You're not the only one feeling this way
Dear Therapist is where mental health professionals come to ask the hard questions—and get answers that don't sugarcoat the reality of sustainable practice.
Every week, I answer one question from a therapist navigating burnout, boundaries, guilt, or the quiet unraveling that happens when you lose yourself within your work. Published on Substack, these aren't quick fixes or platitudes. They're honest conversations about what therapists feel but don't say, and what you need to hear instead.
how it worksShare your story—anonymously
Every Monday I choose one submission to respond to and share heartfelt wisdom from someone who has been there.
This isn’t a column about clinical technique or what to do with specific clients. Instead, it’s a space dedicated to the human experience of being a therapist; the burnout, the pressures of the field, the lack of support from mentors and supervisors, the moments where you question whether you’re making any difference at all, and yes also the profound meaning found in the work.
Through these anonymous letters and my responses, we create what therapists so often lack: a place to be truly vulnerable, to admit struggle, to feel less alone in the complexities of what it means to do this work. Because sometimes, therapists need to feel seen too.
This space is yours. When you write, focus on what you're feeling and experiencing — not client details or identifying information. Their stories are sacred. This column is for the story you rarely get to tell: your own.
Share Your StoryIf you're struggling with something you can't quite name—or something you can name but don't know how to fix—this is your space. I read every submission and choose one question each week to answer publicly. Your story or question might be exactly what another therapist needs to hear answered.
Dear Therapist,
*Submissions may be lightly edited for length and clarity. All personal details remain confidential. You'll be notified if your question is selected for a column.
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What you’ll get
Weekly advice column delivered to your inbox
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Occasional bonus resources for managing burnout
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raw, honest adviceDear Therapist...
When the Work Stops Feeling Like Yours
I've started dreading Mondays in a way I never used to. I still care about my clients, but something has shifted and I can't name it. How do I know if this is burnout or if I'm just not cut out for this work anymore?
The Tears I Don't Talk About
"I cry after sessions more than I'd ever admit to my colleagues. Not every session, but more often than feels normal. I worry it means I'm too porous, too affected, that I'm doing something wrong. Is something wrong with me?"
The Permission I Can't Give Myself
"I give my clients permission to rest, to say no, to put themselves first. I mean it when I say it to them. But I can't seem to do any of it for myself—and lately the hypocrisy is getting harder to ignore. Why is that?"
The Fulfilled Therapist
Anna is a therapist, entrepreneur, visionary for a truer way to practice. After building a successful practice that led her back to the very burnout she was trying to escape, she made the only choice she knew she had left– start over and build from the inside out. This time she built from a different foundation, one rooted in alignment, authenticity and inner knowing. Now she walks alongside therapists ready to trust their inner voice over industry expectations and create work that is an extension of who they are.
You asked. I'm answering.
Let's figure this out together.
You weren't trained for this—the emotional labor of holding space while your own tank is empty, the guilt that comes with prioritizing yourself, the quiet erosion that happens when you give everything to your practice and nothing to your own well-being.
But you're not alone. And you're not broken.
Every week, therapists share their stories with me—the burnout, the boundaries, the hard questions no one else seems to understand. I answer with honesty, lived experience, and the kind of support that meets you exactly where you are.