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

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?

92. The Grief No One Talks About When You Close Your Practice

📥 Download the Free Practice Closure Guide: Your First 30 Days [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/closureguide] If you’re considering leaving therapy or closing your private practice, this guide gives you the emotional and logistical support you need during those first 30 days. 🛑 What no one tells you about leaving the field of therapy? It can feel like grieving a version of yourself. In today’s episode of The Therapist Burnout Podcast, we’re not just talking about the decision to close your private practice—we’re talking about what it does to you emotionally. Because stepping away from therapy work isn’t just a professional change… it’s an identity shift. 🔍 IN THIS EPISODE: * What it really feels like to close your therapy practice * Why burnout is about emotional weight, not just hours worked * How grief, fear, shame, and relief show up in the closure process * What no one prepares you for when you stop holding space for others * The quiet, scary, and freeing in-between moments post-closure * Why nervous system support is a non-negotiable part of this transition 💬 REAL TALK FROM THIS EPISODE: * “I wasn’t broken—I was buried under what I had been holding for years.” * “Grief isn’t just sadness. It’s numbness, rage, confusion, and letting go of who you thought you'd be.” * “There’s something else on the other side—but it might not look like what you expected.” 📌 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 🔗 Practice Closure Guide: Your First 30 Days [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/closureguide] 👀 Next week’s episode: The logistics of ethically and practically closing your practice Therapist burnout, closing private practice, emotional fatigue therapist, grief therapist identity, practice closure tips, vicarious trauma therapist, therapist mental health, compassion fatigue, therapist career change, therapy business exit plan, therapy practice transition, nervous system healing therapist 💌 STAY CONNECTED: If you’re holding big feelings about leaving the field—you’re not alone. Subscribe to The Therapist Burnout Podcast for more honest episodes about the realities of therapy work, career transitions, and what healing looks like after burnout. And don’t forget to share this episode with a therapist friend who may need to hear this.

91. The Path of the Quiet Builder: What Comes After Private Practice

What if closing your practice wasn’t the end — but the beginning of a quieter, more intentional way of building? In this episode, I talk with Melvin Varghese, psychologist, creator of The Quiet Builder [https://quietbuilder.com/], and host of Selling the Couch [https://sellingthecouch.com/]. Melvin and I explore what it looks like to build a life and business rooted in peace, integrity, and enoughness — rather than urgency, comparison, or constant growth. We talk about the evolution many therapists face after private practice burnout — when you realize that the way you’ve been working is no longer sustainable, but you’re not sure what comes next. Melvin shares how his own journey from therapy to podcasting to online education unfolded slowly and quietly, through self-trust and paying attention to what felt aligned, not what looked impressive. Together, we dig into: * What it truly means to be a quiet builder — and why slow, steady growth is often the most sustainable * How to listen for your next chapter after private practice burnout * Building work that fits your nervous system and your season of life * Letting go of the idea that more output equals more impact * How Melvin rebuilt his business around family, creativity, and energy If you’re at a point where you know something has to change — but you’re unsure where to start — this episode will help you imagine a softer, more sustainable path forward. And if you’re ready to begin your own transition, I created a free guide to help you start. 👉 The 30-Day Quick Start Guide for Practice Closure [https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/closureguide] walks you through the first steps of closing your practice with clarity, structure, and less overwhelm. Listen to Episode 91 of The Therapist Burnout Podcast and rediscover what it means to build quietly, intentionally, and on your own terms.