Curt and Katie chat about another type of burnout, “bore out.” We explore the difference between burnout and boredom. We talk about what might be unique to therapists’ jobs that would lead to boredom. We also dig into how dissociation can show up as either burnout or boredom. Finally, we share ideas on how modern therapists can mitigate some of the impacts of burnout, boredom, and vicarious trauma.
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In this podcast episode we talk about both burnout and “bore out”
Katie has been feeling a little bit bored lately, so she decided to do some research on what might be happening. She uncovered a concept “bore out” which seems to be the opposite of burnout, but with similar consequences. We decided to dig into this topic to see what therapists can do to try to avoid (or address) burnout.
What are the differences between burnout and boredom?
Burnout is overstimulation to the point of running out of energy
Boredom is under-stimulation to the point of lack of creativity and stagnation
Burnout is a pretty common topic, but “bore out” never really took off
People more likely to leave a job due to boredom
What are the types of boredom that therapists face?
Clinical boredom (repeated stories, lack of progress)
Repetitive clinical work (due to niche, evidence-based practice)
Notes and documentation are frequently described as boring
Trauma therapists may become cynical
Vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and moral injury
Desensitization and disengagement of vicarious trauma can feel like boredom
Dissociation may also be part of this disengagement
What can therapists do to address boredom?
Clinical consultation and your own therapy
Professional development and continuing education
Refreshing your knowledge and bringing new techniques into session
Adequate stimulation to get work done
Doing things in small doses
Reframing things to make them more positive (not “onerous” or “boring”)
Who we are:
Curt Widhalm, LMFT
www.curtwidhalm.com
Katie Vernoy, LMFT
www.katievernoy.com
A Quick Note:
Our opinions are our own. We are only speaking for ourselves - except when we speak for each other, or over each other. We’re working on it.
Our guests are also only speaking for themselves and have their own opinions. We aren’t trying to take their voice, and no one speaks for us either. Mostly because they don’t want to, but hey.