Last week I asked ya’ll for your experiences with either:
Leave of absence
Sabbatical
Gap Years
Or any other extended break from work, beyond maternity/paternity leave (which, while wildly transformative, isn’t a break at all).
I got a super thoughtful response from Anita, a private practice therapist and educator. I know for a fact that she's an absolute BEAST in the therapy room too. Anyway, she said:
Powerful.
When educators take a sabbatical do they get shamed by their leadership or peers? I don’t know for sure, but I doubt it.
When my professors took time off, they wrote books, completed research projects, or otherwise raised the profile of themselves and the profession.
Maybe that doesn't count as rest, but I could see how getting some satisfying wins outside of the therapy room could be incredibly restorative. It could re-energize us for helping people again!
Therapy, as a field, is best when new therapists stay long enough to become experienced therapists, and when experienced therapists are energized and creative instead of jaded.
That’s why this newsletter exists!
This has been a CRAZY 100 or so days in the U.S. as a therapist.
Clients are extremely anxious and often triggered by the national news (for good reasons). Clinicians are ping-ponging around from work fire to personal fire. We’re way past “awareness” of burnout. We are asking the existential questions.
Plus, as I wrote to you a few weeks ago, my social media algorithm is full of daily ...“marketing?” ...“threats?” that AI is going to replace me. Sure.
It’s all morphing into some unholy scheme to crack our skulls and steal our focus.
[Hold on…taking a little break to scream “YOU WON’T BREAK MY SOUL” in the key of Beyonce’]
…okay, I’m back.
My next reset (and I hope you'll join me):
I’m doing a notes sprint this Wednesday, 4/30/25, 4pm-6pm pacific. It's literally just a block of time for end of month catch-up.
I'm going to knock out any documentation that got back burner-ed in the last crazy few weeks.
If you want to come through, just reply* “Wednesday” and I’ll send you a zoom link to co-work/body double with me. No charge, no presentation, just a few ground rules so that we can get our tasks done and celebrate the little wins!
Good luck this week!
-Andreana
