Burnout: When Your Brain Waves a White Flag

Burnout is what happens when stress overstays its welcome. It’s that state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion that makes you wonder if you should quit your job and go work at an ice cream shop instead (when I was dealing with burn-out, that was my fantasy).

Signs You Might Be Burnt Out:

• You’re always tired, no matter how much sleep you get
• You find yourself thinking, Does anything I do even matter?
• Your patience is wearing very thin (with clients, colleagues, loved ones, or even strangers on the road)
• You’re mentally checking out, even in sessions you used to enjoy
• The idea of answering another email makes you want to cry (so you avoid avoid avoid)

How to Fight Burnout:

Set Boundaries Like Your Sanity Depends on It (Because It Does)

Work ends at a certain time? Stick to it. Clients emailing you at midnight? They can wait.

Find Joy Outside of Work

What did you like to do before you became a therapist? Do more of that. How would you spend your time if you didn’t have to work anymore? Try to incorporate more of those things.

Talk It Out

Supervision, therapy, or venting to a trusted colleague can help you process what’s draining you.

Reassess Workload & Expectations

If you’re drowning, it’s okay to ask for a life raft. Ask your boss to help you prioritize, let them know you’re struggling, and see if some of your tasks can be delegated.

Compassion Fatigue: When Caring Feels Like Too Much

Compassion fatigue is like empathy burnout. You still care, but you’re so emotionally drained that caring feels like an Olympic sport you didn’t sign up for.

Signs You Might Be Experiencing Compassion Fatigue:

• You feel emotionally drained after listening to clients’ struggles
• You’re running on autopilot and feeling disconnected from your work
• Your ability to empathize is… well, not what it used to be
• You feel more irritable, cynical, or just over it
• You need extra time to emotionally recover from tough cases

How to Combat Compassion Fatigue (Without Becoming a Robot):

1. Check In With Yourself: How are you doing? No, really. When’s the last time you actually asked yourself that? If you need some extra help, take the ProQOL assessment.
2. Make Space for Reflection: Whether it’s journaling, mindfulness, or talking it out with a friend, process your emotions instead of bottling them up.
3. Balance Your Caseload: If possible, mix in less emotionally intense cases with the heavy ones. It’s tough to do back to back to back trauma processing cases some days.
4. Surround Yourself with Support: Find your therapist friends, commiserate, and remind each other that you’re doing great (even when it doesn’t feel like it). If you’re in this alone, consider joining a Facebook community—or better yet, join an Ellie Mental Health group practice.

Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS): When Clients’ Trauma Feels Like Your Own

STS happens when you’re exposed to clients’ trauma so much that your brain starts treating it like your trauma. It’s like emotional secondhand smoke— still harmful, even if you’re not the one directly experiencing it.

One of our Ellie therapists just joined our podcast recently to discuss her experience with secondary traumatic stress, how it was different than burnout and compassion fatigue, and how she was finally able to move forward and heal. Listen here:

Signs You Might Be Experiencing STS:

• You’re having intrusive thoughts or distressing dreams about clients’ experiences
• You feel emotionally numb or disconnected from reality
• You avoid certain cases, conversations, or topics because they feel too triggering
• You’re hypervigilant, anxious, or having trouble sleeping
• Your body is reacting—headaches, muscle tension, nausea—all the fun stuff

How to Manage STS (Without Quitting Therapy Forever):

1. Set Emotional Boundaries: You can care without carrying every client’s trauma like it’s your own personal baggage.
2. Supervision is Your Friend: Regularly talk through tough cases with someone who gets it.
3. Educate Yourself on Trauma Responses: Understanding your own reactions can help you navigate them better. One of the most helpful, influential books I’ve read on this topic was Trauma Stewardship—highly recommend!

Taking Care of Yourself Isn’t Optional

Therapists are human first. This job is a part of us, but it is not our full identity. Burnout, compassion fatigue, and STS are real, but they’re also manageable when we prioritize ourselves the way we prioritize our clients. Set boundaries, take breaks, and remind yourself that taking care of you is what allows you to take care of others. Self-care isn’t selfish—it’s essential.

Listen to our full episode about self care as therapists here:

The post Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Compassion Fatigue in Helping Professions appeared first on Ellie Mental Health, PLLP.

What Self-Care Is (and What It Isn’t)

Self-care is often mistaken for a luxury, like bubble baths, vacations, or treating yourself to something fancy. While those things can be nice, real self-care is about consistency. It’s about building habits that support your emotional, mental, and physical well-being. That might mean setting clear boundaries between work and personal life, doing something you actually enjoy (not just scrolling on your phone), or paying attention to how you talk to yourself. Small, intentional choices make a big difference over time.

Signs of Stress and Burnout

Burnout doesn’t hit all at once– it sneaks up gradually. A little stress is normal and can even be motivating, but if you’re noticing any of these signs, it’s time to reassess:

• Feeling emotionally drained or exhausted after work
• Increased irritability, cynicism, or detachment
• Trouble concentrating or making decisions
• Chronic fatigue, even after a full night’s sleep
• Frequent headaches, muscle tension, or stomach issues
• Trouble sleeping (either too much or too little)
• Procrastinating on emails, meetings, or work tasks
• Avoiding certain coworkers or dreading work altogether
• Struggling to disconnect from work thoughts after hours
• Feeling stuck, unmotivated, or questioning your career

One of the most eye-opening books on burnout is Trauma Stewardship by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky. While it’s geared toward helping professionals, the insights apply to anyone dealing with stress-heavy jobs. It helped me recognize my own warning signs and adjust before burnout took over.

Checking In With Yourself

It’s easy to keep pushing forward without stopping to check in, but a little self-reflection can go a long way in preventing burnout. If you’re feeling stretched thin, overwhelmed, or just off, these questions can help you figure out what needs to change:

• Am I practicing any of the self-care habits I tell others are important?
• Do I feel guilty when I take breaks or set boundaries?
• Am I dreading work, procrastinating, or zoning out more than usual?
• Do I actually have a manageable workload, or am I just pretending I do?
• How often do I check emails or think about work after hours?
• Do I have a solid way to decompress after work, or do I carry everything home with me?
• Do I still find meaning in my job, or does it just feel like a burden?
• Is my workplace supporting my well-being, or is it the main source of my stress?
• If a friend told me they were this stressed at work, what advice would I give them?

Listen to our interview with therapists about how they manage stress and burn-out:

Small Changes That Make a Big Difference

Managing work stress doesn’t require a complete life overhaul– small changes throughout the day can make a real impact. Here are some simple strategies:

Creating an After-Work Transition

Having a clear shift from work mode to personal time makes a huge difference. Whether it’s listening to music on the drive home, taking a walk, or changing into comfy clothes, these rituals signal to your brain that the workday is over. Without them, stress lingers, and it’s harder to unwind.

A therapist I know shared in a recent podcast episode that she mentally “clocked out” when she passed a specific road sign on her way home. It sounds small, but that act of intentionally leaving work stress behind made a difference. Find your version of that.

Self-Care at Work (Yes, It’s Possible)

Self-care isn’t just for after hours. Small moments during the workday—stretching, stepping outside, taking deep breaths—help maintain energy and focus. Instead of doomscrolling between tasks, try one of these:

• Deep breathing (box breathing: inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4)
• Progressive muscle relaxation (tense and release different muscle groups)
• Grounding techniques (use the 5-4-3-2-1 method to refocus on the present)
• Desk stretches (loosen up your neck, shoulders, and wrists)
• A short walk (even a quick lap around the office helps)
• Watching a funny video or sharing a joke with a coworker (I am totally guilty of watching a Nate Bargatze stand up show in between sessions before when in need of a “palate cleanser”)
• Organizing your workspace (a clutter-free desk always reduces mental clutter for me)
• Prioritizing tasks (use the Eisenhower Matrix to cut down on overwhelm)
• Taking a nap (if your job allows it, a quick power nap can work wonders)

During the podcast episode, Taylor added: “Sometimes we overcomplicate self-care. At its core, it’s about basic human needs—eating meals, sleeping, drinking water, moving your body. These things feel like givens, so we devalue them, but they’re essential. During my day, I make sure I have snacks, I drink water, and I pay attention to what I need between sessions. If I feel social, I chat with coworkers. If I need to decompress, I stretch or meditate.”

When Self-Care Means Finding a New Job

Not all burnout is personal—sometimes, it’s the work environment. If your job constantly demands more than you can give, lacks support, or makes you dread every Monday, no amount of deep breathing will fix that. In some cases, the best self-care decision is finding a workplace that actually values and supports your well-being.

Rethinking Work-Life Balance

When I was younger, I thought work-life balance meant hustling hard and then taking big vacations as a reward. Now, as a parent, it looks completely different. It’s not about sprinting until I can take time off, it’s about maintaining a sustainable rhythm every day so I can be present for my family and still do work I love.

For me, that means:

• Having firm work hours and actually sticking to them
• Not answering work emails on weekends or when I’m off
• Being intentional about the projects I take on
• Having coworkers I can lean on when needed
• Making sure my schedule works for my life, not the other way around
• Feeling supported by my employer instead of drained by them

Leaning on Support Systems

We all need people to lean on, whether it’s coworkers, friends, or a mentor. Having a trusted support system to talk things through helps keep stress from piling up. If you’re struggling, don’t tough it out alone.

Not sure who to turn to? A therapist can be the professional support you need when feeling stressed. Find a therapist that specializes in stress management here.

Work, Stress, and What Comes Next

Taking care of yourself isn’t just about feeling better…. it directly impacts how you show up at work and in life. By making self-care a priority, you can build a career that’s fulfilling, sustainable, and doesn’t leave you completely drained at the end of every day.

Bottom line: Your job is part of your life, but it shouldn’t consume your entire identity. Make space for the things that bring you joy and balance.

The post Work Stress & Self-Care: Practical Strategies for a Healthier Work Life appeared first on Ellie Mental Health, PLLP.

Tired of feeling beyond tired? We get it – burnout sucks! Get matched with a therapist near you today!

10 Warning Signs of Burnout

1. You Can’t Get Out of Bed in the Morning 

Everyone has those mornings where they can’t stop hitting the snooze button. However, feeling fatigued from the moment you wake up is a major warning sign of burnout. 

2. You Can’t Sleep at Night 

On the flip side, burnout can cause insomnia. You might find yourself playing through the endless list of tasks that need to get done instead of sleeping. 

Sleep and mental health are closely linked. Burnout makes it hard for the mind to rest, even when it’s time to be sleeping. This easily turns into a cycle that not only disrupts rest, but also amplifies feelings of anxiety and overwhelm, creating a loop that’s difficult to break without addressing the root causes. Difficulty falling asleep, inability to stay asleep, nightmares, and ruminating worry about work are all symptoms and could be pointing to burnout. 

3. You Feel Irritable All the Time  

Burnout can leave you restless, heated, and constantly on the verge of exploding. This irritability will likely follow you from work to home, which can have a negative effect on your relationships. 

Irritability and burnout can lead to cynicism because they often create a sense of emotional depletion, frustration, and disillusionment. Cynicism is just a self-protective response, where you might begin to distance yourself emotionally to avoid further disappointment or stress. 

4. You Can’t Focus or Stay Productive 

No matter how hard you try, you just can’t stay focused. A task that would normally take you 30 minutes can stretch to hours because you can’t find the motivation to begin or quickly get off task. Or maybe work keeps falling through the cracks. Missing a deadline or two might not be a big deal. But if you’re consistently struggling to get your work done and can’t seem to make any of your deadlines, burnout might be to blame. 

5. You Hate Your Job (Even If You Loved It) 

If you dread going to work each day, that’s a major red flag that you’re feeling burned out. On one hand, it’s possible that you work in a toxic environment and that your energy is best spent elsewhere. However, you can get burnout working at a place you love. Even if you have the best coworkers and landed your dream job, burnout can make every workday feel like a challenge. 

6. You Feel Like a Failure

Burnout and shame are close friends. If you feel unsuccessful and underappreciated at work, that can lead you to feeling burned out in the first place. You might feel ashamed that you can’t just “get it together” and do your work.  

Over time, your struggle or this perception of failure can snowball, and as tasks pile up, you might start to feel like you’re falling behind, and that feeling of struggling to meet expectations only fuels the cycle of burnout. The cycle leads to decreased motivation and increasing feelings of shame.

7. You Avoid People

Avoiding toxic friendships is one thing, but burnout is different and can lead to self-isolation. You might feel too overwhelmed to socialize with your coworkers during the day and you might even feel too exhausted to spend time with your friends or family outside of work. 

This can be especially true if you’re in a type of job that demands interaction with people for the majority of time you’re working. When you’re feeling this way, you might start to notice symptoms of dissociation, emotional detachment, or depression.

8. You Can’t Get the Creative Juices Flowing  

Feeling like you’re in a permanent state of writer’s block? Burnout can make you feel like all your creative juices have suddenly gone dry, and not even the normal walk around the block or cup of tea can get you back in the groove. 

9. You Keep Getting Headaches or Muscle Pain 

Burnout can take a toll on your physical health, making you more susceptible to sickness. It’s also common for stress to cause chronic headaches or muscle pain. 

The body’s response to prolonged stress involves the release of hormones like cortisol, which, in turn, can disrupt the normal functioning of the digestive system and lead to issues like IBS, nauseousness, stomach ulcers, constipation, or acid reflux. It’s fascinating how our body is all connected: even mental issues can lead to physical problems.

10. Your Appetite Is Low 

Are you skipping breakfast most days or notice that you just don’t feel hungry when lunch comes around? Burnout can cause your appetite to take a dip and you might even start to unintentionally lose weight. 

How Common is Burnout?

Burnout is incredibly common, and the COVID-19 pandemic definitely didn’t help the issue. In SHRM’s 2024 Employee Mental Health Research Series, 44% of survey respondents claimed they experienced burnout in the previous year. And from the different age groups surveyed, millennials topped the charts every time in feeling the most burned out.  

Common Causes of Burnout

• Too much work
• Too many work hours
• Lack of work-life balance
• Lack of control
• Lack of reward
• Unfair treatment or expectations
• Toxic work environment

While burnout is not a medical condition, it can be closely linked to mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or stress. It’s been recognized as an “occupational phenomenon” by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is described as being caused by “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

The Link Between Stress and Burnout

While workplace stress is one of the most common causes of burnout, it’s not the only cause. If every day feels stressful, it’s likely that a bad case of burnout is around the corner – whether you’re a working professional, college student, a stay-at-home parent, or you’re stressed by the politics of the day. 

If stress is feeling overwhelmed and having too much energy or emotion, then burnout is the opposite. It’s feeling unmotivated, detached, and empty. The transition from stress to burnout doesn’t happen overnight. You might not realize that you’ve crossed that threshold until you’re deep in it.

How Long Does It Take to Recover from Burnout?

The personal recovery time from burnout can vary significantly depending on the severity of the burnout. If you’re experiencing mild burnout, just a few key changes in your role might help mitigate the symptoms quickly. 

For those experiencing moderate burnout, it might take weeks or months of changes and utilizing coping skills before you’re noticing yourself go back to normal. 

When it comes to more severe cases of burnout, consider this your sign to make some big changes and perhaps even seek professional help in order to find recovery. Of course, there are a variety of factors involved that may affect the level of changes or time necessary to recover from burnout:

Duration of Stressful Work Conditions

How long someone has been dealing with stress at work plays a big role in how long it will take to recover from burnout. The longer you’re exposed to stress and in a state of hyperarousal (fight or flight mode), the more it wears on both your body and mind, making the burnout symptoms stronger and the recovery process take longer. Recognizing and addressing the source of the stress early on can significantly shorten the recovery period and help prevent burnout from becoming a long-term issue.

Degree of Trauma Experienced

If you’ve been through a lot of traumatic experiences, whether at work or in personal life, that kind of emotional and psychological weight can make burnout much harder to bounce back from. The more intense or frequent the trauma, the deeper it can affect your mental health and overall well-being. It doesn’t just drain your energy,  but it can create lasting feelings of fear, helplessness, or disillusionment. Extra support like therapy or trauma-informed care might be necessary to help you heal.

Level of Support

If you have a strong support system, whether it’s friends, family, coworkers, or a therapist, you’ll likely heal faster because you have people to lean on, talk to, and help you through the tough times. Having someone to listen or offer practical help can take some of the pressure off and remind you that you’re not alone in this. On the other hand, if you’re dealing with burnout in isolation, without much support, it can take much longer to recover.

Level of Resilience and Grit

If you’re someone who tends to bounce back quickly from challenges and can push through tough situations, you might find that your recovery takes less time. Resilience helps you adapt and find ways to cope with stress, so even though burnout might hit hard, you’re able to muster the strength to start healing sooner. If you’re someone who struggles with bouncing back or feels defeated by setbacks, it might take longer to recover.

How To Recover From Burnout for Good 

Recovering from burnout and preventing it from coming back involves more than taking an impromptu vacation or adding a self-care routine to your checklist. While a stressful work environment is a major part of what causes burnout, your attitudes about work, your perceptions about yourself, and the way you relate with others all play roles. 

The good news is that you can fight chronic stress at work and in other aspects of your life. By finding balance and learning a few essential skills, you can find satisfaction and peace. You can finally feel like you have the energy and capacity to not only get through the workday but to also spend quality time with your loved ones and pursue things you enjoy. 

Here are a few key ways to establish a healthy relationship with your work and recover from a bad case of burnout: 

Talk it out

Feeling burned out can be a scary feeling. If burnout is affecting your work performance, you might even fear that you’ll lose your job. Some people have a tendency to internalize their stress, but staying silent can make you feel alone and helpless. Venting to someone you trust and admitting out loud that you can’t do it all can feel like a huge weight off your shoulders. 

Identify the Root Cause

While stress is what leads to burnout, you need to identify what is causing your dissatisfaction and stress at work. Are you taking on more than you can handle? Are you balancing work with a tumultuous relationship or mental health issue? Do you feel unrecognized for your achievements or feel isolated from your coworkers? Take time to self-reflect and pin down what factors might be triggering burnout. 

Set Firm Boundaries

Your time is precious, and you need to divvy it up smartly. If you say yes to everything that people ask you to do, you’ll either fail in doing everything you promised or end up burned out at the end of it all. It’s okay to say no and be picky about what you add to your schedule, and setting personal and professional boundaries can help you in your recovery.

Check-in on Yourself Often

If you’re always on the go, you might get so lost in day-to-day activities that you don’t realize you are burned out until it hits you in full force. Make a point to self-evaluate your mental health and look for the warning signs that you need to reset. 

Rediscover Your Hobbies

Make time for things you enjoy in your weekly schedule. Not every minute of your day needs to be spent on completing a task or getting something done. High achievers tend to get caught in loops of always working. Whether that’s putting hours in at your job or getting through the piles of laundry that accumulated over the week. 

When To See a Therapist for Burnout 

Burnout sucks, and it can last a long time. You might feel like you’ve done everything you can to beat it, but no matter how hard you try, you just can’t get your vigor and motivation back. Therapy for stress and burnout can make a big difference in helping you reclaim your life. Your therapist can help you identify the root cause of your burnout and work with you on effective ways to minimize stress and find a healthy balance in your work life. 

Is burnout stealing your productivity? Get matched with a local provider today!

The post 10 Warning Signs and Symptoms of Burnout: Causes and Recovery Tips appeared first on Ellie Mental Health, PLLP.

Meet the Experts

Miranda:  “Welcome to the Therapist Thrival Guide. My name is Miranda Barker and I am here with Marissa and Madeline, who are both Ellie employees. Can you both introduce yourselves and explain what you do at Ellie?”

Marissa:  “Yeah, sure. We work with the outreach department for the Ellie franchise side, supporting franchise owners and clinic directors with tips and resources for effective community outreach.”

Madeline:  “I’m Madeline, and outreach is more about the interpersonal side of marketing. We target audiences and establish long-term relationships that translate into referrals and partnerships.”

The Importance of Relationships in Outreach

Miranda:  “Outreach is all about relationships. It’s not about appearances. It’s about nurturing genuine connections. Time spent on building these relationships pays off.”

Marissa:  “People often see outreach as gimmicky or salesy, but it’s more about genuinely interacting with the community and offering value. You might feel uncomfortable initially, but genuine interactions lead to real connections.”

Strategies for Effective Mental Health Outreach

Understanding Outreach:

Miranda:  “Could you describe what outreach in this context means?”

Madeline:  “Outreach involves human interaction to build long-term relationships that can lead to referrals and partnerships, benefiting clinics over time.”

Initial Steps:

Miranda:  “What’s the first step in outreach?”

Madeline:  “Start with some research and planning. Utilize tools like Google to identify nearby target areas and create an organized planner. Know who you’re speaking with and why.”

Marissa:  “Effective outreach involves detailed pre-planning and research to identify the right stakeholders and set up meetings.”

Customizing Your Outreach Plans

• Know Your Audience: Tailor your outreach efforts based on the services you provide and the specialties of your therapists. Don’t go to schools if you don’t have therapists who specialize in treating children.

Marissa: “You want to match your outreach focus to what your clinic specializes in.”

• Outreach Goals: Define clear objectives for your outreach, whether it’s building brand awareness, forming partnerships, or directly attracting clients.

Marissa: “Set clear objectives and goals for what you’re trying to focus on.”

Targeting the Right Partners

Miranda:  “Should we look for referral partners, clients, or both?”

Marissa:  “Both! Set clear objectives. For new clinics, focus on getting both referrals and letting people know about your services.”

Madeline:  “Sometimes, client conversations happen spontaneously during outreach. Be ready to address immediate needs as they arise.”

Healthcare Professionals and Therapists:

Reach out to local medical offices, therapists, and even schools. They can be wonderful referral sources, especially if they are aware of your services and feel confident in referring their clients to you.

Marissa:  “Don’t just focus on medical offices. Contact other therapists who might have long waitlists or don’t accept insurance. Establishing a mutual referral network can be incredibly beneficial.”

Madeline:  “Schools can be more challenging due to varying district policies. However, contacting school counselors or mental health coordinators can open doors.”

Engaging Community Events and Conferences

Conferences:

Miranda:  “Are conferences worthwhile for outreach?”

Marissa:  “Absolutely. Conferences are great for brand awareness, client referrals, and potential recruitment. However, not all conferences are the same. Research them thoroughly before participating.”

Madeline:  “Partnering with other clinics to split costs and responsibilities can make it more feasible and effective.”

Ways to Engage at Events

• Walk Around: Take advantage of lulls at events to network with other exhibitors and potential partners.

Miranda: “Walking around during lulls at conferences can help you make valuable connections.”

• Fun Giveaways: Use quirky or context-appropriate giveaways to attract attention and make your booth memorable.

Madeline: “Quirky T-shirts, mugs, or practical items like sunscreen can draw people in.”

• Be Approachable: Stand up, smile, and engage visitors with simple, open-ended questions.

Marissa: “Standing and smiling makes a big difference. Ask engaging questions like, ‘Have you heard of Ellie?'”

Community Events:

Events like Pride parades or local fairs are excellent for more relaxed and engaging outreach opportunities.

Marissa:  “Community events are fun and relaxed. Engage with attendees through interactive activities, music, or attractive giveaways to draw them to your table.”

Nurturing Relationships

After meeting potential partners, follow up is crucial.

Marissa:  “Stay in touch. Send personalized follow-ups, holiday greetings, or updates about your clinic. Keep the relationship active and genuine.”

Madeline:  “Ask people about their needs and how your clinic can support them. Personalized and relevant communication makes all the difference.”

Tips for Long-Term Relationship Building:

• Follow-Up Personalization: Remember personal details and send thoughtful follow-ups to show genuine interest and care.

Marissa: “Send personalized follow-ups that reflect your conversations and understanding.”

• Use Tech Smartly: Supplement personal contacts with useful newsletters or informational emails but watch the frequency.

Madeline: “Offer opt-ins for newsletters without overwhelming contacts with automated emails.”

TLDR: Tips for Effective Outreach

1.  Be Authentic:  Your genuine passion for mental health will resonate more than a rehearsed elevator pitch.

2.  Do Your Homework:  Research potential partners and understand their needs.

3.  Engage Genuinely:  Successful outreach is not just about handing out cards but about establishing real connections.

4.  Follow Up:  Always follow up with contacts to nurture and strengthen the relationship.

5.  Be Open:  Feel free to ask questions and admit when you’re not sure about something. This authenticity can lead to deeper and more meaningful conversations.

In summary, staying genuine, being well-prepared, and maintaining personalized and ongoing communication are key elements in building effective and lasting outreach relationships.

Links to Podcast Episodes:

Spotify

Apple

Amazon

YouTube

The post Thriving in Outreach: A Guide for Therapy Professionals appeared first on Ellie Mental Health, PLLP.

For Scott, working at Ellie was a (literal) breath of fresh air. “Ellie is a therapist-founded organization. Every single thing we do revolves around us. And then when we do better, our clients get better experiences.”

The Therapist as the Heart of Care

In mental health, clients are usually seen as the most important players. But Ellie is betting on a different strategy — placing the therapist, not the client, at the heart of our care model.

In the Ellie perspective, therapy isn’t a transaction between a client and a company. It’s a relationship between a therapist and their client.

When therapists are well-cared for and their needs are met, they can better serve their clients. By focusing on the therapist’s experience, Ellie hopes to enhance the quality of therapy provided. A fulfilled therapist creates a more welcoming and empathetic environment for clients, setting the stage for more effective sessions.

Blueprint for Success

When Scott was asked to be a part of the team developing the guidelines for Ellie franchises around the country, it was because he’d been involved in shaping some of the Minnesota Ellie clinics.

“It started out as, ‘here’s how we build clinics in Minnesota,’” Scott explained. “‘Let’s create a reproducible task list.’ And that became the backdrop of the franchise system.” When it came time to make sure the franchise guidelines were ready for country-wide rollout, the team had a unique priority in mind.

“Everything on our checklist was tied to improving the experience for therapists. Everything on that list, even the paint color, was selected with the therapist in mind, so that people could enjoy where they were.”

By creating spaces where therapists love to work, Scott believes, they’ll naturally provide better care to their clients.

More Than Just a Building

Ellie’s philosophy of clinician-centered care extends well beyond paint colors. The structure of therapists’ work lives, from their schedules to their earnings, is crafted to promote therapists’ well-being.

“Typically, therapists at Ellie are expected to handle around 25 billable hours per week, which is likely one of the lowest figures in our industry,” Scott points out. “Our aim is to provide a client volume that not only supports our therapists but also ensures they can earn competitive and fair wages.”

Flexibility is a hallmark of the Ellie model, providing therapists the autonomy to balance their work and personal lives. This flexibility plays a crucial role in preventing burnout, a common problem in the mental health field, and promotes a healthier, more sustainable career.

There may be differences between franchises’ pay structures, but the main focus is always on fair compensation and flexible schedules. The Ellie model focuses on caring for therapists so they can do their best work without sacrificing themselves. It’s this kind of support that underpins Ellie’s therapist-first philosophy.

Creativity and Flexibility: Beyond the Blueprint

Ellie might have “blueprints” and “checklists”, but not to micromanage franchises. Instead, Ellie values creativity and flexibility, incorporating structure when needed but remaining nimble to meet the unique needs of each community.

Scott shared a story that encapsulates this philosophy, about a time when he noticed a need for change in one of his clinics.

“One day, I had a sense things were getting a bit stale,” he said. “We needed some change. So, I cleared all the furniture out of one of the therapy rooms, put butcher block paper on the floor, and it became a room where anyone could go in and throw paint. They could make a mess, they could bring clients in during therapy sessions, and by the way, therapists could go in there and use it, too.”

This wasn’t part of Ellie’s original blueprint. Instead, it was Scott’s response to his team’s needs, embodying the flexibility that Ellie encourages.

Ellie is committed to each clinic’s autonomy, and the Ellie blueprint isn’t a strict rulebook. It’s more like a helpful guide, one that leaves room for teams to make their

own decisions. Ellie gives the basics, but they trust clinics to know what’s best for their therapists and communities. The goal is to ensure therapists are supported, not micromanaged.

Empowering Therapists, Empowering Clients

Ultimately, Ellie believes that a therapist’s practice is their own, even when they’re part of a bigger organization. By focusing on the therapist first, Ellie shows that they understand and value each therapist’s unique role in taking care of their clients.

Ellie’s approach shifts how we think about delivering mental health care – focusing on therapists doesn’t take away from patient care, but enhances it. When therapists are supported and their work is valued, they can do a better job for their clients.

In a world where everyone’s shouting “The client comes first!”, Ellie Mental Health is taking a different route and putting therapists in the driver’s seat, reminding us that when therapists thrive, so do their clients.

The post Designing Care: Ellie’s Therapist-First Model for Mental Health appeared first on Ellie Mental Health, PLLP.

Setting boundaries is about determining what you need from your relationships, what you will or will not tolerate in those relationships, and what actions you will take if your boundaries are not respected. It’s about ensuring you are maintaining a healthy balance between the energy you put out into the world, and what you get back in return or keep for yourself.

Figuring out what healthy boundaries look like in the workplace is an ongoing process, often involving some trial and error, and there is no one-size-fits-all rule. As you navigate your career path, you will need to craft your own set of professional boundaries, adjusting them as necessary throughout your life. Here are some suggestions to get you started on the process:

1. Identify and Prioritize Your Core Values

Setting healthy boundaries requires knowing what is most important to you – also known as your “values.” I’m not just talking about work values: I mean all of your core values, in every area of your life. What aspects of life are most important to you? If you aren’t sure what I’m talking about, there are plenty of values worksheets and lists online. But it is very hard to set healthy boundaries in any of your relationships if you don’t have a clear sense of what your priorities are. In the workplace, knowing your values can be essential when it comes to choosing the right kind of job, and it will help you establish your professional boundaries at the outset.

Once you have identified your top 8-10 values, rank them in order of importance. This can be hard to do, but it’s also essential, since you may find yourself presented with multiple opportunities, both in- and outside of work, and you won’t be able to choose all of them. Prioritizing your values will be particularly helpful when having to choose between work-related values (e.g., Achievement, Leadership, Financial Stability) and values that reflect your life outside of work, such as Family, Travel, or Religion.

2. Determine Your Boundaries

Now that you have figured out what your values are, and which ones are most important to you, it’s time to translate those into your professional boundaries. Ask yourself the following questions when deciding what your professional boundaries might look like, and consider using the values you identified earlier to help guide your answers:

• How many hours per week am I willing to work?
• How important is having time off from work? How much time off is important to me?
• What am I willing to do when it comes to requests for my time outside of my established workday/week?
• What do I need when it comes to predictability in my job? Do I need a predictable workload and steady paycheck, or am I ok with variability and last-minute changes?
• How important is flexibility when it comes to my workday? Do I need to be able to work from home, or in an office, or am I fine with a hybrid situation?
• How important are pay raises and promotions?

This is by no means a comprehensive list of questions, but it should give you an idea of what I mean when talking about workplace boundaries.

3. Use the Job Interview Process to Your Advantage

Oftentimes, we think of job interviews as the time to highlight everything that’s awesome about us, and then prospective employers get to say yes or no. But actually, the job interview process is the perfect place for you to explore the extent to which the company’s values are aligned with your own. And it is so much easier to set and maintain boundaries if you choose an employer whose values are a good match with yours.

For example, during the job interview you may want to ask about flexibility during the work day, or expectations for evenings and weekends. This is also the best time to ask about opportunities for advancement and pay raises, how flexible they are about where and when you work, and so on. If the answers don’t line up very well with your values and boundaries, you can save everyone a lot of time, money and energy by taking your job search elsewhere.

Need help setting boundaries or dealing with work stress? Try talking it through with a therapist using the link below.

4. Communicate Your Boundaries Early On

As scary as it might be, it’s almost always best to communicate some basic professional boundaries during the job interview, like how much you are willing to work, how often you are willing to put in a few extra hours, and what level of responsibility you are looking for. If taking a two-week vacation each year is important to you, let them know up front. This is also the best time to talk about where you want to work (home, office, hybrid, etc) and how often you may need to adjust your workday due to other responsibilities, and so on. Trying to dance around the truth in order to get the job, in the hopes you can talk them into adjusting their expectations later, is a good way to create frustration and resentment on both sides.

Some boundaries can be communicated after you start the job, but again, it’s still important to be open about what they are, and as soon as possible. For example, if you are getting more requests for your time than you can manage within the boundaries you have set, speak with your supervisor right away. Let them know you are struggling to get everything done within your workday, and that you are not willing to work outside your established work day/week (which, hopefully, they know already, since you said something along those lines during the job interview). Ask if they can help you figure out how to prioritize, or if there are deadlines that can be moved, or who else on your team might be able to take some projects off your plate.

5. Learn to Say No (and know when to say yes)

It can be hard to say no, especially to your boss or your colleagues. But here’s the thing: being able to say “No” is pretty much the secret sauce when it comes to setting and maintaining healthy boundaries, no matter what kind of relationship we are talking about.

When it comes to learning how to say no (or when to say yes), refer back to those values we talked about earlier. When we know what our values are, we can use those as our basis for saying yes or no, rather than what we think of as “fair,” or in reaction to what we think others want us to say. For example, if you concluded that family was your top value, and you are asked to stay late on an evening when your kid has a soccer game, then saying “no” isn’t about what you perceive as being fair or unfair, or an evaluation of whether you’re getting paid enough to stay late: Saying no is a response to Family being your top priority. On the other hand, if advancement is your top priority, and staying late could lead to advancement, then you could say yes and feel good about your answer, since saying yes was informed by your own personal values and goals.

6. Don’t Forget About Emotional Boundaries

Most of us choose our career paths for reasons that go beyond making money. A career can be an excellent way to live out some of your core values, like achievement, creativity, a sense of accomplishment, making the world a better place, and so on. But many of us try to get other needs met in the workplace as well. We’re talking about emotional needs like acceptance, admiration, a sense of belonging,  feeling “good enough” in the eyes of others. Unfortunately, trying to get these kinds of needs met in the workplace can lead us to compromise our boundaries. We stay late in the hopes we receive praise from our supervisor, even though it means missing our kid’s soccer game. We go the extra mile month after month in the hopes of being praised for our dedication, even though we come home exhausted every night. We don’t speak up when we see unethical behavior on the part of our colleagues or supervisor, because we don’t want to lose their favor. We take on projects we don’t actually have time for, because we want others to like us. But as the book “Work Won’t Love You Back” discusses in detail, trying to get these emotional needs met through your job is often a losing game, leaving you feeling resentful, frustrated, hurt and burned out.

To set healthy emotional boundaries at work, ask yourself what needs and values you are hoping will get met through your job. Are they the kinds of needs and values a job is meant to fulfill, such as financial security, intellectual engagement, achievement, a sense of purpose, and so forth? Or are they purely emotional needs, like feeling appreciated, accepted, loved, or admired? If they are relational needs, you may want to talk with your therapist about other ways to get those needs met, so that you can maintain healthy boundaries at work, and to make it easier to leave your job if your workplace is asking more of you than you can reasonably give.

7. Know When To Walk Away

You’ve communicated your boundaries to your employer, and yet they continue to ask you to drop them. They frequently ask you to stay late, they give you a hard time when you use your PTO, they don’t provide a raise on the timeline they initially gave you, etc. What do you do now? Well, first you can speak with your supervisor, making them aware of the situation and asking if they are willing to adjust. But ultimately, it is up to you to maintain your boundaries, and sometimes that means quitting your current job and searching for one that is a better match (and yes, that advice is the same for your other relationships as well). Trying to change your employer, or the entire culture where you work, is about as likely to succeed as trying to change your partner. They might be able and willing to tweak a few things, but it’s unlikely they will make a complete overhaul just to fit what you need out of the relationship. If maintaining your professional boundaries is impossible to do at your current job, it is up to you to either change your boundaries, or change your job.

Learning how to set and maintain healthy boundaries is one of the best things you can do for yourself, in all areas of your life. If you need help with this, talk with your therapist. There are also plenty of books and workbooks out there to guide you through the process. It’s definitely worth the effort, as the benefits of having good boundaries will extend to all areas of your life.

Need help setting boundaries or dealing with work stress? Try talking it through with a therapist using the link below.

The post How to Set Professional Boundaries appeared first on Ellie Mental Health, PLLP.

2022 was also the year when the business world began buzzing about quiet quitting, a term that describes only putting forth the bare minimum of effort at work. Employees across every industry are dealing with anger at work, and many aren’t sure how to cope with this rage and resentment in a healthy way.

While experiencing anger or frustration isn’t a bad thing in itself, poorly managed rage can lead to a wide range of problems, including violent outbursts, resentment, poor work ethic, and job loss.

Are you struggling to contain your anger at work? Reach out to Ellie Mental Health and get matched with a therapist near you.

7 Reasons You Might Be Struggling With Anger at Work

If you often feel angry at work, reflecting on why you are experiencing so many negative emotions is a good place to start. While there are certainly outside factors, like a toxic work environment, that can suck your mental energy and cause frustration, it’s important to remember that managing anger effectively is ultimately your responsibility.

You’ll want to get to the root of the problem and understand your personal triggers that are contributing to your anger.

1. You Have Poor Work Relationships

Maybe you don’t get along well with your boss or have had issues with coworkers in the past that haven’t been resolved. If you don’t really like the people you work with or you constantly struggle to communicate or get work done because of relational issues, this is going to lead to frustration on both ends. If you’re experiencing workplace harassment or discrimination, this can also cause your anger to grow.

2. You’re Unsatisfied With Your Job

A recent survey by JobSage found that only 10% of Americans claim to be working their “dream job,” 70% don’t think they’re on track to land their ideal career, and 53% don’t think their jobs are a good fit for the current economy. If you’re in a job that’s just there to make ends meet and doesn’t fulfill you, you’re more likely to feel discontented and frustrated with your work.

3. You Have a Loaded Workload

If you have an enormous pile of work to get through each day, and more responsibility than you can feasibly handle, this is a recipe for burnout and rage. You might feel out of control, chronically stressed, and frustrated at how much is expected from you.

4. You Have Poor Work-Life Balance

Working long hours and having little time to practice self-care, to spend with your loved ones, or pursue outside hobbies can leave you feeling like work is all there is in your life. Without an outlet or rest from workplace duties, you’re likely to feel overworked and experience issues in other areas of your life.

5. You Have an Underlying Mental Health Issue

Even if you’ve landed your dream job and have the best boss and coworkers in the world, poor mental health can take a serious toll on your work and make managing negative emotions, like anger, incredibly difficult.

6. You’re Struggling With Personal Issues Outside of Work

Maybe you are dealing with a rocky relationship, you’re struggling to make adult friends, or your child is struggling in school. Whatever the case, it can be difficult to keep your work and personal lives separate. If you’re struggling with a stressful or emotionally straining situation at home, you’re more likely to be irritated, depressed, and on edge at work.

7. You Feel Overlooked or Under-compensated

Working hard with little reward can be incredibly frustrating. Maybe you’re putting in extra hours or effort and aren’t getting recognized by your peers or boss. Or maybe you’re not being fairly compensated for your skill level or experience. Either way, no one wants to feel like their hard work is for nothing.

How to Manage Anger at Work: 10 Techniques to Employ

If any of these causes of workplace anger resonate with you, then you’re getting closer to understanding and effectively managing your anger. When anger arises and you can feel an outburst coming on, here are 10 tips on how to react.

1. Understand That It’s Okay to Get Angry

Feeling angry is a completely normal response to an irritating situation. The key is to be aware of your anger so that you can course-correct. If you feel overwhelmed and panicked the moment you feel your emotions rise, you’re more likely to lose control and react in a way you’ll regret. Rather than try to bottle up or escape from these extreme emotions, when you feel angry, aim to identify and accept what you’re feeling.

2. Think Before You Speak

Once you recognize that a certain situation or person is contributing to your negative emotion, it’s time to take a breath and slow down. Resist the urge to immediately defend yourself or attack back. Instead, allow yourself time to process what was said, stay calm, and formulate an appropriate response.

You can also attempt to productively communicate by choosing your words carefully. For example, avoid sweeping statements and try to start sentences using “I” instead of “you.”

3. Walk Away And Take a Few Deep Breaths

When your stress peaks, you might not have the patience or mental energy to respond to the situation in a constructive way. In these situations, sometimes the best solution is to take a voluntary timeout and walk away. Take time to cool down, get some fresh air, think about your next steps, and then return to address the situation.

4. Wind Down With Some Exercise

Sometimes when you’re incredibly angry, trying to sit and calm down can only aggravate you more. If you feel restless and on edge, exercise might be the best solution for letting off steam and clearing your head. If you have work from home or have access to a gym, now is a great time to take advantage of it. If not, even some light stretching or a brisk walk around the office building can help.

5. Don’t Ignore Negative Emotions

Few people have an outburst when faced with just one stressful situation. Often, this anger boils up over time and is fueled by unresolved resentment from multiple stressors. The longer you let issues stew, the more likely they are to boil over. Rather, once you’re in a calm and steady state of mind, address issues in a productive way.

6. Identify Possible Triggers

If you frequently struggle with being angry at work, it’s good practice to start anticipating stressful or frustrating situations. If anger takes you by surprise, you may resort to your first reaction. However, if you have a game plan in place for when you feel frustrated, you’ll have the self-confidence and clarity to respond in a healthy way.

7. Focus on Problem-Solving

When faced with stressful events at work, think less about how angry you feel and place more focus on what you can do to mitigate the situation. For example, if your boss drops work on your lap ten minutes before your shift ends, you can choose to do the work and feel angry every moment of it, or you can consider your options and possible solutions for addressing the situation.

If presenting concerns to your supervisor, be sure to include some suggestions for improving the situation rather than just venting about the perceived problem.

8. Practice Visualization

If you can’t physically leave your workplace, you can mentally take a break using visualization. When you recognize that anger is creeping up, take a deep breath and visualize somewhere you’d love to be. Maybe you imagine yourself at home spending time with your loved ones, picture what it would be like to relax at a beach somewhere, or reflect on a peaceful memory.

This act of visualization can help you calm down, get out of fight or flight mode, and be in the right headspace to handle your anger appropriately.

9. Vent, But Don’t Gossip

Talking with someone you trust about the situation can help you get a second opinion, feel validated for how you’re feeling, and get some weight off your chest. However, you want to be careful that you’re not gossiping. It might be best if you speak to someone outside of work about the situation or schedule time with HR (or your supervisor) to discuss what you’re feeling.

10. Reflect on Your Responses

Too often people get angry, respond poorly, and move on without thinking about what happened. When faced with a stressful situation, take a few moments to reflect afterward. Consider what caused you to be angry in the first place, how your mood was before the trigger, why you think it made you feel that way, and what your response was. What was the outcome? What did you do well? What could you have done better? If you responded poorly, can you do anything to improve the situation?

Get Professional Help in Managing Anger at Work

Anger management is a learned skill, and if you have a lot of bottled-up emotions and stress at work, you might not even know where to begin. While these tips can all help you feel less angry at work, sometimes more investigation and work are needed.

If you have a mental health condition that’s contributing to your anger or you are struggling to identify the underlying causes, a therapist can help. Together, you can dig into your habits, your past, and other stressors in your life that are making it difficult for you to manage anger.

Ready to get started? Get anger management help from an Ellie therapist near you.

The post Anger at Work: Techniques for Managing Workplace Rage and Resentment appeared first on Ellie Mental Health, PLLP.