108: Burnout isn't inevitable?
From Therapist Burnout Podcast: Mental Health, Business, and Career Tips for Therapists, Counselors, & Psychologists by Dr. Jen Blanchette
May 21, 2026 · 18 min
About this episode
Dr. Jen Blanchette discusses the complexities of therapist burnout and challenges the notion that it can be avoided with a better business model.
Subscribe to the Leaving the Chair Newsletter: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb Are other therapists gaslighting us about burnout? In this episode, Jen responds to a social media post claiming "burnout is not a given" — and unpacks why that framing, while well-intentioned, can quietly turn burnout into a "you problem." She talks honestly about arriving at burnout already burnt, why a new business model isn't always the escape hatch, and what she learned from running her first Leaving the Chair group. IN THIS EPISODE "Burnout is not a given" — yes, and… Jen responds to a post arguing that therapists just need a more sustainable business model to escape burnout. She agrees burnout shouldn't be normalized — and pushes back on the implication that if you're burnt out, you simply picked the wrong model. Many of us arrive at burnout in full surrender, with real mental health symptoms, needing recovery rather than prevention. Burnt by the work itself The research is clear: therapists often arrive at burnout, not burning out. Not "a little crispy" — fully burnt. Jen normalizes that some of us will face burnout, compassion fatigue, or vicarious traumatization despite our…
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Jen Blanchette
Topics covered
- burnout
- mental health
- therapists
- business model
- compassion fatigue
- vicarious traumatization
Keywords
- burnout
- therapists
- mental health
- business model
- compassion fatigue
- vicarious traumatization
- recovery
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Leaving the Chair Newsletter
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- 105: Should I get a certification as a therapist? · April 6, 2026 · 51 min
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- 104. Overbooked and Overwhelmed: Therapist Burnout Edition · February 19, 2026 · 20 min
- 103. When Everyone Around You Is Burned Out: A Burnout Story with dbtkiki · February 4, 2026 · 46 min
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