As psychologists, we dedicate ourselves to supporting others, but that doesn’t make us immune to burnout and work-related stress. Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, and it can significantly impact our well-being, decision-making, and client care.
If left unaddressed, burnout in psychologists can lead to reduced job satisfaction, emotional detachment, and even ethical concerns in practice. In this guide, we’ll explore:
✅ How to identify burnout in yourself
✅ Practical management strategies if you’re already experiencing burnout
✅ Prevention strategies to protect your long-term well-being
Signs and Symptoms of Burnout in Psychologists
Burnout differs from everyday stress. While stress can be motivating in short bursts, chronic stress can lead to burnout, which manifests as:
Emotional & Cognitive Symptoms
Chronic fatigue and exhaustion
Increased irritability or cynicism
Emotional numbness or detachment from clients
Rumination about client sessions
Reduced motivation and job satisfaction
Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
Physical Symptoms
Insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns
Headaches or muscle tension
Gastrointestinal issues
Behavioural Symptoms
Avoiding work responsibilities
Using alcohol or substances to cope
Feeling stuck or ineffective in client sessions
💡 High-Risk Groups:Provisional psychologists and early-career psychologists are at even greater risk of burnout, as they navigate high caseloads, complex client presentations, and supervision requirements.
Managing Burnout as a Psychologist
If you’re already experiencing burnout, prevention strategies alone won’t be enough—you need an active management plan.
1. Assess Your Capacity to Continue Practicing
Ask yourself:
Am I struggling to focus in sessions?
Am I feeling emotionally detached from my clients?
Am I able to provide my usual level of care?
If burnout is impacting your ability to practice ethically, taking a temporary break may be necessary. Recovery time varies—some may need a short break, while others require a longer period of reduced workload to reset.
2. Seek Supervision & Support
Supervision isn’t just for clinical skill development—it’s also an ethical way to process work-related stress. A good supervisor can help you:
✔ Decompress and discuss client-related concerns
✔ Set reasonable workload expectations
✔ Manage emotional reactions to complex cases
Many psychologists also benefit from personal therapy, especially when burnout is linked to personal stressors or vicarious trauma.
3. Evaluate Your Workload & Caseload
Ask yourself:
✔ Am I working with a high number of trauma, suicidal, or high-risk clients?
✔ Am I seeing too many clients per day without adequate breaks?
✔ Are workplace KPIs unrealistic, requiring unpaid admin work?
✔ Are my client cases triggering unresolved personal issues?
Burnout is more likely when your caseload is intense. Seeing 20 clients with generalised anxiety is not the same as seeing 20 clients with complex PTSD or suicidality. If possible, adjust your client load or case mix.
4. Reduce Emotional & Cognitive Load
Take structured breaks between sessions
Limit work outside of hours (e.g., avoid responding to non-urgent emails after hours)
Delegate non-clinical tasks if possible
Preventing Burnout as a Psychologist
Burnout prevention requires long-term strategies that protect your mental health before exhaustion sets in.
1. Set Boundaries Around Workload
✔ Limit caseload size and work hours
✔ Avoid back-to-back sessions without breaks
✔ Set firm boundaries around admin work outside paid hours
Even small changes—like reducing evening client sessions or scheduling buffer time between appointments—can make a huge difference.
2. Prioritise Self-Care & Recovery
Self-care is preventative, not just a way to fix burnout. Schedule time for:
✔ Exercise & movement (even if it’s just a short walk)
✔ Regular, high-quality sleep
✔ Mindfulness, meditation, or stress management techniques
✔ Pleasurable activities outside of work
Many psychologists struggle with work-life balance. A simple solution? Schedule self-care into your calendar, just as you do for client sessions.
3. Regularly Attend Supervision
Even if you’re not struggling, ongoing supervision helps prevent burnout by:
✔ Helping you reflect on emotional responses to clients
✔ Offering practical workload strategies
✔ Keeping you connected to professional support
Final Thoughts: Protecting Your Well-Being as a Psychologist
As psychologists, we’re not immune to burnout—our work inherently places us at risk. If burnout is left unmanaged, it can affect our clinical effectiveness, job satisfaction, and even our ethical obligations.
✅ If you’re already burnt out, take action now—adjust your workload, seek supervision, and prioritise recovery.
✅ If you’re not experiencing burnout yet, put prevention strategies in place to protect your long-term well-being.
💡 Need Support? If burnout is impacting your work, consider discussing it in supervision or seeking personal therapy. Getting support doesn’t mean you’re a bad psychologist—it means you’re committed to being the best version of yourself for your clients.
📌 Want more resources on burnout, self-care, and managing work stress? How about connection with a like-minded community? Join my community for early-career and aspiring psychologists here.