Therapist Burnout Podcast: Mental Health, Business, and Career Tips for Therapists, Counselors, & Psychologists

107: Can I create guardrails for burnout as a therapist?

Can you prevent burnout as a therapist? This episode explores the balance between work life and personal life, the importance of boundaries, and how to navigate systemic challenges in the therapy field. Main Topics: * The concept of guardrails in therapy and personal life * Practical boundary-setting techniques for work-life separation * The impact of systemic issues and environment on burnout * Personal stories of systemic injustice and boundary violations * How to implement small guardrails in daily routines * The importance of saying no and adjusting workloads * Reflections on burnout prevention strategies and the limits of individual efforts * The role of self-awareness and systemic change in therapist wellness Resources & Links: * Oliver Berkman - 4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals [https://www.amazon.com/4000-Weeks-Time-Management-Mortals/dp/059319376X] * Cal Newport - Deep Work [https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Life-Distraction/dp/1455586692] * Mary Oliver - Poem on Our One Wild Life [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43171/the-roof-ancient-and-modern] (related poem) Connect with Jen Blanchette: * Leaving the Chair Newsletter [https://example.com/newsletter] (subscribe for stories, journal prompts, and updates) * Jen’s Website [https://jenblanchette.com/] Connect with Therapist Colleague: * Website [https://therapistcolleague.com/] * LinkedIn [https://linkedin.com/in/therapistcolleague]

106: Imposter Phenomenon and Therapist Burnout 2.0

Subscribe to the Leaving the Chair Newsletter: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb] Are you a therapist who keeps adding certifications, trainings, and credentials, hoping that this one will finally make you feel like you're enough? In this episode, Jen gets personal about the inner voices of imposter phenomenon — the ones that say "I failed," "I'm not cut out for this," and "how did I get it all so wrong?" — and shares the reframes (and the time it actually takes to get there) that helped her find compassion for herself and her journey. IN THIS EPISODE The knowledge trap in independent practice When we're working alone, we rarely get to mirror our expertise back to others — and that silence can make us feel like we're missing something. Jen explores how that feeling can send us chasing certifications instead of addressing what's actually going on. The dog walker who hit different Jen's new dog walker is a former ornithologist who left her career and summed it up simply: "I was never done." That phrase perfectly captures the arrival fallacy — the belief that once you hit a certain milestone (the EMDR cert, the LLLP, the full fee), you'll finally feel like you've arrived. The voices of imposter phenomenon Some of the loudest thoughts Jen experienced during burnout: "I'm not cut out for this. I failed. I worked so hard — how did I get it all so wrong?" She shares why these thoughts are so sticky, and why it can take years (not weeks) to move from being stuck in them to finding a true reframe. Tools for distancing from looping thoughts You already have these tools — now use them on yourself. Jen encourages therapists to apply the CBT and mindfulness techniques they use with clients to their own imposter thoughts: visualizations, cognitive defusion, and anything that creates distance between you and the story your brain is telling. The reframe that took three years "Of course you needed a break." Holding a therapy practice through a pandemic, as a mother of young children — of course that was too much. Jen reflects on the compassion she's finally found for herself, and invites you to find yours too. Slowing down instead of piling on Instead of launching a new program or changing your whole practice model, what if the answer was to prune? To get quiet? To figure out what you actually need? Jen makes the case for softening — and for finding someone to help you sort through it. LINKS & RESOURCES Episode 105 — Certifications and burnout: are you adding credentials to solve the wrong problem? Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/therapist-burnout-podcast-mental-health-business-and/id1698139097 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/therapist-burnout-podcast-mental-health-business-and/id1698139097] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Z1uyhMcqZHh2SH1uCZaZx [https://open.spotify.com/show/2Z1uyhMcqZHh2SH1uCZaZx] Leaving the Chair Newsletter — practical, honest writing for therapists who are burned out, burned through, or just figuring out what's next. Going twice monthly. https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb] Thanks for listening. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a therapist friend who needs to hear it — and subscribe to the newsletter for more at https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb]

105: Should I get a certification as a therapist?

📬 THE LEAVING THE CHAIR NEWSLETTER For therapists done with burnout, overwhelm, and overscheduling — whether or not you're leaving the chair. Published twice monthly, free, and practical. 👉 Sign up here: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb] ---------------------------------------- In this episode: Jen asks the question therapists are thinking but not saying out loud — are certifications in our field kind of like an MLM? She digs into the research, shares her own EMDR certification journey (including the $6,000 price tag), and gives you a real framework for knowing when a certification makes sense — and when burnout is the actual problem you're trying to solve. ---------------------------------------- What you'll hear: * Why Jen started her private practice — a new baby, heart surgery, postpartum anxiety, and no real options * The training gap from grad school — lots of CBT, almost no trauma treatment, and EMDR had a "voodoo" reputation * Her EMDR journey from PESI training to full EMDRIA certification — and where she actually started to feel competent * The "MLM ladder" in therapy training: training → advanced training → consultation hours → certification → consultant → trainer — and who's making money at each rung * The proliferation of low-barrier certifications and what it means when the fine print says "certification does not imply endorsement of clinical competency" * A side-by-side of a low-barrier DBT credential vs. the DBT-Linehan Board Certification (endorsed by Marsha Linehan herself) * What the 2025 Dodo Bird meta-analysis tells us about therapy modality and outcomes * Why burnout makes training feel like the answer — and why it usually isn't * A practical guide: when to get certified, when it's the wrong move, how to evaluate if a cert is legit, and how to know if burnout is your real issue * Research mentioned: * Boxell et al. (2025) — Dodo Bird meta-analysis, Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. 90 trials, 2014–2024, n=9,637. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-025-09712-7 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-025-09712-7] * Simpson et al. (2025) — EMDR clinical and cost-effectiveness review, British Journal of Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.70005 [https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.70005] * Wampold's contextual model — therapeutic alliance, empathy, positive regard, and therapist responsiveness drive outcomes more than modality * U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs — trauma prevalence statistics Links: * 📬 Leaving the Chair Newsletter (twice monthly, free): https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb] * EMDRIA: https://www.emdria.org [https://www.emdria.org] * DBT-Linehan Board of Certification: https://dbt-lbc.org [https://dbt-lbc.org] * Maine Association of School Psychologists: https://www.masp.org [https://www.masp.org]

Signs of Therapist Burnout You're Probably Ignoring

✨ New: The Leaving the Chair Newsletter Tired of the overwhelm, the over-functioning, and maybe even the therapy chair itself? Leaving the Chair is Dr. Jen's new newsletter for therapists who are ready to stop white-knuckling their careers and start building something that actually feels like theirs. Sign up here: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb] ---------------------------------------- Show Notes — Bonus Episode: Dr. Jen on the Emotionally Wealthy Podcast In this bonus episode, Dr. Jen shares a recent guest appearance on the Emotionally Wealthy podcast with Karen Conlon — licensed psychotherapist, coach, and relationship expert. Karen's show explores how childhood conditioning, emotional patterns, and unexamined beliefs quietly shape the way high-achieving adults show up in love, work, and life. The conversation between Dr. Jen and Karen hits close to home for many therapists: the quiet burnout that doesn't look dramatic, the way we gaslight ourselves into pushing through, and what it actually means to stop over-functioning and start recovering. It's exactly the kind of question that lives at the heart of Dr. Jen's work — what are we even doing here? Dr. Jen also shares an update on Leaving the Chair, her community for therapists navigating burnout recovery. The content being built there is focused, practical, and designed to help you reclaim clarity and direction — not another overwhelming program, but exactly what's needed. What you'll hear in this episode: * The quieter face of burnout — numbness, resentment, and the slow loss of yourself * How high achievers and helpers learn to sacrifice themselves and call it dedication * Why self-gaslighting keeps us stuck, and what burnout recovery actually looks like * An update on Leaving the Chair and what's being developed for the community Links: * 📩 Join the Leaving the Chair Newsletter: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb] * 🎙️ Emotionally Wealthy with Karen Conlon on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/emotionally-wealthy/id1814244500 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/emotionally-wealthy/id1814244500] * 🎙️ The episode featuring Dr. Jen — The Burnout You Don't Recognize: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-burnout-you-dont-recognize-how-over-functioning/id1814244500?i=1000752849777 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-burnout-you-dont-recognize-how-over-functioning/id1814244500?i=1000752849777] * 🌐 Karen Conlon's website: https://karenconlon.com [https://karenconlon.com] ---------------------------------------- New episode from Dr. Jen in two weeks!

104. Overbooked and Overwhelmed: Therapist Burnout Edition

Join my Therapist Pen Pal list (free): https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb Overbooked & Overwhelmed (again): How to Prune What You Can When Your Calendar Feels Impossible In this episode, I’m revisiting a topic I first talked about last year: what to do when you look at your calendar and genuinely can’t see how you’re going to make it through the week. I’m naming the backdrop we’re all living inside of (what some people are calling a “polycrisis”) and why it matters that we stop pretending our overwhelm exists in a vacuum. Then I take you into a simple (not easy) starting point: notice what’s depleting you, and prune what you can—without needing a perfect plan or a five-step system. IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT: * A quick 2020 story (my cancelled “Cinderella’s castle” 40th birthday moment) and why the 2020s have felt like a relentless era * The concept of a “polycrisis” and why therapists have been bracing for years * Why you can’t live in nervous system dysregulation forever (your body has a limit) * What brain injury recovery taught me about burnout recovery: it’s rarely “one fix”—it’s ongoing listening + experimenting * The burnout reckoning: “When can I function like I used to?” (and why that question can keep you stuck) * The practical starting point: * Notice depletion * Identify what’s non-negotiable vs. optional * Prune what you can * The “come to Jesus” questions: * What is this pace doing to your body in 6 months? * What is it doing to your patients, your partner, your kids, your life? * How resentment shows up internally (and why it’s human)—and when you’re past “just do more consultation” * Why “doing less” does not mean you care less * Cognitive overload + sensory input (especially your phone), and how to titrate it down without going cold turkey * Concrete examples of pruning: * fewer evening sessions * dropping one non-essential obligation * simplifying meals/snacks so you’re not running on fumes * delegating home tasks (yes, even feeding the dog) * pausing trainings/certifications when you have no bandwidth A GENTLE PROMPT TO TRY (FROM THE EPISODE) If you can (and not while driving): Look at your calendar and just sit with it for a minute. Then ask: * What do I dread every week? * What is the cost of continuing to do it like this? * What’s truly non-negotiable… and what’s optional even if it doesn’t feel optional? * What’s one small thing I can prune this week? KEY LINE FROM THIS EPISODE Doing less does not mean you care less. It may be the exact thing that helps you care more—because it protects your capacity. MENTIONED / REFERENCED * “Polycrisis” (the idea that multiple crises are happening at once and compounding) * Cognitive burnout + constant input (especially phone use / scrolling) STAY CONNECTED * Therapist Pen Pal list: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb * Email: info@drjenblanchette.com * LinkedIn: Find me at Dr. Jen Blanchette