I do think that requiring aspiring therapists to go through therapy themselves is a good idea. I don’t think I’d see one who hadn’t. It’s putting their money where their mouth is, so to speak.

But, does it really make them more effective therapists? All of the ones I’ve seen have been through therapy. It does not make them any better at empathizing with client experience of therapy, it does not make them any more sensitive in their actions, it does not make them any more ethical or professional in their behavior, it does not seem to give them any capacity for self-reflection or dealing with their own stuff so it doesn’t leak into sessions, and it very definitely does not make them better at regulating their own actions and emotions so as not to harm the client.

Or, maybe they’d be even worse if they hadn’t been to therapy?