Therapists Are Burning Out—Here’s Why, What the Impact Is, and How to Help

With its electronic health record (EHR) and practice management platform serving more than 200,000 U.S.-based health and wellness practitioners, SimplePractice aims to take care of the caregivers. 

For October’s World Mental Health Day, we conducted a survey of 550 therapists—including counselors, social workers, psychologists, substance abuse psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and others working in mental health care—to better understand, quantify, and contextualize the current state of U.S. therapists’ burnout and overall well-being.

We’re highlighting the survey results in the 2023 State of Therapist Well-Being Report.  

Here are some of the key findings and insights.

How common is burnout among therapists?

Over half of mental health practitioners reported experiencing burnout this year.

The survey results reveal significant burnout among therapists, with more than half (52%) saying they experienced burnout during the last 12 months and nearly a third (29%) reporting that they are currently burned out. 

“Burnout is a type of long-term job stress characterized by three main features,” NYC-based clinical psychologist Samantha Gambino, PsyD, told SimplePractice. “The first is overwhelming emotional and physical exhaustion.”

According to Gambino, in addition to physical and emotional fatigue, those who are burned out also experience detachment and feelings of cynicism about their jobs—along with a decreased sense of accomplishment. 

Gambino said people with burnout feel incompetent, inefficient, ineffective, and they lose confidence in themselves.

Nearly half (49%) of those currently burnt-out say their burnout has gotten worse since the first wave of COVID-19. 

The impact of therapist burnout 

High volumes of client and patient demand, coupled with compassion fatigue and complexity of client needs have contributed to burnout, exhaustion, and a negative impact on well-being for mental health practitioners. 

Over 50% of all therapists surveyed said their schedules are usually completely filled each day.

More than three-quarters (76%) of practitioners who were burned out said they’ve felt more tired. And 84% of burned out therapists reported needing more rest and recovery time. 

What’s more, it’s troubling to learn that more than half (64%) of practitioners with burnout said they feel emotionally drained and that more than a third (39%) said they have difficulty engaging in personal activities.

Mental health practitioners who experienced burnout in the last year are making significant changes. 

For example, nearly three quarters (73%) of therapists who are currently burned out reported they hesitate to take on severe/acute clients, while over half (67%) have reduced their client caseload due to burnout.

Especially concerning, nearly a third (29%) of those therapists who experienced burnout in the past year and 15% of those who have not experienced burnout have considered, or are currently considering, leaving the mental health field.  (Burnout was said to be the main reason 4.5 million U.S. workers across all professions left their jobs during The Great Resignation in 2021.)

Of all practitioners who have considered leaving the mental health workforce, 57% say they plan to leave the field in the next 5 years. 

With America already in the throes of a mental health crisis, and a surging need for mental health support amidst a lack of resources (for instance, last year’s APA survey found that 60% of psychologists did not have any openings for new patients, while more than 40% had waiting lists of ten or more patients), the SimplePractice findings suggest the behavioral health workforce shortage may increase in coming years.

According to a 2022 Gallup poll, self-assessments of Americans’ state of mental health are at the lowest seen in more than two decades. Almost twice as many U.S. adults in 2022 (78 million) reported seeing a report having visited a therapist, counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist, as compared to 2004 (38 million).

“Our mission at SimplePractice is to improve access to quality care by equipping health and wellness practitioners with the tools they need to thrive,” said SimplePractice president Jonathan Seltzer. 

“The report shines a light onto critical areas of concern and areas of opportunity to support practitioners within this challenging environment,” he said. “We’re hopeful that the findings within our 2023 Therapist Well-Being Report are a rallying call for policymakers, mental health institutes, and fellow technology providers to do more to alleviate the burdens facing mental health practitioners, and ultimately, improve access and quality of care for patients.”

What’s causing therapist burnout? 

Work-life balance, compassion fatigue, and the administrative tasks of working as a clinician and running a practice are the major contributors to burnout among therapists currently feeling burnt out.

“Simply taking time off or vacation does not mean you are off the grid—you still worry about high-risk clients outside of work hours,” wrote one survey respondent. “It is easy to feel like you yourself needs to be on the back burner, especially because the nurturing personality type is more drawn to this profession.”

Therapists who are currently burned out cite these reasons as contributors to their burnout: 

• More than half (60%) said work-life balance contributes to their burnout
• Over half (55%) mentioned administrative tasks 
• Compassion fatigue was noted by 54% as a factor 
• Nearly half (44%) mentioned low pay 
• 33% said the severity and complexity of client needs (i.e. the “acuity of my clients”) had increased, contributing to burnout
• One quarter (25%) noted their caseload is too high
• Almost one in ten (8%) mentioned the challenges of navigating licensure

Therapists need self-care and mental health support too

Those therapists experiencing burnout have sought support and relief through a number of strategies.

Most (86%) practitioners who are currently burned out reported that engaging in self-care activities such as meditating, going outdoors in nature, and spending time with their families and pets helped reduce their feelings of burnout.

When it comes to promoting therapist self-care, the SimplePractice Pollen blog provides a platform for practitioners to share practical tips for practicing self-compassion, following a self-care checklist, and creating an affordable and sustainable self-care plan.

And, in celebration of October’s World Mental Health Day, SimplePractice created a new bespoke meditation video series to help therapists reset in between client sessions.

Practitioners who were currently burnt-out found some relief through adjusting their work schedules. Just over three-quarters (76%) of therapists said modifying their schedules to include more breaks, less days, and different hours was a way they were able to reduce burnout.

Defining one’s own work schedule is one of the key benefits of starting a therapy private practice, and the SimplePractice EHR offers calendar and scheduling features that give practitioners more control and flexibility over creating their schedules.

“Simple practice has helped greatly with the administrative side of the practice, which has greatly reduced burnout related stress,” wrote one survey respondent. 

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of those practitioners who are burned out mentioned the importance of boundaries with clients and work hours to help reduce burnout. Creating and reinforcing a no-show or late cancellation policy is one way therapists can set and maintain boundaries with clients.

Additionally, 60% said they are seeking support from other professionals (e.g. mentorship with fellow therapists, consultation, and professional groups).

Finally, more than half of therapists (53%) are seeking their own mental health treatment.

For therapists concerned they may be experiencing burnout, here are practical tips from a psychotherapist to help practitioners recognize burnout and bounce back and thrive.

“SimplePractice’s report highlighted therapists’ need for support and resources to ensure therapists can do what they do best: continue to help those who need them the most,” said SimplePractice Chief Marketing Officer Smita Wadhawan. “In honor of World Mental Health Day, we launched a campaign centered around the data with helpful resources to combat therapist burnout.”  

The new meditation series and clinician mental health CE courses, can be accessed here.

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