Therapist to Therapist: Staying Resilient in Hard Times
Let’s be real: being a therapist right now—or honestly, anytime—is not for the faint of heart. You’re sitting with trauma, grief, anxiety, and uncertainty daily… while also navigating your own emotional landscape. That’s a lot.
This blog isn’t here to tell you things you already know (like “just practice self-care!”). Instead, think of it as a series of gentle nudges, perspective shifts, and honest check-ins from one therapist to another.
You're human first, therapist second
Yes, we hold space for others. Yes, we’re trained to manage the hard stuff. But that doesn’t mean we’re supposed to be immune to it. It’s time to retire the “therapist as fortress” mentality.
Sometimes the most therapeutic thing you can do is cry in your car between sessions, eat a bag of popcorn for dinner, and still show up the next day with heart. That counts.
Your mental health deserves maintenance too
We know all the tools. The challenge? Actually using them when we need them.
Keep in mind that not everything that “works” for your clients has to work for you. Maybe meditation makes you feel twitchy. Maybe your nervous system likes dancing around to Lizzo or watching trash TV in fuzzy socks. Go with it.
Try this 3-minute end-of-day debrief. You can write it down, text it to a trusted colleague, or voice memo it into your phone. No overthinking required.
1. What hit me hardest today?
2. What moment gave me even a little hope?
3. What do I need to let go of before I sleep?
You don’t have to do this alone
It’s wild how isolating this work can feel, even though we’re surrounded by people all day. But there’s a big difference between being around clients and feeling emotionally supported.
A few low-lift ways to stay connected:
- Send a voice memo to a therapist friend between sessions: “That one was a lot. Just needed to say it out loud.”
- Start a Slack or text thread with a couple of colleagues for “I need a boost” moments or memes that speak the truth.
- Block off one Friday a month for lunch with another therapist. No CEUs. No case consults. Just lunch.
Regulate yourself like you recommend
We teach nervous system regulation all day—but when’s the last time you intentionally did it for yourself between clients? Stack one into your day right before your trickiest client or right after your most draining one Or set a recurring phone alarm that just says “breathe.” It feels ridiculous. It also works.
Authenticity over perfection
Your clients don’t need you to be unshakeable. They need you to be real.
There’s power in gently naming the collective stress we’re all under or modeling what taking care of your mental health looks like. A quick, “I’m taking a short break from the news—it’s been a lot,” can give permission for others to do the same. This isn’t oversharing, it’s modeling regulated humanity.
You can care about the world without carrying it
Empathy fatigue is real, especially if you’re someone who feels everything deeply. (You’re probably a therapist for a reason, after all.)
So how do you stay engaged without burning out?
- Choose one cause you’ll stay involved in. Let the rest go for now.
- Give yourself permission to step back from the news.
- Find one joy that’s just for you—unproductive, silly, no-ROI.
You’re already doing more than enough
If you’ve read this far, it probably means you care—and that’s what counts. You’re showing up for your clients, and you’re trying to show up for yourself. That’s the work.
You don’t have to be the most regulated, the most insightful, or the most organized therapist in the world. You just have to be a real one, trying your best, and returning to yourself when you can.
That’s resilience.
Want more therapist-to-therapist real talk? Read our blog: The Ups & Downs of Being a Therapist, According to a Therapists
