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

Why are Terminations (and endings) are so Hard as a Therapist? (Episode 35 replay)

Ending a therapeutic relationship is never easy, whether it’s because you're closing your practice, changing your career path, or setting necessary boundaries to protect your own well-being. In this episode, I share my personal experiences and challenges with therapy terminations, especially when they’re not planned or mutual. We dive deep into the fears therapists often have about letting clients down and the emotional toll that comes with the decision to prioritize your own mental health. Join me as I discuss the importance of setting boundaries, handling the complex emotions that arise during terminations, and finding ways to ensure both you and your clients feel supported through the transition. In This Episode, You'll Learn: * The common fears therapists experience when deciding to end therapeutic relationships, such as the fear of letting clients down. * My personal journey with therapy terminations and the impact of these decisions on my practice and personal well-being. * Strategies for effectively communicating terminations to clients in a way that acknowledges their feelings while setting clear boundaries. * How to recognize when it's time to make changes in your practice or career for your own mental health and sustainability. * The importance of self-compassion and self-care during the process of ending therapeutic relationships. Key Takeaways: * Recognize Your Limits: Understanding and acknowledging your own boundaries is crucial for long-term sustainability as a therapist. * Clear Communication: Honest, empathetic communication can help ease the transition for both you and your clients. * Emotional Resilience: Allow yourself to feel the emotions that come with terminations, and seek support when needed. * Prioritize Clinician Wellbeing in Therapy: Taking care of yourself is not just beneficial for you; it's essential for providing the best care to your clients. * Resources Mentioned: * Episode 12: Secret Grief when a client dies: 012: Secret Grief: Attending to the Loss of Therapists | Dr. Jen Blanchette (drjenblanchette.com) [https://drjenblanchette.com/podcast/012-secret-grief-attending-to-the-loss-of-therapists/] * Insights into how to handle complex emotions and fears around ending therapeutic relationships. * APA Guide on Termination: https://www.apaservices.org/practice/good-practice/discontinuing-treatment-issues.pdf [https://www.apaservices.org/practice/good-practice/discontinuing-treatment-issues.pdf] Let's connect! Are you thinking of quitting your role as a therapist (or drastically reducing 1:1)? Be the first to hear about podcast updates, resources, and ways to work with me by joining my list. I call it the therapist pen-pal letter. I write back! It's a love letter to you. Sign up here: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb ]

97. Handling the Holidays: Therapist Edition

DECEMBER IS OFTEN THE MOST DYSREGULATED MONTH OF THE YEAR—FOR OUR CLIENTS AND FOR US. From managing the anxiety of cancellations and income dips to navigating family boundaries that get pushed to the limit, today we are covering how to protect your energy this month. Plus, I have a confession: I’m seeing a therapy client again. In this episode, we are having a real talk about how to handle the holidays—not just as a therapist holding space for others, but as a human being with your own family dynamics, exhaustion, and need for rest. In this episode, we cover: * The Soft Pivot Circle: I am officially launching a small, intimate group (6-8 people) for therapists who need to make a career change but feel stuck. We will focus on nervous system care and making decisions without urgency. * Private Practice Isolation: A listener asks where to find support when you leave the built-in community of an agency. I share my experience and why you need to "know your container." * The Holiday "Break" Reality: Why family gatherings often require more output than work, and how to manage the guilt of taking time for yourself to regulate. * Grief Corner: Acknowledging the heavy grief therapists carry, especially regarding client loss and suicide, during the holiday season. * December Financials: Practical tips for handling the stress of client cancellations and protecting your income during the seasonal dip. Key Quotes: > "I think making decisions in the way that your nervous system can handle is the way to go, and changing your career in incremental shifts is the way to do it." > "You don't need to earn rest. You can just rest if you need it." Resources Mentioned: * The Soft Pivot Circle: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/kt57aq4o19 [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/kt57aq4o19] * Structured Rest Series: Check out our summer episodes for a deep dive into my framework for recalibrating a burned-out nervous system. * https://drjenblanchette.com/podcast/74-burned-out-dysregulated-and-still-showing-up-how-to-find-safety/ * Join the Pen Pal List: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb Connect with Me: If you have a question or want to share how you are navigating this season, reply to my newsletter—seriously, it’s really me responding! Rate & Review: If this episode supported you, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps other therapists find this community.

96. Are You Gaslighting Yourself? Breaking Down A$$hole Stories We Tell Ourselves

Therapists are experts at spotting gaslighting in our clients' lives, but we are often the worst perpetrators of it in our own heads. If you’ve ever thought, "I should be able to handle this" or "If I leave, I’ve failed," you aren't just burned out—you are telling yourself what I call an "A$$hole Story." In this episode, I’m identifying The Top 5 A$$hole Stories that therapists tell themselves. These are the internal scripts that convince us we are "defective" when we are actually just depleted. They are the lies that keep us stuck in burnout, shame, and paralysis. From the belief that you "should" be able to handle impossible caseloads, to the fear that you have "no transferable skills," we are breaking down these stories one by one. I also share a bit about my own journey, why "Earth School" is hard for all of us, and why you don't need a perfect plan—you just need a soft pivot. Key Takeaways: The 5 A$$hole Stories * A$$hole Story #1: "I should be able to handle this." * This is the therapist equivalent of self-gaslighting. We convince ourselves we aren't tough enough, rather than admitting we are working in a system set up for us to fail. * A$$hole Story #2: "If I leave, I failed." * This story is entrenched in our identity. We talk about the grief of leaving and why changing careers isn't a failure—it's statistically normal! * A$$hole Story #3: "I don't have any other skills." * The lie that we are only therapists. We discuss how to recognize your deep well of transferable expertise (like assessment and crisis management). * A$$hole Story #4: "No one will hire me in this market." * The binary thinking that stops us cold. Your next role doesn't have to be a forever career; it can be a bridge or an on-ramp. * A$$hole Story #5: "I need a perfect plan before I make a move." * The paralysis story. Why you don't need a 5-year plan to make a change, and why small, incremental shifts matter. Resources & Links: * The Soft Pivot Circle: I am building a small, intimate circle for 2026 for therapists who are lost and need a space to figure out their next micro-turn. Join the waitlist here: https://drjenblanchette.com/coaching/ [https://drjenblanchette.com/coaching/] * Book Recommendation: The No ******* Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't by Robert Sutton. Memorable Quotes: > "I really think this is the therapist equivalent of self-gaslighting... telling ourselves we're drowning because we aren't tough enough, when we are actually trying to work within a system that's a setup for us to fail." > "Small pivots count. The small moves that I make count. I am not too late. There is hope for me, there is hope for you." > "You aren't behind for not having your life fully mapped out. Earth School is hard."

Burned Out, Dysregulated, and Still Showing Up: How to Find Safety (Replay)

Join the Therapist Pen-Pal List for weekly reflections and burnout recovery tips:https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb] After a difficult meeting left me dysregulated and questioning everything (again), I knew it was time to return to this series: Structured Rest. In this personal and practical episode, I talk about: * Why traditional rest isn't enough in burnout recovery * What it means to actually create safety in your body * How I’m listening to the parts of me that say, “I can’t keep doing this” * The real-life commitments I’m making—like yoga as a student, taking real lunch breaks, and ditching sad salads * How nervous system regulation and honoring capacity became my new foundation * Mentioned episodes: Ep 65 – Overbooked & Overwhelmed: UnF@#k Your Calendar:https://drjenblanchette.com/podcast/065-overbooked-overwhelmed-unfk-your-calandar/ [https://drjenblanchette.com/podcast/065-overbooked-overwhelmed-unfk-your-calandar/] Ep 70 – Is It Burnout or Depression?https://drjenblanchette.com/podcast/070-therapist-burnout-or-depression-lets-get-granular/ [https://drjenblanchette.com/podcast/070-therapist-burnout-or-depression-lets-get-granular/] Ep 71 – Why We Wait Until We're Burned Out: https://drjenblanchette.com/podcast/071-why-we-wait-until-were-burnt-interoception-burnout-therapist-mental-health [https://drjenblanchette.com/podcast/071-why-we-wait-until-were-burnt-interoception-burnout-therapist-mental-health]/ Coming up in the Structured Rest Series: * How to clear mental clutter with a weekly brain dump * The Delete, Delay, Delegate method for managing your calendar * Anchoring your week with movement, connection, rest, and more * Building nervous system capacity gently, without shame Quote to carry with you: Structured rest is what gives you the capacity to come back to yourself—to listen, to rest, and maybe, eventually, to build what’s next. Subscribe & follow for the rest of the series. Pen-Pal List: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb]

95. Our Weird Role: The Worth Gap and The Great Nothing

THERAPY IS PROFOUNDLY WEIRD. IT FORCES US INTO A MESSY MIDDLE GROUND—A HYBRID EXISTENCE THAT FEW OUTSIDE THE PROFESSION UNDERSTAND. AS MATT HUSSEY SHARED, THE MORE "UNPROFESSIONAL" WE WERE IN DISCUSSING THESE REALITIES, THE MORE IT RESONATED. Get more therapist real talk on the newsletter for podcast updates, offerings, and my upcoming circles in 2026: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb] THE FINANCIAL & EMOTIONAL CONTRADICTION WE'RE TRAPPED IN A CONSTANT BATTLE BETWEEN OUR IDENTITY AS A HEALER AND OUR ROLE AS A BUSINESS OWNER: THE WORTH GAP: WE ARE SOCIALIZED IN TRAINING TO PROVIDE FREE OR LOW-COST SERVICE, CREATING THERAPISTS WHO ARE "TERRIBLE AT FOLLOWING" THE HEALTHY BOUNDARIES WE PREACH. THIS LEADS TO PROFOUND FINANCIAL ANXIETY. AS MATT PUT IT, "YOU CAN BE A REALLY GOOD BUSINESS PERSON, BUT A TERRIBLE THERAPIST... SOME OF THE BEST THERAPISTS I'VE EVER MET CAN BARELY ASK TO CHARGE MONEY FOR THEIR WORK." THE BUSINESS TRAP: WE SPEND HERCULEAN EFFORT ACHIEVING LICENSURE ONLY TO BE DUMPED INTO "THE GREAT NOTHING" (MATT HUSSEY)—WHERE WE MUST FEND FOR OURSELVES, PERFORMING ALL ADMINISTRATIVE, MARKETING, AND ACCOUNTING TASKS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY HOLDING IMMENSE EMOTIONAL SPACE. THE MATH OFTEN "IS NOT MATH-ING," LEADING TO TOTAL BURNOUT. THE DOUBLE LIFE AND CLINICAL GRIEF 🎭 THE JOB REQUIRES US TO EXIST IN TWO VERSIONS OF OURSELVES, CREATING AN ISOLATION THAT IS UNIQUE TO OUR FIELD: THE ASYMMETRY: WE HAVE SO MUCH EMOTIONAL DEPTH WITH CLIENTS, YET WE ARE "NOT KNOWN THOUGH TO THEM DEEPLY AND WE CAN'T BE." THIS NECESSARY EMOTIONAL CONTAINMENT MEANS THAT WHEN CLIENTS LEAVE OR PASS AWAY, WE EXPERIENCE CLINICAL GRIEF IN A WAY THAT IS "UNNATURAL" AND NOT SOCIALLY PRESCRIBED. BORROWING TOOLS: OUR SKILLS BECOME A COPING MECHANISM. WE CAN FIND OURSELVES "SLIPPING INTO THAT ROLE" IN PERSONAL LIFE, USING OUR THERAPEUTIC TOOLS "TO COVER FOR SHYNESS OR SOME SORT OF LIKE SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS" (MATT HUSSEY), WHICH CAN FEEL "ISOLATING AND OTHERING" TO THOSE CLOSEST TO US. EMOTIONAL NUMBING: THE DEMAND TO SUPPRESS OUR OWN PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS OF FATIGUE—AN INTEROCEPTION FAILURE—MEANS WE GIVE UNTIL WE ARE "LITERALLY ON FIRE." THIS OFTEN RESULTS IN A PROTECTIVE EMOTIONAL NUMBING, REDUCING OUR RANGE OF FEELING BECAUSE WE'RE SCARED TO "DROP INTO THERAPIST MODE AND HELP THEM GET OUT OF WHATEVER THEY'RE IN" IN OUR OFF-HOURS. THIS WORK IS DIFFICULT, NUANCED, AND REQUIRES DEEP COURAGE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE MESSY CONTRADICTIONS THAT DEFINE OUR ROLE. More from Matt: https://www.thebrink.me/author/matt/ [https://www.thebrink.me/author/matt/]