"I want to help my clients, but I am exhausted" — the phrase psychologists most often do not say out loud. Research shows: burnout affects 40–60% of professionals in the psychology field (Lim et al., 2010). This is not simply tiredness — it is a serious professional and personal risk.
What is Burnout?
Burnout (Maslach's model, 1981) consists of three components:
- Emotional exhaustion — the feeling of being "emptied out"
- Depersonalisation — a cynical, detached attitude toward clients, treating them as objects
- Reduced sense of personal accomplishment — "I am not making a difference"
The early symptoms are often dismissed: fatigue, irritability, social withdrawal. Months later — depression, anxiety, physical symptoms (headaches, gastrointestinal problems, sleep disturbance).
Why Do Psychologists Face High Risk?
- Secondary traumatisation — absorbing the patient's trauma
- Emotional labour — sustained empathic output
- Difficulty setting limits — "wanting to help" can become a dependency on helping
- Isolation — client details cannot be shared with colleagues
- Uncertain outcomes — the effects of therapy may not be visible for years
- High responsibility — the ongoing weight of a patient's risk of suicide or trauma
Early Warning Signs
- Irritation towards patients
- Viewing certain sessions as "pointless"
- Delaying responses to patient calls and messages
- Significant fatigue before and after sessions
- Withdrawal in personal life
- Sleep disturbance, nightmares about clients
- Increased use of alcohol, food, or other substances
- Reluctance to attend supervision
If 3–4 of these signs are present, professional intervention is needed.
Self-Care Strategies
1. Structured limits.
- Maximum daily client number (5–6 adults or 8 children)
- A 15-minute break between sessions (to decompress)
- No responding to messages outside working hours
- Weekends — client-free
- Annual leave — a minimum of 4 weeks
2. Regular supervision. As discussed in a previous article, supervision is the primary tool for managing emotional load.
3. Personal therapy. Every psychologist should be in therapy themselves — at least periodically. This is both professional development and self-care.
4. Physical health.
- Regular exercise (3–5 times per week)
- Sleep hygiene (7–9 hours)
- Healthy nutrition
- Regular medical check-ups
5. Mindfulness and meditation. Research has shown: regular meditation reduces burnout risk in psychologists by up to 40% (Goodman & Schorling, 2012). Just 10–20 minutes a day is sufficient.
6. Social support. Non-professional friendships, family connections, hobby groups. Remembering who you are outside of work.
7. Professional peer support groups. Peer consultation groups, professional conversations with colleagues (while maintaining confidentiality).
8. Variety of client types. Working exclusively with trauma or exclusively with depression accelerates burnout. Variety matters.
Secondary Traumatisation (VT)
VT (vicarious traumatisation) is a gradual shift in the psychologist's own worldview under the influence of a patient's trauma. Symptoms:
- Pessimism about the world
- Distrust of people
- Difficulties in intimate relationships in personal life
- Nightmares with themes related to clients
- Hypersensitivity in high-risk situations
VT is distinct from burnout, but the two frequently occur together. It is a particular risk for practitioners working with trauma.
A Practical 30-Day Plan
- Days 1–7: Burnout assessment (Maslach Burnout Inventory, available online)
- Days 8–14: Establishing limits (daily client cap, message response hours)
- Days 15–21: Connecting with regular supervision or peer consultation
- Days 22–30: Starting a physical health and mindfulness routine
An Important Message
Self-care is not selfishness. On the contrary: a burned-out psychologist causes harm to their clients. From an ethical standpoint, self-care is a patient's right.
"I take care of myself the same way I take care of my clients" — this statement should become the guiding principle of every professional psychologist.