Therapists often find ourselves frequently giving to others. This makes it easy to start feeling burnt out. It’s likely that you often talk about the importance of supportive relationships with clients. You may even find yourself regularly assessing for protective factors in discussions with clients.
But what about you? Do you have supportive relationships that help protect you from therapist burnout?
WHAT CAUSES THERAPIST BURNOUT?
Therapists hold multiple roles. You offer supportive space to your clients. You may spend time coordinating care or connecting clients with others supports. You may find yourself working in an environment with little on-site support for your work. You may even be in private practice and are tasked with the role of a business owner in addition to being a therapist.
These roles don’t even include all the hats you may wear outside of your professional life.
Here are some of the common reasons for burnout I have experienced or heard from others:
- High caseloads – being expected to see more folks than you can adequately serve.
- Caseloads filled with high-needs clients. Not seeing enough of the clients you feel you work best with.
- Lack of support from colleagues or supervisors.
- Lack of time to complete helpful trainings and continuing education.
- Supervisors ignoring your safety / safety concerns.
- Lack of time off to recharge and practice self-care.
When I think back to a period of my career when I was experiencing burnout, multiple of these factors were at play. So, how can you protect yourself against burnout?
PREVENTING BURNOUT WITH PROTECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS
I have found that cultivating certain types of relationships is integral to being able to continue my work as a therapist without experiencing burnout.
-Therapist Peers-
Let’s face it – aspects of our jobs as therapists are odd. You have folks share things with you all day that they may not be talking about anywhere else. You may literally be tasked with dealing with a life-or-death situation in your work. You’re bound by confidentiality, so you aren’t able to just “unload” your day in conversation in the same way others can.
It is important to have therapist peers. These are not necessarily colleagues within your same practice. They may have a different speciality or even live in a different state. The important thing is that they are also therapists and understand the nuances of your work.
Therapist peers are people who understand what it’s like to balance being a therapist and a person. They are people who get the rules of confidentiality. They are aware of the many demands on your time beyond the hours that you’re face-to-face with clients.
Your therapist peers may also offer consultation or encouragement at times. However, the main function of the relationship is for you each to have a place to process and be heard by another who gets what it’s like to be a therapist.
-Consultation Groups-
Consultative relationships are another important protective factor against therapist burnout. These relationships can often get pushed to the back burner once you’re done with supervision or not under any requirement to seek regular consultation.
It’s hard to do this work alone. Having someone, or a group of folks, that you connect with regularly to consult regarding your work as a therapist can be a big factor in your longevity in the field.
You may figure out your own solution as you verbalize a concern to trusted colleagues in a consultation group. The feedback of others can be invaluable, as they may have a totally different approach to your concern that you would’ve never thought about.
Having an ongoing consultation relationship also means that you have someone to reach out to when faced with a tough decision as a therapist. Many of us even have phrasing in our codes of ethics that speaks to the importance of making decisions that would be similar to other similarly licensed colleagues in your situation.
-Encouragers-
I have recently been reminded of the impact encouragers can have in our lives and practice. These are the people who listen to our ideas and remind us of all we have to offer. They are wise and highlight the things we may not be able to see ourselves. That may include talents we overlook or situations that are holding us back.
Encouragers are the cheerleaders that give us the push to take the next step. They are the ones who help us combat imposter syndrome.
Encouragers don’t have to be other therapists. Anyone who knows you well and who exhibits wisdom and compassion can fulfill the role of encourager. You may even find it helpful to have several encouragers who each speak to different areas of your life.
Having encouragers can help you see outside yourself and your situation. Their words may give you perseverance to see something through, or support in pursuing something different.
Encouragers help you get back in touch with your passion for therapeutic work and help reconnect you with your “why.” This passion and purpose are enemies of burnout.
WHAT’S NEXT?
How are you doing in relation to burnout? If you’re struggling with feeling burnt out, you may be experiencing fatigue, feeling cynical about your work or work environment, or feeling ineffective in your role as a therapist.
Taking steps to engage in the three types of protective relationships listed here – Therapist Peers, Consultation Groups, and Encouragers – can help relieve or prevent burnout. You can start seeking out these relationships by posting in therapist groups on social media, sending an email to a listserv of therapists, or letting colleagues know that you’re interested in finding these connections.
Take care of yourself and prevent therapist burnout.
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Michelle F. Moseley is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in NC, and a Registered Telehealth Provider in FL. She believes ALL people deserve respect, compassion, and access to mental and physical healthcare. Michelle specializes in working with survivors of religious trauma and with those who have body image concerns, finding there is frequent overlap in these areas. You can learn more about Michelle by visiting her website at MichelleFMoseley.com or following her on Instagram – @therapy_with_michelle