Psychotherapy’s students burnout

   Burnout is a classic topic that mental health professionals have discussed regularly. Today, I am sharing my own experiences and exploring the likelihood of burnout affecting some students, noting that not everyone will experience burnout.

Not all students recognize the potential for burnout before beginning their studies, and burnout often manifests later in their academic journey.  

Certainly, burnout can be influenced by various factors, primarily the therapist’s personality, personal traits, and the circumstances surrounding the student and the study. Environmental and economic factors may also contribute to the therapist’s burnout. Burnout is a serious issue that students should prepare for before starting the field.

   During the study, you learn a great deal about yourself and your traumas, some of which you may have never faced before or even realized existed. You become more aware of your personality type, weaknesses, fears, pains, and anxieties.

Those uncomfortable feelings might become clearer if you meet a client with similar experiences or traumas. As Freud describes in a distant part of your subconscious mind, you may experience an awakening of emotions you’ve never felt before or have always hidden and suppressed.

   After discovering those traumas, you start the journey of dwelling between surprise, denial, sadness, and living with your traumatic feelings.

  Discussing different mental health issues with clients might make those feelings seem intense. Such feelings could pose a challenge to your own strength and mental resilience.

   I find working with clients to be both exciting and challenging. Some cases have led me to reflect on life and the diverse experiences that shape a person. I am fascinated by some clients' resilience in facing their traumas and how they navigate their emotions while moving through life. All my clients were strong individuals with incredible charisma and a strong desire to live free from the pain of their past, and they strive to feel good again. I have learned to be strong from my clients who fight for their well-being and maintain hope in life.

   The financial and economic aspects are also negatively involved in the therapist’s burnout, but they are not exclusive to them; these factors can also impact any student. However, I believe the nature of psychotherapy study has a greater effect. Listening to emotional pain and distressing experiences can lead to overwhelming feelings of burnout. To avoid falling into the burnout trap, therapists should discuss their cases with supervisors and address any personal issues related to their experiences or past with an individual therapist. I have benefited from both supervision and personal therapy in refining my perspective on issues that resonate with my emotions.

Another element that helped me is the concept of shadow work. Learning about one's shadow taught me to delve deeply into my hidden traits, unconscious characteristics that I was unaware of. Understanding shadow work enabled me to accept my own shadow or dark side. Accepting my shadow was not easy, but I realized that for a person to be whole and to know how to deal with other people’s issues, they must embrace their negative traits. As Jung said, “Knowing your  darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness of other people.”

 On the other hand, another factor that helped me navigate the training safely was discussing my feelings with colleagues. The openness in my class to talk about emotions in a judgment-free environment was extremely helpful.

   Burnout among therapists can impact their clients, according to a study by Renjilian et al. on psychotherapist burnout. Participants perceived therapists experiencing burnout less favorably (Renjilian et al., 1998). Although psychotherapists are trained to enhance their clients’ quality of life, there has been limited research on the quality of life experienced by psychotherapist trainees themselves (Heinonen et al., 2022).

   Psychotherapists, counselors, and mental health professionals have meaningful jobs that help people navigate difficult times. Burnout is one drawback of this work; however, these challenges can deepen one's awareness of hidden stories and emotions, enabling one to discover new aspects and potential within one's personality.

Knowing your feelings is a strength, as Neville Goddard says, “Feeling is the secret”.

References

Heinonen, E., Orlinsky, D. E., Willutzki, U., Rønnestad, M. H., Schröder, T., Messina, I., Löffler-Stastka, H., & Hartmann, A. (2022). Psychotherapist Trainees’ Quality of Life: Patterns and Correlates. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(March). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.864691

Renjilian, D. A., Baum, R. E., & Landry, S. L. (1998). Psychotherapist Burnout. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 13(1), 39–48. https://doi.org/10.1300/J035v13n01_04