In this episode of the Colleague Down the Hall Podcast, Jeanene Wolfe introduces Monica Helvie, a licensed marriage and family therapist and burnout recovery expert, to explore the complexities of burnout among mental health practitioners. She shares how her husband's intervention in 2017 led her to confront the toll burnout was taking on her personal life, and she discusses starting a private practice, where she found herself recreating the same unsustainable patterns. Monica and Jeanene discuss defining burnout, recognizing its signs, and the importance of setting boundaries, even when guilt and societal expectations make it difficult. Monica emphasizes aligning business practices with personal values and offers practical techniques for managing burnout, including somatic coping skills and a free burnout clarity checklist.

“I think the more that we can start encouraging and empowering people to really sense into what environment do you need to be able to thrive and not experience burnout, some folks might motor really high, and they're like, I want three back to back, and then I want three hours off, right? Or I want one and then I need an hour, and then I need another one, then I need another hour. Everybody runs differently. And so I think when we can start to create spaces where therapists can really start to sense into what is working and what feels right for them and their nervous system, then that's going to be really what keeps folks able to sustain the work that they're doing for longer and longer periods of time.”- Monica

Key highlights:

***Impact of Burnout on Mental Health Providers’ Lives and Their Client Work: Monica’s 2017 marriage crisis underscored the toll her workload was taking on her life, prompting her to reassess her work-life balance. How transitioning to private practice didn’t immediately solve her burnout; she found herself recreating similar stress patterns, revealing that burnout often follows us if underlying issues remain unaddressed. 

***Preventing Burnout through Deep Healing and Nervous System Regulation: Addressing burnout goes beyond quick fixes; it requires deep work on limiting beliefs, aligning with personal values, and, as Monica learned from her experience with perfectionism, developing tools to regulate the nervous system. This approach supports clearer decisions and reduces negative thought patterns—both crucial for managing burnout. Often, resentment toward clients or work signals a lack of alignment and the need for stronger boundaries. Just as they encourage their clients, therapists must prioritize boundaries to protect their own well-being.

About Monica Helvie:

Monica Helvie is a licensed marriage family therapist in California and Texas and a trauma informed burnout recovery expert. She helps high-achieving career women overcome chronic stress and find work-life balance. Together, we create sustainable success without burnout, so you can thrive in your career and personal life.

Connect with Monica Helvie:

Social Media: @monicahelvielmft

Free Burnout Clarity Checklist: https://monicahelvie.aweb.page/p/8f6d0a69-2efd-4521-8d6c-bb2a1a9d815d

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