability’. I have come to realise that this has shaped my relationship with certainty. I have also come to realise that I struggle to see life in black and white.…

  • Letting Someone Else In: The Limits of Self-Supervision 

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    Tracey Wakefield
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    “You seem to do a lot of self-supervision” This is a comment I got from my first clinical supervisor. At the time, I took it as a compliment. Yes, I’m really good at talking to myself, and I’m very smart, an exemplary student counsellor, so self-reliant that I don’t even need help processing my practice.…

  • Waiting Mode

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    Tracey Wakefield
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    My ADHD assessment appointment was pushed out by two weeks due to staff sickness. Externally, I was understanding; internally, I was spiralling. Two more weeks of fighting with myself, fighting the urge to create and rehearse a script of what I would say. Fearful thoughts oscillating between, “What if they say I’m fine? What if…

  • What is Supervision?

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    Tracey Wakefield
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    Working in helping professions can be rewarding, challenging, complex, and at times overwhelming. Supervision provides a regular space to pause, reflect, and make sense of what is happening in your professional life. It is a confidential partnership that supports professional development, reflective practice, wellbeing, and effective decision-making. Whether you are navigating challenges, celebrating successes, exploring…

  • “I don’t have anything to talk about”

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    Tracey Wakefield
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    When someone says, “I don’t have anything to talk about“ Throughout my career, I have noticed that there can be resistance to being told to go to supervision. With a common response being “I don’t have anything to talk about.” Often this statement comes from people who haven’t engaged in supervision before and don’t know…

  • Am I Disabled?

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    Tracey Wakefield
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    This is a question I have struggled with for years. By definition, yes. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) defines persons with disabilities as: “…those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society…