How to Prevent Therapist Burnout.
*Found these tips on Psychology today and found it to be food for thought since I am finding myself getting more stressed out with my job as a therapist. I also think these concepts apply to anyone struggling with the high demands of a stressful career.*
Hold the frame -The frame is the environment of therapy, consisting of the physical, professional and ethical boundaries of our work. Therapists who are clear about boundaries of self, client and therapy from the beginning sleep better at night. Check out Glen Gabbardâs excellent book for elaboration.
Get therapy - Iâll occasionally meet a therapist who has never been a client. I tend to judge him: either heâs on the fast track to burnout or he isnât doing meaningful work with his clients. Thatâs my bias. Personal therapy for therapists relieves stress, assists coping with a stressful career and distinguishes the therapistâs issues from their clients. This objective view is invaluable, and itâs also a tax write-off.
Fees, office hours, vacation - We donât want to feel significant disparity between what we give and what we take. If youâre working nights and weekends 51 weeks a year for a wage you feel is substandard, you will burn out. Charge a fair wage, work reasonable hours and get out of town once in a while.
Donât take work home - In my experience, the first therapists to burn out are those who carry a 24 hour pager, return phone calls and emails all weekend and are generally on the clock all the time. Find coverage for your emergencies, finish your paperwork at your office and let home be your sanctuary.
Join groups - From Rotary Clubs to Toastmasters to your local psych association or a consultation group, opportunities for professional connection do exist. When the only people you speak with all day are clients, you become socially isolated.
Find a niche - Some of the most successful, driven therapists have found creative ways to pursue a focus within their careers. Love theatre? How about providing group therapy to acting students? Sports? How about marketing to coaches and athletes? Whether itâs within a specific population or a target area of treatment, you can find vitality while increasing your expertise.
Diversify - Many shrinks I know have several irons in the fire. They augment therapy with research, teaching, supervising, writing, consultation, assessment or volunteering. Spreading your talents allows you to feed parts of self not tapped in therapy.
Continue education - Ten years ago I had to obtain my 36 CEâs by finding weekend classes, attending and taking notes, eating lunch with classmates and actually continuing my education for 36 hours. Now, most licensing boards allow most, if not all our CEâs to be acquired over the Internet. Itâs cheaper, faster, and thereâs less hassle. But thereâs also less collegiality, no Q & A and probably not as much learned. Take the time to attend some workshops, learn theory, interact with colleagues and get back in touch with the internal student who wanted to grow and make a difference.
Get a life - Iâve always maintained that therapy cannot be both my career and my hobby. Itâs crucial to create and maintain a life outside therapy that includes hobbies, friendships, loved ones, creativity, physical activity - anything that feeds you emotionally and spiritually. Your identity needs to extend beyond âtherapist.â Itâs a valuable role, but shouldnât be your entire life.
Quit - You might not want to hear this, but someone needs to say it. If youâve tried the above-mentioned strategies and still feel your passion lacking, perhaps itâs time to look for another line of work. Weâre in the business of growth and change - it shouldnât come as a surprise that some people simply grow out of their desire to provide therapy. Thereâs no shame in that. Research shows that Americans typically have between two and five careers in their lifetime (depending where you look). Rather than force yourself to work joylessly and potentially subject your clients to subpar treatment, maybe itâs time to give yourself permission to hit Monster.com.
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