As an Introvert and Highly Sensitive Person, I understand the struggles of balancing self-care while supporting others. I want to help you reduce overwhelm and honor your Strengths as a Sensitive Therapist so you can feel fulfilled in your work again.
All in highly sensitive person
There’s a correlation between caseload capacity and career length for HSTs. The longer they’ve been a therapist, the fewer clients you can see each day. If you’re highly sensitive and/or an empath, the weight of doing therapy could take an emotional and nervous system toll from vicarious trauma and the mere stress of supporting others.
Being a deeply feeling, empathetic therapist certainly has its struggles, but let’s not forget the bright spots that make this work special. When you can allow yourself permission to work in alignment with your needs, you get to bypass burnout and experience the best parts of being an HST while creating meaningful change for your clients.
If you knew then what you know now, would you still choose to be a therapist? Reflections on the impact of being a therapist and how this role changes you and impacts your personal relationships. This work is special, it’s just mixed with the dread of doing paperwork, the exhaustion of the daily emotional rollercoaster you go on session to session, the self-doubt of being enough for your clients, and the upkeep of running a private practice or navigating the politics of a group/agency setting.
After graduation, you’re searching for a counseling field placement that doesn’t leave you feeling burned out before you even get licensed and fully start your therapist career. All the usual places (agencies, hospitals, schools) come with demanding caseloads and productivity standards. Thinking outside the box on the path to complete your hours will be the key to sustainable work as a therapist now and in the future.
You may want to help every client who reaches out, but putting empathy first often leads to therapist burnout. It’s important to consider how many clients you can support long-term when you set adequate boundaries.
Instead of burning yourself out each day trying to do everything perfectly, try leaving some fuel in your tank so you have the energy to focus on your self-care routine and personal responsibilities. This practice can help you maintain energy levels over time, get more done and feel more balanced.
