Signs You Might Be Burned Out As A Therapist
Signs You Might Be Burned Out As A Therapist
Feeling relief when a client cancels or no show
Fantasizing about not working
Fantasizing about quitting your job
Having consistent and ongoing thoughts like
What if I don’t go into work today?
What else could I do besides being a therapist?
Why did I go into this field?
I’m over it
This is too much
Consistent high levels of anxiety the day before work or before a client session
Lack of empathy for clients
Over empathizing with clients
Taking work home
Feedback from friends and family you are different in an unhelpful/ineffective way
Lashing out (judging, criticizing, blaming, demanding) at friends and family
Lashing out at yourself
Dreading going to work
Looking at the clock/time constantly to see when a session is about to be over
Feeling ineffective at your job
Feeling overwhelmed
Moral injury
Feeling constantly stressed
Loss of motivation
Procrastination
Feeling fearful something bad will happen
Feeling exhausted before, during, and after work
Feeling easily irritable and annoyed
Poor quantity and/or quality of sleep
Nightmares and dreams about clients, work, etc.
Difficulty with boundaries
Over boundaried
Lack of boundaries
Memory issues (forgetting about client details, forgetfulness, inattentive, memory fog)
Health issues such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular issues, cognitive issues, GI issues
Inappropriate crying and anger relative to the situation/experience
Increased
Panic attacks
Anxiety
Depression
Why People Get Burnt Out
Low pay relative to cost of living, debt, loans, etc.
Consistent exposure to trauma, crisis, suicidality, etc. (secondary trauma, compassion fatigue)
High client caseloads (you see clients once every 4-6 weeks, seeing 6-8 clients a day)
Toxic work culture (being expected to come in when sick, no work-life balance, working over normal work hours and it being an expectation, lack of quality supervision, managers/supervisors who lack empathy, etc.)
Administrative work such as meetings, notes, treatment plans, etc.
What You Can Do
Limiting or decreasing number of clients per day
Limiting or decreasing number of clients weekly
Taking extended breaks
Take a vacation
Travel
Spend time in nature (camp, hike, forest bathing, walks, gardening, beach, mountains, etc.)
Take a staycation
Eat nutritious foods
Move your body and exercise
Get quality and consistent amount of sleep
Decrease stress as much as possible
Seek supervision
Seek consultation
Spend time with friends and family (community care)
Spend time taking care of yourself (self care)
Seek and engage in personal therapy
Seek and engage in alternative treatments such as acupuncture, massage, body work, breath work, etc.