Dear Texas LPC: A Letter to the Burned-Out Counselor

Dear Fellow Counselor,

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re tired — maybe not just physically, but in that heavy, soul-worn way that only those of us holding space for others truly understand.

You’re showing up day after day, session after session, carrying trauma, stories, silence, and suffering that aren’t your own — and somehow still managing to offer hope. But behind your calm voice and professional warmth, you’re probably wondering:

• When was the last time I took a deep breath and meant it?

• How do I keep doing this work I love without burning myself out?

You’re not alone in asking these questions.

The Quiet Weight of Being a Helper

As LPCs in Texas, we’re no strangers to intensity. Whether we’re supporting school systems, front-line workers, rural communities with limited access, or clients navigating immigration, violence, grief, or marginalization — we hold a lot.

And sometimes, holding space turns into holding too much.

Supervisors feel it too. You’re mentoring LPC-Associates, modeling boundaries and ethics, while also managing your own case load, paperwork, audits, and administrative pressures. You may feel like there’s never enough time to be the clinician and the guide.

So if you’re burned out right now — or even just smoldering — this letter is for you.

Permission to Pause

Let’s get this out of the way: You don’t need to earn your rest.

You don’t need to prove how much you care, how available you are, or how full your calendar is to validate your worth as a therapist. Taking a break doesn’t make you less committed — it makes you sustainable.

Yes, ethics matter. Yes, client care matters. But so do you. Texas needs emotionally healthy counselors more than it needs overworked martyrs.

If your cup is empty, it’s not noble to pour. It’s dangerous.

Things You’re Allowed to Do (Even in May/June)

• Block off a week with no clients and no guilt

• Say “no” to one more consultation or supervision request

• Refer out when your plate is too full

• Raise your rates if you're undercharging

• Admit that you’re not okay

• Ask for your own therapy or peer support

• Take a walk during your lunch break and not feel bad about it

From One LPC to Another

You chose this work for a reason — and that reason still matters. But the work doesn’t own you. You don’t have to be available all the time to prove you’re doing it right. Burnout is not a badge of honor.

So here’s your reminder, from someone who's been in the trenches with you:

🌱 You’re allowed to be human.

🛑 You’re allowed to pause.

💬 You’re allowed to say, “This is hard.”

If no one’s said it to you lately: Thank you for what you do. Thank you for the emotional labor, the after-hours note writing, the tears you carry quietly, and the hope you help rebuild.

We need you — not just as a counselor — but as a whole person.

With respect and solidarity, A Fellow LPC in Texas.