Burnout and Self-Care for Mental Health Practitioners

Despite significant training in mental health related issues, mental health practitioners, including social workers, psychotherapists, psychologists, and professional counselors, are far from immune from the effects of burnout. Burnout is a “psychological syndrome emerging as a prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors on the job” (Maslach & Leiter, 2016). Three defining factors of burnout, according to Maslach & Leiter (2016), include “an overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment from the job, and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.” According to Barnett (2008), psychologists and other mental health professionals can feel “invulnerable to emotional and mental health difficulties as a result of the[ir] education and training… thus creating a professional blind spot regarding the risks and possible development of [their] own distress and impairment.” Furthermore, the emotionally demanding nature of working in the mental health field and the impact that burnout can have on a practitioner’s ability to feel compassion and empathy make it very important that practitioners have a self-care plan that can help prevent or heal from burnout (Turner & Rankine, 2024).

See five important points below on how to think about self-care as a mental health practitioner:

1. Holistic Self-Care: Effective self-care should support emotional, physical, relational, and spiritual well-being, as each area requires attention and nourishment (Zicde & Norcross, 2020). Evaluate self-care strategies based on which of these domains they address.

2. Consistency Over Occasionality: Self-care must be practiced regularly—daily or weekly—not just during rare breaks or vacations. It should be flexible and realistically integrated into everyday life (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2022).

3. Addressing All Stressors: Because personal and professional stressors are deeply interconnected, self-care routines must support both spheres to be truly effective (Jiang et al., 2021).

4. Small and Large Acts Matter: From a 2-minute mindfulness break to developing an ongoing therapy practice or exercise habit, both minor adjustments and significant lifestyle changes can meaningfully impact well-being (Wallace et al., 2010).

5. Purpose of Self-Care: The goal is to enhance wellness, support optimal functioning, and reduce the risk of burnout or decline in professional competence (Barnett et al., 2007). Even small, intentional practices can be deeply preventative and sustaining.

References: 

Barnett, J. E., Baker, E. K. , Elman, . S., & Schoener, G. R. (2007). In pursuit of wellness: The self-care imperative. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 38(6), 603 612. https://doi.org/10.1037 /0735 7028.38.6.603 

Barnett, J. E. (2008). Impaired professionals: Distress, professional impairment, self-care, and psychological wellness. In M. Herson & A. M. Gross (Eds.), Handbook of clinical psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 857–884). New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Jiang, X., Topps, A. K., & Suzuki, R. (2021). A systematic review of self-care measures for professionals and trainees. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 15(2), 126–139. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000318

Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 15(2), 103–111. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20311

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2022). Depression in adults: Treatment and  management (NICE guideline NG222).

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng222/chapter/Recommendations#principles-of-care

Turner, M., & Rankine, R. (2024). Self‐care in prevention of burnout amongst counselling professionals: A systematic literature review. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 25(2).

https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12837

Wallace, S., Lee, J. , & Lee, S. M. (2010). Job stress, coping strategies, and burnout among abuse-specific counselors. Journal of Employment Counseling, 47(3), 111 122. https:/doi.org/10.1002/ j.2161 -1920.2010.lb00096

Ziede, J. S., & Norcross, J. C. (2020). Personal therapy and self-care in the making of  psychologists. Journal of Psychology, 154(8), 585 618. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2020.1757596