Therapist Burnout & Self-Care
As therapists, we can often unwittingly absorb our clients' pain, neglecting our own emotional needs in the process. Our drive to help can keep us so singularly focused on the well-being of our clients that we often don't notice our own eroding well-being until it's already led to cynicism or exhaustion. Understanding the roots of burnout for our clients and ourselves, and creating genuine restorative practices, can help maintain presence and passion in our lives and our work. These articles explore burnout myths, the empathy dial, and other topics surrounding effective self-care for therapists. Discover how to best sustain yourself while sustaining others.
It seems counterintuitive that modulating empathy could benefit clients, but when your profession involves caring for others, it can help you maintain... Read more
Many therapists believe their intense care and concern for clients is a form of selfless love. Maybe it’s time to rethink that. Read more
As the bearers and protectors of people’s most intimate thoughts, journeys, and struggles, we notice the tremors of our time reflected in their fears, hopes... Read more
When mental health professionals compare their problems to that of their clients, they risk falling into the trappings of comparative suffering and missing the... Read more
Why would a therapist need to see a therapist? Dr. JaQuinda Jackson discusses the reasons why mental health clinicians need professional help more than anyone... Read more
A therapist reflects on all the ways the profession lends itself to burnout and what you can do to combat that. Read more
Staying fine-tuned to self-care through ongoing self-awareness and regular, mindful personal-battery recharging is imperative for clinicians. Read more
Self-care has long been touted as a panacea for burnout. Emily Nagoski has a different solution. Read more
Is the problem with compassion fatigue that we get tired of being compassionate toward others—or that we aren’t being compassionate toward ourselves? Read more
Therapists aren’t just therapists. They're people, with interests, hobbies, and passions that not only give them fulfillment outside of work, but keep them... Read more
In my years of working with myself and my clients around self-care, I’ve learned that there is no such thing as perfect self-care. Instead, I’ve found... Read more
As any therapist will tell you, self-care is an integral part of our work. When we take care of ourselves, we take care of our clients. But what does... Read more
Part of our lives is being a therapist, but it's not the whole thing. Now and looking beyond coronavirus times, how do we make sure we're doing the things we... Read more
As therapists, our job is to do our best for our clients. But even our best efforts can’t always ensure that therapy will help, or even that we don’t do... Read more
Recently, a therapist has found herself losing steam. She mentally checks out when clients are talking, and constantly feels exhausted. She worries this... Read more
Increasingly, therapists are looking for alternatives to the office-bound rigidity of traditional private practice. In the following interview, The Center for... Read more
In this selection from her 2017 Psychotherapy Networker Symposium Keynote address, Joan Borysenko, a pioneer in the integrated healthcare movement, emphasized... Read more
Jessica, a counselor in her mid-30’s, works at a large, public mental health clinic in a major metropolitan area. Her workday begins early, the alarm... Read more
Many common self-care practices feel like an additional burden to those struggling with burnout. Micro self-care practices, which cost nothing and take... Read more
Tens of thousands of miles away from his practice, a therapist accidentally discovers a new sense of purpose, unable to distinguish the act of giving from the... Read more
Everything you ever wanted to know about surviving burnout Read more
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