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

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/]

94. Career Pivots: What Job Can I Do Besides Therapy?

If you’ve ever thought, “I just can’t do this work anymore, but I don’t know what else I could do,” this episode is for you. Host Jen Blanchette sits down with career coach and recruiter Alki Thompson to talk about the real-life process of career transition—especially for therapists and helpers who feel stuck, depleted, or unsure of what comes next. Together they unpack: * What burnout, instability, and under-compensation can teach you about your next move * The importance of knowing your why before you leap * How to identify transferable strengths beyond your credentials * Small, low-risk ways to start exploring new paths (without “burning the ships”) * Why stabilizing income and recovering from depletion come before big decisions * The difference between “a job” and “your next career chapter” Alki shares his own pivot story—from nonprofit work to recruiting—and how one simple conversation at a professional meeting led to a completely new path. If you’ve been spinning on “what else could I even do?” this conversation gives you both permission and practical first steps to start exploring what’s next. 🔗 CONNECT WITH ALKI * Website: https://smithdeale.com/about-us [https://smithdeale.com/about-us] * LinkedIn: Alki Thompson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alkit/] 💬 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE * Jen’s free Practice Closure Quick Start Guide: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/closureguide [ https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/closureguide]

93. When You Know You’re Done, But You Can’t Leave Yet

What happens when you know you’re done with therapy work—but you still can’t leave? In this episode of The Therapist Burnout Podcast, Jen continues the Private Practice Closure Series with an honest look at the in-between season: when your mind, body, and heart are saying “enough,” but your circumstances don’t yet allow for a full exit. Jen shares her personal experience of sitting in this space—knowing she was finished with 1:1 work long before she actually closed her practice—and what she’s learned from supporting other therapists in that same tension. You don’t need a sign or a playbook to know you’re done. You already know. But there are small, sustainable ways to make your work more tolerable while you prepare to leave. 💬 IN THIS EPISODE, JEN COVERS: * Why therapists often stay in their practices far longer than is healthy * The clinical, emotional, and practical fears that keep us stuck * How our bodies sound the alarm through anxiety, health issues, and shutdown * The myth of “failing” if you leave your practice or the therapy field * How to listen to your body’s cues and start pacing your exit * Practical micro-moves: * Reviewing your caseload for depletion vs. renewal * Reconnecting to treatment goals and considering ethical terminations * Discharging long-term clients who no longer meet goals * Reducing hours, enforcing cancellations, or outsourcing billing * Why adding certifications or going private pay often isn’t the answer when you’re burned out * Real talk about online business and coaching—why it’s not a quick fix * How slowing down and nervous system recovery create the clarity you actually need 🧭 IF YOU’RE IN THIS STAGE... You may not be able to leave yet—and that’s okay. The work right now is making things as tolerable as possible while you prepare for what’s next. Small shifts create space for the bigger decisions. 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED: * Private Practice Closure Guide https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/closureguide [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/closureguide] your step-by-step playbook for the logistics of closing your practice * Previous episodes in the Private Practice Closure Series (listen to episodes 91–92 for context) 💡 REFLECTION PROMPT: What is your body trying to tell you about your work right now—and where might you need to listen more closely?