- a decline in empathy and patience
- feeling relieved when clients cancel their appointments
- fantasizing or spacing out during sessions
- feeling dissatisfied with your job more often than not
- disregarding professional boundaries and ethics
When I worked at a community mental health agency, I remember a director telling me that he knew it was time to stop practicing therapy when he realized that, during sessions, he was spending more time daydreaming and staring at a painting of a boat out at sea then focusing on his clients sitting in front of him.
Don't wait until your symptoms of burnout become full-blown and destroy your passion for helping others! Tips for regaining your passion and eliminating burnout might include:
- Finding a new niche: learning about a new specialty area and working with a new client population can rejuvenate your passion for your career.
- Creating multiple streams of income: branch out beyond direct client contact by adding teaching, supervising, consultation, or research to your career pursuits.
- Joining new groups: counseling can be isolating, try joining a local professional association to connect with other professionals.
- Balancing your work and personal life: make sure you are working reasonable hours, making a decent wage, and not taking your work home with you. Create a well-rounded life outside of practicing psychotherapy that includes family, friends, hobbies, and physical activity.
Choose Wellness!
Resources:
Howes, R. (2008). Therapist Burnout. Psychology Today Blogs. New York: Sussex Publishers, LLC.
Resources:
Howes, R. (2008). Therapist Burnout. Psychology Today Blogs. New York: Sussex Publishers, LLC.
