Burnout: More Serious Than It Sounds

 

    Burnout is something many of us experience, therapists and clients alike. It can show up quietly, like a slow fade of energy, joy, and connection. Or it can hit all at once, with overwhelming fatigue, detachment, or a sense of hopelessness.

    Whether you’re supporting others or trying to keep yourself afloat, burnout is real and it’s serious.

    Burnout isn’t “just stress.” It’s a chronic state of emotional and physical depletion. It’s what happens when we’re running on empty for too long, whether from caregiving, overworking, carrying emotional pain, or never feeling like we’re allowed to stop.

    For clients, it might look like:

• Struggling to find motivation for daily tasks
• Feeling emotionally numb or “checked out”
• Getting irritable or tearful over small things
• Losing interest in things that used to matter to you

    For therapists, it might look like:

• Feeling drained after every session
• Doubting your competence or impact
• Struggling to connect with clients or be present
• Dreading the work you used to feel passionate about.

    And for everyone, burnout can look like isolation. Like thinking, “Something’s wrong with me,” or “Why can’t I just get it together?”

    Here’s the truth: burnout is not a personal failure. It’s a signal. A response to chronic pressure, emotional labor, and often, unmet needs.

    So what helps?

• Naming it. There’s power in calling burnout what it is.
• Resting without guilt. You’re allowed to stop before you collapse.
• Setting boundaries. Saying no is not selfish. It’s self-preserving.
• Seeking support. Therapy, peer groups, supervisors, friends. You don’t have to carry this alone.
• Reconnecting with meaning. Even small joys or reminders of why you started can help rekindle a spark.

    Clients: Your exhaustion is valid. Your worth is not tied to your productivity.

    Therapists: You are not broken for feeling this way. You’re human and you deserve the same care you give others.

    Burnout is serious. But healing is possible. It begins with honesty, compassion, and the willingness to show up for yourself, even in small, quiet ways.