Therapist burnout recovery isn’t a one-time fix.

It’s not about prevention.

And it’s definitely not about productivity.

It’s about returning to yourself—again and again—with care, rhythm, and nervous system awareness.

In this final episode of the Structured Rest series, I’m bringing it all together and walking you through the full framework that’s emerged from my own lived experience with burnout, my work as an EMDR therapist and neuropsychologist, and the patterns I’ve seen in so many other helping professionals.

You’ll hear how this framework centers on rhythm over rescue, and why most burnout advice misses the mark when it focuses on quick fixes instead of deep, cyclical recovery.

• Why I don’t believe in burnout prevention and what actually helps
• The nervous system science behind long-term burnout and shutdown
• A reframe of recovery that mirrors substance recovery: it’s active, it’s ongoing
• The full 3-part Structured Rest Framework:

1. Release

→ Let go of what’s too heavy.

This includes:

• Delegating, delaying, deleting
• Weekly and daily brain dumps
• Caseload pruning
• Digital detoxing and minimizing cognitive burnout (especially phone use)

2. Regulate

→ Support your nervous system in real, sustainable ways:

• Sleep, nourishment, and gentle movement
• Connection as a healing rhythm (planned, not just spontaneous)
• Creating margin—because you are terrible at estimating how long things take (we all are)
• Start with one thing: one meal, one walk, one friend

3. Return to Rhythm

→ Create sabbatical structures that honor your life:

• Daily pauses like unplugged meals and movement
• Weekly rituals for rest, not just recovery
• Seasonal time off and reflection
• Let rest be something you live by, not something you earn

• The metaphor of my tiger lily garden (yes, really)
• Why phone addiction is tied to social connection, especially for women
• The “phone foyer method” I learned from Cal Newport
• Why the phrase “burnout to breakthrough” makes me want to gag
• And how I’m still recovering—and always will be

August can bring a strange kind of grief for therapists.

You didn’t rest like you hoped. You didn’t finish the thing. And now fall is coming.

In next week’s episode, I’ll explore the seasonal rhythm of private practice, and what to do when you feel caught between not rested and not ready.

Join my Therapist Pen-Pal List for weekly reflections, behind-the-scenes updates, and early access to all my upcoming resources:

• [Practice Closure Plan] coming early fall
• [Burnout Recovery Group Program] launching later this year
• Retreat details, journal prompts, and more

👉 Join the pen-pal list here: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb

Why burned out therapists need rest rhythms—not just time off

📬 Join the Therapist Pen pal list for reflections on therapist burnout recovery, rest, and career shifts:https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb

🌐 Explore more burnout recovery tools and podcast episodes: https://drjenblanchette.com/podcast

We didn’t just lose sabbaticals—we replaced them with productivity apps, guilt, and back-to-back Zoom sessions.

In this episode, I explore how the structure of work has slowly pulled therapists away from any sustainable rhythm of rest. From the industrial revolution to the rise of smartphones and always-on culture, therapy work has been swept into a system built on output, not care. We talk about the deeper roots of therapist burnout and how I’ve started reclaiming small, intentional pauses—what I now call “mini sabbaticals.”

Because burned out therapists don’t need another self-care checklist.

They need permission to stop—and the structure to sustain it.

🌀 The historical loss of rest rhythms

We explore how sabbaticals and seasonal rest used to be woven into life, work, and healing—and how they were replaced by industrial and academic productivity models. Even the early roots of therapy included slower pacing and breaks.

📱 Smartphones and the rise of the “anxious generation”

I share insights from Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation, including the sharp rise in parenting time, the collapse of unsupervised play, and how that contributes to burnout—especially for therapists who are also parents.

🧠 Therapist burnout as cognitive and emotional overload

We’re not just tired—we’re wired. A 2025 Moodle survey shows that 66% of U.S. workers are burned out, especially younger generations. Therapists are managing caseloads, crisis response, admin, and emotional labor without structural support.

🌿 What “mini sabbaticals” look like in practice

I share how I’m building rhythms of rest into my days, weeks, and seasons—including daily tech-free moments, quarterly pauses, and longer breaks when possible. Not as a luxury—but as a foundation for healing.

This episode is a call to step outside of those systems, even briefly. To name what’s no longer working. And to try something new, even if it’s just a single walk without your phone.

📘 The Anxious Generation – Jonathan Haidt

📊 Moodle 2025 Burnout Survey (66% of U.S. workers)

– Episode 74: Structured Rest Planning

– Episode 76: Delete, Delay, Delegate

– Episode 77: Rest Is Not a Luxury

🤝 Explore coaching options for burned out therapists

• 📨 Join the Pen Pal list https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb
• 📰 The Shift – Jen’s new LinkedIn newsletter
• → First issue: AI Won’t Solve Therapist Burnout
• 🎙️ Episode 60: Hey Therapist, You Need a Friend

In this episode of The Therapist Burnout Podcast, we move beyond subtracting stressors and start focusing on what to add back in. If you’ve ever asked, “What do I even enjoy anymore?”—this one’s for you.

Jen shares her five pillars of restoration—connection, sleep, nourishment, movement, and play—and guides you in remembering what actually makes you feel like you.

You’ll hear:

• A powerful garden metaphor about tiger lilies and tending your time
• A float-back practice to reconnect with your younger, joyful self
• The Atomic Habits lens on rebuilding: every small action is a vote for who you want to become
• Real talk on friendship loss, depleted joy, and the paradox of needing rest but feeling guilty for taking it
• Encouragement to start tiny: one text, one walk, one joyful moment

“What kind of rest or pleasure have I been denying myself?”

Choose one thing to add back this week—something nourishing, connective, playful, or restful.

Then, protect the space for it with ferocity.

In this episode, I’m inviting you into a raw, honest conversation about your caseload—not just from a productivity lens, but from the reality of what your nervous system is holding.

If you’ve been:

• Bracing yourself before certain sessions
• Stuck in client relationships that feel more obligatory than impactful
• Wondering if you’re doing something wrong because you’re so exhausted after the work…

This episode is for you.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

• Why therapists often feel emotionally responsible for outcomes—and how that leads to overfunctioning
• The hidden weight of “drift clients” and how sessions become habit instead of intention
• What alignment actually looks like in therapy (hint: it’s not about ease, it’s about purpose)
• How guilt, training, and scarcity shape unsustainable caseloads
• A quiet caseload audit to help you reflect without judgment
• When it’s time to consult, refer, or ethically discharge—and how to make those decisions without shame

I also share a personal story of how scarcity, motherhood, and medical trauma led me to start a private practice before I was ready—and what I’ve learned since leaving it behind.

🎯 This episode is especially for therapists who:

• Are feeling stuck, depleted, or unsure if 1:1 therapy is still right for them
• Want to make space in their schedule, but feel guilty letting go of certain clients
• Are curious about leaving, pausing, or reimagining their therapy practice
• Need permission to put something down

✨ Resources Mentioned:

• Join the waitlist https://drjenblanchette.com/coaching/
• Practice Closure Plan-Coming Soon!

Next Up:

In the next episode of Structured Rest, we’ll talk about why rest still feels impossible even after you clear your schedule—and how to rebuild safety, pleasure, and connection in your week.

👋 Stay Connected:

If this episode resonated, I’d love for you to share it with a colleague, leave a review, or tag me on social with your reflections. You’re not alone in this work—and you don’t have to figure it out alone, either.

💌 Want honest, grounded support in your inbox?

Join my PenPal list where I share behind-the-scenes stories, podcast updates, and real talk on making therapist life sustainable.👉 https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb

About this episode:

Your calendar might look fine—but it’s lying to you.

In the second episode of the Structured Rest series, I walk through what I call calendar rehab—an honest look at how therapist schedules often ignore emotional labor, fragment our attention, and push us toward depletion.

This isn’t about productivity. It’s about nervous system care.

In this episode:

• Why “light days” can still be exhausting

• What your calendar leaves out (and why it matters)

• Emotional weight from client work, consults, billing, and late-night emails

• How even your renewing time gets hijacked by time confetti

• A deeper, more honest way to track depletion

• My story of how one email can spin me into hypervigilance

Reflection prompt:

Referenced:

• Ashley Whillans on “Time Confetti” → Behavioral Scientist article

• Ep 75: Cognitive Burnout

• Ep 77 (coming next): Clinical Pruning—How to Stop Carrying What’s Too Heavy

🎙 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

If this resonated, send it to a therapist friend or leave a quick review—it helps more than you know.

Get personal reflections, nervous system healing practices, and soul-soothing songs that don’t make it to the podcast.

👉 Sign up here:https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb

Is your brain full—but you can’t name half of what you’re holding?

This week in the first edition of Structured Rest Jen explores the cognitive load of therapist burnout—what it feels like, why it happens, and how to begin recovering. From forgotten notes to invisible mental tasks, many therapists feel like they’re failing when in reality, their brains are simply overloaded.

Drawing from her background in brain injury rehab, Jen introduces a practical way to start making space: the brain dump. She walks you through how to do it, what to do with what comes out, and how it fits into a bigger weekly rhythm of recovery.

This episode is equal parts practical and personal—complete with a live brain dump demo, reflections on parenting overload, invisible labor, and why so many of us struggle to hold it all.

• What cognitive burnout looks like for therapists (and why it’s not your fault)
• Why memory, focus, and executive function suffer during chronic overload
• A gentle reframe from Jen’s work in brain injury: your brain needs support, not pressure
• The Delete–Delay–Delegate framework for reducing mental load
• A real-time example of Jen’s weekly brain dump
• How to make it a practice, not a one-time fix
• A preview of what’s next: calendar audits and energy drains

→ Set a 5-minute timer. Brain dump everything: clinical, personal, emotional, invisible.

→ Then review:

• What can be deleted?

• What can be delayed?

• What can be delegated?

→ Schedule the rest—or give it a home so your brain doesn’t have to hold it anymore.

• 📚 The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
• → Link to the book and research
• 📄 Atlantic Article: Why Parents Are Bringing Back Landlines
• → Read it here
• 🎶 Trevor Hall – “You Can’t Rush Your Healing”
• → Listen on Spotify
• 🔁 Previous episodes referenced:
  • Ep. 63 – Therapist Burnout and the Brain
  • Ep. 64 – Tips for Overwhelm
  • Ep. 65 – Overbooked and Overwhelmed

Is It the Session or the Schedule?

A deep dive into your calendar and energy audit—how to identify emotional drain points and restructure your time to support recovery, not just survival.

Episode 74 | Creating Safety for Your Own System: Why Structured Rest Matters

Join the Therapist Pen-Pal List for weekly reflections and burnout recovery tips: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/

Ep 70 – Is It Burnout or Depression?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/

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

All things therapist burnout and how "good therapist" conditioning shows up. Dr. Jen Blanchette discusses the concept of 'good therapist conditioning' and how it affects therapists in their careers. The host identifies five reasons why this conditioning shows up (and how they are burnout traps): perfectionism, fear of disapproval, sense of responsibility, cultural expectations and societal norms, and identity attachment. The conversation explores how these factors can lead to self-doubt, reluctance to make changes, and a sense of loss when considering alternative career paths. The host encourages therapists to break free from these pitfalls and prioritize their own needs and happiness. 

• Takeaways
• Good therapist conditioning can lead to perfectionism and a fear of making mistakes as well as burnout.
• Therapists often feel a strong sense of responsibility for their clients' well-being.
• Cultural expectations and societal norms can reinforce traditional gender roles and influence therapists' perception of themselves and their careers.
• Attachment to the identity of being a therapist can make it difficult to consider alternative career paths.
• Therapists should prioritize their own needs and happiness and not be afraid to make changes.

Links to my stuff: https://linktr.ee/drjenblanchette

Jump on the Pen-Pal List: My list for burned out therapists who are looking for support and a change:https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb

Nearly half of therapists will end up leaving community mental health. Some are leaving entirely. So what else can we do for work?! The conversation covers three main categories: using clinical skills in a different way, utilizing therapy skills in non-clinical roles, and completely departing from the field of therapy. The host provides examples and suggestions for each category, including assessment work, working in a school setting, teaching adjunct courses, working in human resources, and exploring sales or marketing roles. The conversation emphasizes the importance of considering transferable skills and finding a job that aligns with personal interests and strengths.

Keywords therapists, burnout, careers, quitting, therapy, transition, clinical skills, non-clinical roles, transferable skills

Takeaways

• Therapists often experience financial strain and burnout, leading to high turnover rates in the field.
• There are various career options for therapists looking to transition out of therapy, including using clinical skills in different ways, utilizing therapy skills in non-clinical roles, and completely departing from the field.
• Examples of using clinical skills in different ways include assessment work, working in a school setting, and providing supervision or consultation.
• Examples of utilizing therapy skills in non-clinical roles include teaching adjunct courses, working in human resources, and exploring sales or marketing roles.
• Completely departing from the field of therapy can involve leveraging transferable skills in other industries, such as project management, real estate, or sales.
• It is important for therapists to consider their interests, strengths, and desired work-life balance when exploring career options outside of therapy.

Titles

• Exploring Career Options for Therapists: Using Clinical Skills in Different Ways
• Utilizing Therapy Skills in Non-Clinical Roles: Teaching, Human Resources, and More

Sound Bites

• "Nearly half of therapists are leaving their jobs, it's the system's problem, not your own problem."
• "If you are in the throes of burnout, we need to find more ways for you to rest and replenish."
• "Career options for therapists: using clinical skills, therapy-adjacent roles, and complete departures."

Grab my free money guide: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/tshwticuti

Subscribe to the Therapist Pen-Pal List: 💌 Get honest, therapist-to-therapist emails from me—and yes, I write back. 👉 https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb

Episode Summary:

 In this final episode of my Mental Health Awareness Month series, I’m wrapping things up with some honest reflections—from what the data (and lack of data) says about therapist mental health, to what I’ve been feeling in my own nervous system lately.

We’re talking about more than just burnout—this is about depression, anxiety, moral injury, compassion fatigue, and those moments where even your “easy” clients feel hard. If you’ve ever said, “I’m in therapy, but I still feel awful,” this episode is for you.

In this episode, I share:

• Why so little data exists on therapist mental health
• What we do know from global research on therapist depression, anxiety, and vicarious trauma
• Why burnout in therapists often includes moral injury, identity confusion, and nervous system shutdown
• The difference between having a 24 oz mug and a 4 oz espresso cup of capacity
• Why I always start with the permission to quit: overworking, overscheduling, self-doubt, poor boundaries
• My dream vision for therapist mental health support—and why we can’t rely on unpaid labor to get there
• A preview of my upcoming Structured Rest summer series

Resources Mentioned:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.): https://988lifeline.org
• NAMI Frontline Wellness for Healthcare Workers: https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Frontline-Professionals
• My email list for therapists (Pen-Pal List): https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb

What’s Next:

I’ll be taking a short podcast break (1–2 weeks) to prep for the Structured Rest series, launching in June. I’ll also be opening enrollment soon for my fall group for therapists in burnout who are ready to quit something—whether it’s your job, your role, or just the story you’re stuck in.