**When a client recently asked me, *“How have you been able to keep doing this work without burning out?”* I felt the need to answer honestly.**

The truth?
I haven’t avoided burnout!
I’ve burned out multiple times — during my training, in organizational roles, and even in private practice.
Each time, it looked a little different.
And each time, I had to find new ways to recover, reset, and reimagine how I wanted to keep showing up in this field.

Burnout Looks Different Each Time

For me, burnout has always been tied to both professional and personal realities. Being the eldest daughter in a first-generation immigrant family, caregiving and responsibility were woven into my life from a young age. When people around me need more support than they can give back, I tend to put my own needs away — sometimes so far back they disappear into “some deep corner of a closet.”

That pattern shows up in my work. Burnout often reveals itself in my body and my patience: fatigue that hits by midday, irritability, lack of focus, and physical health struggles. These signs are my body’s way of saying, “You’ve gone too far; Something needs to change”.

Access (or Lack of Access) to Resources & Supports Shapes Recovery

My strategies for coping have shifted depending on where I was in my career and what resources I had.

When I worked in organizations with health benefits, I leaned on therapy, clinical consultation, and paid leave.
In contract roles without those supports, I had to budget carefully for counselling and consultation, alternating sessions each month to make it sustainable.
Across all seasons, the consistent support of my own therapist, consultants, and mentors has been a lifeline.

These relationships reminded me: I can’t do this work alone, and I don’t need to.

The Last Burnout Changed Everything

My most recent burnout was different. It was through that experience that I discovered I am autistic—something I had never known before. That realization shifted not just how I understood burnout, but also how I understood myself.

It taught me that burnout isn’t something we can permanently “fix.” It’s an ongoing relationship between our bodies, our environments, and the systems around us.

Learning to Work Within My Limits

A key takeaway for me has been learning to respect my own rhythms. Recently, I capped my clinical hours at four per day (five only if I’m facilitating a group). Even if my calendar looked open for more, simply being on for too long was draining me. Starting my workday later — at noon instead of 11 a.m. — has created more breathing space and made a tangible difference in my energy.

And rhythms change over time. Our bodies age, hormones shift, and chronic conditions ebb and flow. What worked for me ten years ago doesn’t always work now. I’ve had to become more experimental, more open-minded, and more willing to adapt.

Key Takeaways

For those in counselling, social services, advocacy, or leadership, here’s what I want you to know:

Burnout will happen: It doesn’t mean you’re a “bad worker” or unfit for this field. It means you’re human.
External factors matter: Family responsibilities, financial stress, systemic pressures, and workplace culture all shape burnout. It’s not just an “individual resilience” issue.
Support is non-negotiable: Whether through therapy, consultation, mentorship, or peer spaces—don’t try to carry the weight of this work alone.
Your rhythms will change: Be prepared to re-evaluate what sustains you every few years, and give yourself permission to try new approaches.
Boundaries are care: Limiting your hours, shifting your schedule, and saying “no” are not weaknesses—they’re survival skills.