The Mental Health Crisis No One is Talking About

(And Why Telling Therapists to "Practice Wellness" Could be Harming Your Mental Health)

KALISPELL, MT / ACCESSWIRE / July 7, 2023 / The United States is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, rates of depression and anxiety have skyrocketed, particularly among young people.

While mental health issues do not discriminate based on gender, race, or socioeconomic status, these rising rates are devastating marginalized communities. The demand for mental health care now far exceeds the capacity providers are able to supply. Put simply, there are too many people in need of help, and not enough therapists and resources to help them.

This crisis, however, extends beyond patients to the therapists themselves. A recent study from Johnson, Corker, & O'Connor, regarding burnout in psychological therapists offered some deeply-concerning findings regarding the psychological wellness of mental health practitioners. In a survey of 298 qualified therapists, 78.9% suffered from "high burnout," and 58.1% experienced "high disengagement" from their work. For a profession dedicated to alleviating suffering, this is tragic.

In the Washingtonian's article, "Feeling Burned Out? So Is Your Therapist," an inadequate number of mental health providers was cited as a reason that the US has barriers to those seeking mental health care.

The ramifications of an inadequate mental health system extend far beyond therapists. For the millions of Americans unable to access care, untreated mental health conditions can have devastating consequences. Without professional support, people in crisis often struggle with chronic health issues, strained relationships, substance abuse, loss of employment, and even suicide.

The impact of this crisis ripples through families and communities, yet it remains largely invisible and stigmatized. While we advocate for broader healthcare coverage and resources, we must also recognize that any solution is meaningless without competent providers to offer that care. A well-functioning system requires therapists who can meet patients where they are and guide them toward wellness. The well-being of patients depends fully on the well-being of those who treat them.

Therapist burnout is not an issue we can afford to ignore or write off as a personal struggle. When therapists lack support and resources, their patients lack support and resources. When therapists are overburdened and undervalued, patients receive less dedicated care. When the helpers in our society need help themselves, where does that leave the rest of us?

Chelsey Fjeldheim, a trauma therapist and educator, says the conventional solutions to therapist burnout-suggestions to take time off, practice self-care, and decrease caseloads-are laughable and misguided. They place the burden and blame on therapists, rather than addressing the systemic issues at the root of the problem.

Fjeldheim supports therapists through educational programs focused on business skills and long-term career sustainability. "It's not about coping strategies or exercise," she says. "It's about giving therapists the practical tools they need to build a thriving, impactful practice."

By providing resources for therapists to avoid burnout and cultivate fulfilling careers, Fjeldheim's method tackles the mental health crisis from both sides. Thriving therapists are able to provide consistent, high-quality care for more patients in need. In turn, their patients receive the dedicated support required to establish long-term wellness. Fjeldheim insists that therapist burnout prevention means developing a long-term vision for a sustainable career. "It's about understanding who you want to help and how to ethically make a living doing meaningful work," she says. For Fjeldheim, success as a therapist is defined not by an endless cycle of overworking and depletion but by building a practice focused on longevity and quality of service.

Therapist burnout is not a personal shortcoming but a systemic failure that compromises patient care. When therapists lack support and resources, their patients also go without. When therapists are overburdened and undervalued, patients receive less dedicated support. And when the helpers in our society need help themselves, it reveals the precarious state of care for us all.

Nearly half of psychology and social work graduates never practice as therapists, signaling that the current model of training and practice has failed to align purpose with sustainability. "Therapists go into this field to help people," says one therapist, "but end up feeling like failures who can't keep up or earn a living. It's demoralizing and drives many talented people away."

Each therapist who leaves the field due to burnout abandons the communities they aimed to serve and diminishes access to care. The unmet needs intensify demand on a system already beyond capacity, creating a domino effect that marginalizes our most vulnerable. Though disheartening, this crisis can be solved through restructuring systems of support, reducing stigma, and empowering providers with knowledge to build longevity in their practice.

Though the challenges ahead are immense, hope lives in community and connectivity. By uplifting voices of compassion and investing in structures to hear them, we begin to heal what has so long gone without remedy. The capacity for care exists where passion meets practicality, and providers find sustenance in the work that nurtures their purpose. Our humanity depends on sustaining those who make humanity their work each day-one patient, one family, one community at a time. Together, we must blaze trails of understanding and cultivate fertile ground where the healers, too, can be healed.

When we lose skilled therapists to burnout, patients lose access to care, and the mental health crisis only intensifies. Their absence creates a domino effect of unmet needs, further increasing demand on a system already beyond capacity. In this way, every therapist who leaves the field marginalizes the communities they aimed to serve.

Though daunting, the mental health crisis can be solved. By restructuring support systems, reducing stigma, and empowering providers with practical knowledge, we generate a sustainable supply of mental healthcare-and therapists able to deliver it. Our shared well-being depends on empowering those we entrust with our care. When they thrive, we all thrive.

ABOUT

Courage Speaks Counseling was founded by trauma therapist, Chelsey Fjeldheim. Once a small private practice, now one of the top 10 best mental health clinics in the Flathead Valley supporting not only the community, but interns, pre-licensed and licensed clinicians. Courage Speaks Counseling is giving therapists hope for a different future career experience and increasing the number of therapists providing high-quality care to our communities and the world. To learn more about it, visit Courage Speaks Counseling online at couragespeakscounseling.com. Additional information can be found on Facebook and Instagram.

CONTACT:

Chelsey Fjeldheim
406-350-2725
[email protected]

SOURCE: Courage Speaks Counseling