I am feeling compelled to share a bit of my journey over the years today in case it helps even one person seeing this.  Burnout is real. I know because I have been there and sometimes get a creeping feeling that it is coming in again every so often. I did not know, back then, I was experiencing burnout because I told myself I need to be perfect… I need to be loyal…I need to be okay.  As a therapist, it was not okay (at least in my mind’s eye) to question if what I was doing was right for me.  I was support everyone to find their avenue to health, but I lost my own path along the way.

At one point, though, I realized, I was not okay. I was resenting my job (even the clients who were looking for support for problems- like what a therapist is supposed to do, right?), I was exhausted, I was frustrated that no one seemed to care and I was at a loss of where to go.  My life was falling apart at the seams- I felt unwell physically, mentally and emotionally drained and disorganized and pulling my hair out!  I thought many times, it is just a phase and one day when I wake up I will care again. I will be able to see the value in what I do and how I contribute to the world again. Guess what? Each day that felt like it was getting farther and farther away from reality.

Then, I finally sought support. I realized I was not walking my talk. I had a problem in my life that I could do something about and I was choosing to ignore it hoping it would go away or resolve itself.  Anyone else do that? Anyone else think if I hope, wish and pray enough the problem will just resolve? Well, that isn’t really how it works and sadly it took me way to many years to figure it out.  Luckily, I figured out what I needed and now, I want to be that for people experiencing that same reality. I realized I needed a guide that would support me but also challenge me to figure this stuff out. I needed someone that would make me work for what I wanted rather than stay lost in the stuck-ness of it all.