Work-life balance is a myth—and it’s keeping therapists stuck in burnout.

We’re told to strive for balance, to neatly separate our professional and personal lives, as if caregiving, therapy, parenting, and invisible household labor can be tucked into separate boxes. But the truth? For therapists and other caregivers, life doesn’t work that way.

In this episode, I introduce a new concept I’m calling the Caring Quotient: the total emotional, physical, and mental energy you spend on caregiving—inside and outside the therapy room. When your caring quotient is maxed out, burnout is inevitable.

I share stories from my Nana’s fried chicken, my own journey into motherhood after my son’s heart surgery, and years of working with brain injury survivors and their partners who were drowning in care. These stories reveal a deeper truth: burnout isn’t about poor self-care—it’s about the weight of unmeasured caregiving.

You’ll learn:

• Why “work-life balance” sets therapists up for failure
• How caregiving bleeds into every part of our lives—therapy sessions, parenting, household labor, emotional holding
• Why women therapists are disproportionately impacted by rising caregiving demands
• The connection between cognitive overload, caregiving, and therapist burnout
• How counterbalance—not balance—can help restore your capacity to care
• Practical ways to recognize when your caring quotient is maxed out and what renewal can look like

This episode is for therapists who feel like they’ve hit the wall—emotionally, mentally, and physically. If you’ve ever wondered why your burnout feels different from other jobs, the caring quotient may be the missing piece.

I’ll leave you with this reflection: What is your caring quotient right now? Are you maxed out, or do you have space for renewal?

👉 Coming in October: A full series on practice closure—how to know when it’s time, how to honor endings, and how to create space for what’s next.