Therapists often choose this profession due to a desire to help and understand others. But responding to the emotional needs of clients can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t take the time to care for yourself.
If you’re feeling emotionally drained, you might be suffering from burnout. In this guide, we’ll explore burnout in therapists, how to recognize the signs, and what to do to combat burnout.
What Does Burnout Look Like In A Therapist?
Therapist burnout can be both mentally and physically draining. There are three primary components to burnout.
- First, there’s emotional exhaustion.
- Second, depersonalization, or a loss of empathy.
- Third, a reduced feeling of achievement.
There’s a clear emotional component to therapist burnout. It’s often assumed that therapists have endless patience and a deep reservoir of empathy. These two traits are key to running a successful therapist practice, but no therapist is infallible.
If you’re struggling with burnout, it can feel like you’ve exhausted your emotional supply. You can’t provide the client with what they need, and trying to do so makes you feel worn out. In turn, you don’t feel like you’ve accomplished anything.
Burnout is often characterized as an imbalance between resources and demand. A heavy workload can feel like constantly giving, and at some point, you might run out of resources. When this happens, you lose enthusiasm, and your work and home life suffer.
Recognizing Signs Of Therapist Burnout
Early signs of burnout tend to be a lack of enthusiasm toward work. You feel like you’re dragging yourself into every session, and you struggle to give it your all. Signs of burnout in therapists include:
- Dreading going to work.
- Thinking about canceling appointments, and actually canceling appointments.
- Daydreaming during appointments, and losing track of the conversation.
- Repeating the same advice.
- Feeling a lack of purpose, or wondering if you’re making a difference.
- Advising to provide quick solutions, rather than instigating real change.
- Lacking empathy.
- Feeling like there is a barrier between you and your job.
- Physical symptoms such as headaches and stomachaches.
- Lack of sleep, or feeling tired even after a long rest.
It isn’t unusual to feel these things at fluctuating levels throughout your career. These signs can act as an indication that you need to make a small adjustment to your lifestyle.
But when you’re experiencing these signs for a sustained period, you’re probably suffering from burnout.
What Causes Burnout In Therapists?
There can be numerous causes of burnout in therapists, from social issues to the political climate to financial struggles. However, in many cases, therapist burnout can be linked to emotional overworking.
Therapist burnout can be the result of an intense caseload. Dedicating too much time to work limits downtime, meaning you lose opportunities to take care of yourself. Long work hours can often encroach on personal time, preventing you from “switching off” at the end of the day.
A heavy caseload can also lead to a build-up of administrative tasks. These tasks are essential for a healthy practice, but we often fail to dedicate enough time to them.
If you find yourself fitting administrative tasks into every spare moment, you might start experiencing burnout.
But it isn’t just busy days that can cause burnout. As a therapist, you are frequently exposed to distress, trauma, anxiety, and more. You were probably drawn to therapy because you are an empathetic person who enjoys helping others.
But responding to emotional demands daily can cause your emotional wells to become depleted. You might find all your focus is on other people’s needs, and you take their stress home with you at the end of the day.
Burnout can also be caused, or amplified, by stressors outside the workplace. Home and family problems can feed into burnout, causing further emotional exhaustion and encroaching on your downtime. The political climate can also cause or exacerbate burnout.
What Can You Do To Combat Burnout
All therapists should make self-care part of their routine. These steps are intended to keep your work and personal life balanced, give you a chance to switch off, and help you recognize stress before it becomes burnout.
Establish Boundaries
Work needs to be left at work—you don’t have the emotional capacity to carry everyone’s burdens. Establish firm boundaries that allow you to separate work from home.
Don’t Pack Your Schedule
We know, it’s easier said than done, but one of the best ways to avoid burnout is to make sure you don’t push yourself too hard. Leave room in your schedule to decompress between clients.
Speak To Your Peers
Being a therapist is a largely individual job, but a supportive community can help you combat burnout. Reach out to peer support groups to connect with people who fully understand the stresses of the job.
Make Time For Your Hobbies
As good as it can feel to come home and crash on the sofa, this isn’t the best thing for your mental health. Try and dedicate some of your free time to engaging in a passion or a hobby.
Get Physical
You probably spend most of your working day sitting down. If you don’t have time to get to the gym, add some movement to your routine. Stretch between clients and walk around on your lunch break.
Adjust Your Client Base
No client is ever what you’d describe as “easy”, and no matter what complaint they come to you with, you always need to provide the best care possible. But if you spend most of your days hearing about intense trauma, it’s going to start having an effect.
If you’re struggling with burnout, consider how to adjust your client base
Check In With Yourself
Burnout can sneak up on you if you don’t pay attention to the signs. Take the time to check in with yourself, assess how you feel about work, and consider how you’re approaching your caseload.
Final Thoughts
Burnout can make you feel as if you’ve been drained of all empathy and emotion. For a therapist, the emotional load of the job can seriously impact your ability to perform. Stay alert for signs of burnout by practicing self-care, and taking the time to assess your own emotional needs.