Job exhaustion and burnout syndrome are two important challenges in the professional field of psychotherapists. This is due, among other things, to the complexity of their work, the constant exposure to conversations with different people, and the emotional burden linked to the problems they deal with, since in many cases they witness very complicated life situations.
That is why it is essential to apply work methodologies that allow us to gain efficiency and not suffer psychological exhaustion in the face of day-to-day tasks that can be simplified or even automated. Starting from this idea, let’s look at some Strategies that can be used to prevent job burnout among psychology professionals and that can be applied both at the organizational level and individually by the psychologist.
Why can psychological burnout arise in psychotherapists?
These are the main reasons why this profile of professionals is especially exposed to a certain type of job burnout:
1. Secondary post-traumatic stress
When providing support to people facing emotional difficulties, therapists can absorb their negative emotions, which can lead to emotional exhaustion and fatigue, or even secondary post-traumatic stress.
2. Need to adapt the schedule to the availability of patients and manage time
The long hours of work, with moments when there is nothing to do because there are “gaps” in the schedule between session and session, are factors that facilitate the appearance of anxiety problems due to the feeling of wasting time.
3. Fear of compromising the well-being of patients
It’s not just about feeling pressure to do better for the patient in therapy sessions; In addition, you must ensure that confidentiality is ensured and that all data protection and information loss prevention protocols are complied with.
4. Need to keep payments up to date and manage appointments
The profession of psychotherapist is very vocational, but in practice, most of these professionals earn money either independently or by forming very small companies, in which everyone is in charge of everything. That’s why they usually find it stressful. face routines linked to the responsibilities of businessmen , how to keep track of collections and do everything possible to prevent non-payments from occurring. And the same thing happens with agenda management.
Keys to preventing burnout linked to the work of psychologists
From everything we have seen, it is essential that therapists take care of their own well-being, establishing clear limits, implementing self-care strategies, managing the time they have well, and prioritizing their tasks, dedicating most of their efforts and attention to those. in which they really take advantage of their knowledge and skills. Work-life balance is key to preventing and managing these challenges.
Taking this into account, let’s look at some tips to avoid professional burnout for psychologists:
1. Automate tasks
The psychotherapist’s daily life is full of micro-tasks that, although necessary, are of little complexity and can be delegated or better yet, automated For example, archive and keep secure patient information such as medical history or other private data, schedule appointments without creating overlaps between tasks, transcribe conversations with patients, manage collections, send reminders to patients, make all information related to the work is centralized and easy to access from any device connected to the Internet, etc. Luckily, there are options that offer all of these automations in a single digital platform; the most notable is eHolo, which is designed by and for psychologists.
2. Include frequent breaks in each workday
No psychologist should be exposed to work days in which there is only a lunch break. It is important to take short breaks of five or ten minutes to clear your mind and restore your ability to concentrate at work, as well as to prevent the appearance of disorders. Not only is it for the good of the professional, but it also influences the service offered to the patient.
3. Establish a schedule with a clear start and end
As much as online therapy has contributed to blurring the limitations of the distance between therapist and patient, the line of separation between private and professional life must exist. That’s why, You have to be clear about the beginning and end of each work day
4. Ask other psychologists for advice
It is important to normalize the practice of asking other psychologists for advice; It is impossible for each therapist to know everything about each of the problems that bring patients to their consultation. Thus, There is a second opinion that can help a lot to develop working hypotheses from which to intervene in patients. In addition, it serves to see with greater perspective the problems that are heard in sessions with patients and that “closely touch” the psychotherapist.
