5 Reasons to NOT Schedule Back-to-Back Sessions as a Sensitive Therapist
You probably know this scene so well. You have less than 10 minutes before your next client session starts because your previous session ran over. Your mind is spinning about how to get everything done:
jot down a few notes from the previous session
run to the restroom
refill your tea or water
grab a snack
quickly scan the last session’s notes before your next client arrives
As you sit down for the session, you can feel the hum of anxiety or hunger in the background, along with thoughts of your previous session. You manage to focus, but the exhaustion builds throughout the day and you feel relieved when that cancellation or no show happens, along with a little guilt. It doesn’t necessarily feel good that your client isn’t showing up, but you desperately need the break to relax or catch up on paperwork.
Back-to-back sessions can be a Highly Sensitive Therapist's worst nightmare. Your mind doesn’t have nearly enough time to process all the details you listened to all day and your nervous system never gets a chance to decompress from all the stimulation. If you’re more on the emotionally spongy side, you’ve also picked up some of your clients emotional “residue” as well, leaving you somewhat dysregulated. With too many sessions crammed into one day, especially if they’re one after the other, you’re probably leaving work feeling drained, frazzled, irritated, or worse - on the verge of burnout.
Now that I’ve set the scene for you, let’s dive into the specifics of why too many sessions and not enough downtime will leave you feeling depleted.
Process
Being a deep thinker/reflector means you need time to process the previous session and prepare for the next. This could look like writing process notes, spending a few minutes thinking over your takeaways from the session, or noting any feelings that are lingering afterward.
Regulate
Being more emotionally perceptive and empathetic means you probably need to regulate between sessions to feel focused. It can be helpful to take an emotional baseline before your sessions and then notice how you feel during and after the session. If you notice any activation, take time to soothe any feelings that are present. This could look like using self-compassion, your DBT skills, or any of your favorite regulation exercises.
Decompress
Noticing lots of subtle details means more overstimulation and more time needed to decompress. In addition to checking in with thoughts and feelings, you don’t want to forget to give your nervous system a little extra care. This could look like going on a slow walk outdoors, using a weighted blanket, doing a few gentle yoga poses (child’s pose is my favorite to self-soothe), practicing mindful breathing, or toning your vagus nerve.
Nourish
Don’t forget about your physical needs of hydrating and getting a snack. Sensitive folks tend to be more impacted by the effects of hunger and get easily irritable (or hangry!). This can impact your ability to regulate your emotions and focus in session, so be sure to eat regularly depending on your body’s needs.
Document
Last but not least, you may need time to write your progress note if completing documentation between sessions. I have heard of the therapists that manage to get a note done, grab a snack, and run to the bathroom all within ten minutes, but I honestly don’t know any personally! I also surround myself completely with Sensitive Therapists who tend to operate at a different speed. This is why I batch my notes - I’ll either write all my notes in two chunks (afternoon break and end of day) or all at the end of the day. This gives me space to decompress from the previous session and prepare for the next session without feeling rushed or anxious.
But, How Will I Schedule Enough Clients?
Now that we’ve covered the reasons why to space out your sessions throughout the day, let’s talk about the objections that may be popping up in your mind! The most common ones I hear are:
The day is too long when I take longer breaks
I can’t see as many clients
I’ll need to work more days
All of these could be true if you give yourself more downtime in between sessions. You may need to extend your day slightly, reduce your caseload, and/or work more days per week. This might not work for you, but I will urge you to consider if working such a condensed schedule is sustainable over the long-term or is it going to lead you to burnout? Sometimes working a longer day with more breaks will leave you feeling more regulated and energized than a shorter day with all your sessions back-to-back. Experiment to see what works best for you.
You Have Schedule Options
If you know something needs to shift, let’s look at a few variations of what reducing back-to-backs could look like. Perhaps there’s a solution that could feel supportive for you, depending on your needs for momentum, decompression, and/or caseload size.
Option One: Take at least a 30-60 minute break between every session.
This option is the most spacious version and best suited for those with either a low caseload, those who want to work longer days or more days per week. This approach can also be paired with a longer lunch break mid-day. This might look like...
A seven hour work day:
Client session
30-minute break
Client session
60-minute lunch break
Client session
30-minute break
Client session
An eight hour work day:
Client session
30-minute break
Client session
30-minute lunch break
Client session
30-minute break
Client session
30-minute break
Client session
Option Two: Take one long break mid-day
A lot of Sensitive Therapists prefer a few back-to-back sessions to build momentum, but then need a long break in the middle of the day (at least one hour) to recharge. This might look like…
A six hour work day:
Client session
Client session
60-minute lunch break
Client session
Client session
A nine hour work day:
Client session
Client session
Client session
Two-hour lunch break
Client session
Client session
Client session
Option Three: Take two longer breaks
You may want to find somewhere in the middle, not taking a break between every single session but keeping some momentum without draining yourself too much. This might look like...
A nine hour work day:
Client session
Client session
60-minute break
Client session
Client session
60-minute break
Client session
Client session
As you see there are so many options when it comes to being mindful around scheduling back-to-backs. It’s not necessarily about never having them if you’re someone who does best with a little momentum, but also being mindful to recharge throughout the day. The goal is to have a little energy left over in your tank so you can tend to yourself after work - making dinner, connecting with loved ones, or just enjoying a good book or movie at the end of the day.
If you need support in creating a more supportive schedule for yourself, sign up for my course: Burnout to Balanced: How to Create a Sustainable Schedule.
In this self-paced course, you’ll get:
a schedule planner + step-by-step tutorials to create a custom schedule
over 100 sample schedules designed for Sensitive Therapists seeing 5-20 clients/week
suggested task lists to get everything done
a caseload + fee calculator so you know exactly how many sessions you need to cover expenses
paper planner + digital calendar recommendations
and lots of interactive resources, quizzes, flowcharts, and journaling pages!
Ready to transform your schedule, get rid of the constant overwhelm, and reclaim your downtime? Click here to sign-up
