By Dr. Jen Blanchette
5
88 ratings
The podcast currently has 43 episodes available.
In this reflective and practical episode, Dr. Jen breaks down the holiday chaos therapists face—not just with clients but also within their own families, workloads, and personal lives. She offers simple, actionable steps to create a season that feels spacious, joyful, and manageable.
Key Themes in This Episode:
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Key Quote:
"If you feel burned out, stretched thin, or untethered this holiday season, pause and ask: What do I need? Spaciousness? Connection? Rest? When you listen to your body, you’ll find the answer."
Reflections on Burnout and Connection:
Dr. Jen opens up about how the pandemic disrupted her relationships and the sadness that comes with losing connections. She offers reassurance that rebuilding relationships, even small steps like sending a text, is possible and worth pursuing.
Dr. Jen’s Quick Brain Health Checklist for Therapists:
Practical Takeaways:
Resources:
Spread the Message:
Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a therapist friend or leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Let Dr. Jen know what you need most this holiday season by dropping her a message.
How do you handle discussions around political stress with clients? Do you find it challenging to stay grounded, or is it a non-issue for you? With election week past us in the U.S., this episode touches on the impact of heightened political division, how it affects therapists, and strategies for supporting clients through politically charged sessions.
Episode Highlights:In this episode, we're diving into the unique challenges that therapists face during election week, especially when clients bring their political views and anxieties into sessions. Reflecting on my past experiences as a therapist, I share insights into managing the emotional load that can arise during election cycles and tips for navigating difficult conversations that touch on politics, identity, and values.
I talk about some of the regrets I felt in 2020, a year marked by intense political and social divides. I discuss how challenging it was to sit with clients whose values didn’t always align with my own, and how I wish I had approached certain conversations differently—especially when I felt compelled to stay neutral, even as clients voiced polarizing or prejudiced views. If you’re feeling a mix of frustration and empathy in these situations, you’re not alone.
What to Expect:
Why Listen?
Whether you’re a seasoned therapist who has weathered multiple election cycles or a newer therapist facing this for the first time, this episode offers insights on balancing professional obligations with personal beliefs. Learn how to manage your emotional load while maintaining an empathetic stance—even when it feels tough.
Resources Mentioned:
More from Jen:
www.drjenblanchette.com
The therapist pen-pal list write back": https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb
Ever felt that your job asks more of your humanity than it should? In this week's episode, I explore the concept of moral injury in therapy work. We often talk about burnout, but what happens when we’re pushed to betray our own values for the sake of our roles?
In this solo episode of The Therapist Burnout Podcast, Jen Blanchette dives into the topic of moral injury among therapists. Reflecting on the recent conversation with Dr. Jenny Byrne in Episode 43, Jen expands on how the concept of moral injury applies to therapists, sharing insights on current events, systemic challenges, and her own personal experiences. She also touches on a recent strike involving mental health workers, highlighting ongoing issues of workload, reimbursement, and the emotional toll of the profession.
Takeaways
Sound Bites
"Therapists are humans too."
"Moral injury can be helpful in seeing systemic issues."
"We need to increase our pay and support."
More from Jen:
www.drjenblanchette.com
The therapist pen-pal list write back": https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb
What is moral injury and how does it relate to burnout? Dr. Jennie Byrne shares her personal experience of facing a medical board investigation and the impact it had on her mental and emotional well-being. She discusses the concept of moral injury and how it differs from burnout and trauma.
The conversation also touches on the challenges faced by healthcare professionals during the pandemic, including increased demand, virtual practice, and the loss of autonomy. Dr. Byrne emphasizes the importance of examining our ways of working and making intentional choices to prioritize self-care. The conversation explores the themes of burnout, feeling like a cog in a machine, shame, lack of collegiality, and the impact of technology on work-life balance. The guests discuss the need for better language to describe the experiences of therapists and clinicians, as well as the importance of setting boundaries and finding joy in one's work. They emphasize the need for peer support, self-awareness, and intentional self-care to address moral injury and prevent burnout.
Takeaways
About Dr. Jennie Byrne:
Dr. Jennie Byrne is a psychiatrist with years of experience in both private practice and larger healthcare systems. She is passionate about mental health care reform and shares her insights in her book, helping clinicians navigate the complexities of modern healthcare.
Resources:
More from Jen:
www.drjenblanchette.com
The therapist pen-pal list write back": https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb
In this episode of the Therapist Burnout Podcast, Karen Conlon shares her personal journey navigating burnout as a therapist specializing in anxiety and trauma. She highlights the importance of setting boundaries and understanding the role of a therapist—not as a fixer but as a guide. Karen discusses her experiences across various stages of her career, including challenging environments like adolescent health centers and Mount Sinai Hospital. She addresses the unique impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health professionals and explores the notion of therapists becoming part of their clients' emotional lives.
Get Support:
Karen's website: https://expressivetalks.com/
Burnout is something almost every profession deals with, but for therapists, it hits differently. We’re not just exhausted from the long hours or the endless paperwork—it’s the emotional weight of holding space for others, the vicarious trauma we take on, and the unrelenting pressure to be “okay” so we can keep helping our clients.
In today’s episode, I dive into why burnout for therapists has its own unique layers, and why it often takes us much longer to admit we need help. I’ll share some of my personal struggles with burnout, how I got trapped in a cycle of overwork, and what finally made me realize I needed to make a big change.
Key Takeaways:
Caseload & Case Mix: It’s not just the number of clients, but the emotional toll of each case. Regularly auditing your caseload can help manage triggers and reduce stress.
The Payment Dilemma: Relying solely on client sessions for income adds pressure to maintain a full schedule. Diversifying revenue can ease this burden and reduce burnout.
Fear of Losing Your License: Ethical pressures and people-pleasing often cloud treatment decisions. Focusing on therapeutic outcomes instead of trying to keep everyone happy is key.
The Expectation to Be Superhuman: The pressure to seem emotionally resilient can be overwhelming. Setting boundaries and embracing vulnerability is essential for long-term sustainability.
Emotional Labor & Compassion Fatigue: Holding space for clients’ trauma can be exhausting. Understanding the nuances between burnout and compassion fatigue is important for healing.
Moral Injury: Dealing with systemic injustices can lead to moral injury, further deepening burnout.
Burnout Before the Profession: Burnout can start as early as graduate school, with heavy workloads and financial stress. Robust support systems are critical for students entering the field.
Get Support:
Resources Mentioned:
Let's go back in the way back machine. Jen Blanchette reflects on their career journey as a psychologist, sharing insights on what they would do differently if given a second chance. Discussing their transition from private practice to school psychology, the conversation touches on the importance of setting boundaries, managing emotions, and navigating the challenges of therapist burnout. The host also previews upcoming podcast topics, including the unique aspects of therapist burnout and the impact of election cycles on therapy sessions.
Have we really talked about the impact of the pandemic on therapists? I don't think so! Emily Irwin shares her burnout story, which includes experiences in the school system and private practice. She discusses the challenges of working in a dual role as a school psychologist and counselor, the impact of stress on her mental and physical health, and the decision to leave the school district and open a private practice. She also talks about the additional challenges and burnout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the pressure to fix clients, and the fear and restrictions imposed by the profession. Emily also explores the concept of masking and the toll it takes on neurodiverse individuals, as well as the importance of showing up as our true selves in therapy. The conversation explores the idea of healing in community settings and challenges the traditional one-on-one therapy model. It discusses the impact of the mental health industrial complex and the need for systemic changes in the field. The conversation also touches on burnout in private practice and the search for joy and meaning in life. The concept of play and its role in healing and regulating the nervous system is highlighted.
Takeaways
More From Emily: https://www.emilyirwin.com/about
More From Jen: www.drjenblanchette.com
Are you a therapist who's ready to quit? I've got you. Let's talk on a free 15 minute consult call: https://drjb.hbportal.co/schedule/6160e28b5e574330da01b03d
Have you felt so alone in your burnout that you feel like you literally have nothing to give this world? In this conversation, Dr. Jen Blanchette interviews Cait Donovan, host of the Fried, the Burnout Podcast, about her personal experience with burnout and the importance of addressing both the mental and physical aspects of burnout recovery. They discuss the similarities between therapists and acupuncturists in terms of work dynamics and the impact of burnout on their health. Kate shares her journey of discovering burnout and the self-judgment she experienced as a practitioner of stress management techniques. They also explore the role of self-neglect and the need for self-care practices that go beyond face value in burnout recovery.
The conversation highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to burnout, including therapy, coaching, and physical practices like yoga or acupuncture. They emphasize the need for therapists to be gentle with themselves and prioritize their own well-being. The conversation explores the importance of nature and movement in combating burnout. Walking in green spaces, being among trees, and getting sunlight can have significant benefits for mental and physical well-being. The definition of burnout is often limited to workplace stress, but it can also be caused by cultural, family, health, and environmental factors.
Takeaways
Sound Bites
"If you just pee when you need to pee for a few weeks, your life will be different, because your brain will be different."
"Your ability to learn what your body feels like at safety is a key element to your ability to recover."
"Engaging in something like Tai Chi or Qigong allows emotions to move through the physical form."
"Just knowing like walking can be one of those simple tools, gentle walking, know, in somewhere green."
"When you are walking amongst trees, not only are you having this, this, you know, carbon dioxide oxygen exchange, but you're also the sunlight when it reflects off bark turns into infrared light."
"There's no money made off walking or a tree, you know, like, you're not going to see an advertisement walking the new cure for everything. Trees, touch them. Not really going to happen."
More from Cait:
https://www.caitdonovan.com/
https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/
More from Jen:
The therapist burnout newsletter (the pen-pal list): https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb
www.drjenblanchette.com
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