I’m a therapist and I’m experiencing burnout. Do I need supervision or should I find a therapist for therapists?

Consider seeking out group supervision that holds space for your whole self and the whole selves of other therapists.

It is well established that burnout amongst therapists is at an all-time high. Here is some data to support this claim. But I don’t need data to tell me this, I just need to listen to the therapists in my life. I have been a therapist for 20 years and I have never seen collective burnout the way I am seeing it now. There are many reasons for this major jump in therapist burnout, but that’s a blog post for a different day. This post seeks to explore various ways that we can begin to address our needs as therapists so we can continue to do our work in healthy and productive ways.

Working with your own therapist

It is interesting to notice that when therapists tell other therapists about their feelings of burnout, very often we gently suggest that these are things they should be talking to their own therapists about. By no means is this a bad suggestion (in fact, it’s an excellent suggestion!) but it only addresses half of the issue. If you’re a therapist that has a therapist (and I hope you do, it is an extraordinarily important way to take care of yourself in this field) you know that you can bring many issues to your therapist and you will be well supported. But most often, your therapist will hold back on sharing their experiences with you (as they should given that this is your therapy hour!). The problem with this is that it doesn’t help you create a sense of community, a sense of the collective struggle that is an important aspect of helping you manage burnout. Unfortunately, it can actually lead to feelings of isolation, of failure and of imposter syndrome. You may find yourself saying things like “other therapists I know seem to be doing fine, it must be me who is the problem”. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Finding Community

In this line of work, it has been traditionally difficult to find community. The nature of the work is that it happens behind closed doors, one on one with a client. If we have connections with other therapists, it tends to be haphazard in the lunch room or through personal connections that may or may not serve us. Of course, group supervision is an important element of community for therapists and many of us have participated in group supervision throughout our careers. Group supervision has the potential to be a powerful tool for exploring why you’re feeling so burnt out and highlighting that this is an experience shared amongst many therapists in your community. However, some group supervision just doesn’t offer the amount of safety required for you to feel safe sharing how much you are struggling, how tired you are, or how much support you are in need of. Being able to share vulnerably and show up as your true self in community is essential for preventing and tackling burnout.

What next?

Just as you know from your work with clients, the answer is multi-factorial. If you don’t have a therapist, it is an excellent idea to find a therapist that works with other therapists. And if you find yourself lacking the kind of community that you need, consider seeking out group supervision that holds space for your whole self and the selves of other therapists (check out our intentional group supervision offerings). When you show up in this kind of supportive space and share from a place of vulnerability, the potential to transform your relationship with yourself and your relationship with this work is abundant. And that might be exactly what’s needed to tackle your burnout and have a long and healthy career as a therapist. You’ve got this.