If you are a therapist, it’s likely you’ve had some pretty exciting experiences. I’ve found myself saying “never a dull moment” more times than I can count. So if you are beginning to feel bored with your work as a therapist you may also feel that you are in unfamiliar territory.
While these may be uncharted waters for you, you aren’t alone. Any job can become boring, even being a therapist. There are many reasons this can happen, so let’s explore a few!
Sessions on Repeat
While it can feel good to have a niche, it can also become monotonous to do the same thing over and over. If you are in a position where you feel you are having the same session, doing the same thing over and over, it’s likely you will begin to feel bored.
This can happen in programs where you are expected to follow a specific protocol to the letter or if there is not a lot of variety in your daily work routine. Regardless, doing the same thing over and over will likely lead to boredom, and perhaps even insanity if the old saying is to be believed.
If this resonates with you, it could be helpful to learn some new approaches or expand your horizons with some continuing education. You could open yourself to take on new clients that you previously felt unprepared to work with. This can help you to break out of this rut and perhaps introduce your clients to some additional growth. If you are feeling bored, they may be feeling similarly.
You Aren’t in Control of Your Time
When we aren’t in control it can feel uncomfortable. This can lead to a lot of negative feelings, including boredom.
Having control over your time and your schedule allows you to allocate tasks appropriately. This can help you to make time for clients, documentation, lunch… all necessary things.
If you are in a position where this is decided for you, there may also be feelings of disengagement. It’s hard to feel involved if you have little control. Acceptance can be helpful in many cases, though when practiced too much it can lead to learned helplessness.
Take control over what you can. Speaking with your supervisor may be helpful in exploring ways to take more control over your schedule and allocate your time in a way that works for you.
Contract work can be incredibly rewarding if you feel that lack of control is contributing to your boredom. As an independent contractor you control your schedule completely and can allocate your time as you see fit. This can lead you to feeling more fulfilled and effective in your work as a therapist.
Too Much Time on Paperwork
There’s no way around documentation as a therapist, though if you feel the majority of your time is spent writing notes it’s unlikely you will feel excited about your work. We all know “if you don’t write it, it didn’t happen,” though that doesn’t mean you want to only write notes. Things have to happen!
I don’t know about you, but I went into this work to provide therapy. I want to effect positive change. I didn’t go into this field to do paperwork. While this is a necessary part of our work, we don’t want it to be all of our work.
If you are spending the majority of your time at work documenting, it is time for a change. Perhaps learning to streamline your documentation or creating templates could be helpful. There are ways to document medical necessity AND save time.
Take some continuing education courses surrounding this, reach out to your peers, get some additional supervision. Don’t stay stuck in a mound of paperwork. Most of all, stay on top of it before you fall behind and it feels overwhelming.
You Aren’t Challenged
Therapy can be inherently challenging, though if you’ve been doing the same thing for a while it may begin to feel like second nature. While that can be comforting, it can also be boring.
You never want to practice outside of your scope, though that doesn’t mean you can’t learn new things. Taking on different responsibilities and roles at work can help to bring more excitement. This is especially true if you are someone who is passionate about learning and growing. We did choose to go into a profession all about positive growth after all.
Try something new, and expand your skill set through learning and supervision. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been licensed and practicing, you can always learn something new. Things are always changing, especially in our profession!
Specialties Aren’t Being Utilized
This can go along with having a niche. If you find there is a specific population, diagnosis, skill set you excel in, it’s likely you want to practice within this scope. But what if your current practice doesn’t have space for this? You probably won’t be feeling as great about your work as you could be.
If you feel this may be contributing to your boredom with your work, ask yourself what you feel your specialties are. Knowing what they are specifically can help you address ways to incorporate them into your current practice or advocate for change within your position.
Discussing this with your supervisor or manager can be an effective way to find more excitement and meaning in your current position. It is important to note that this may not always be possible. Say, for example, you feel your specialties align more with counseling children and you work for a practice that only treats adult clients. Your current position may not allow you to use your specialties no matter how much they may want to.
In situations like this you don’t necessarily need to leave your current job if you enjoy it. You may find fulfillment in private practice where you can use your specialties while still maintaining your current position as well.
However, if you feel that you are bored in your current role and want to make a change it is okay to leave. You deserve to feel fulfilled in your work. When we feel good about what we are doing we are most effective with our clients. Don’t forget to practice what you preach!
You Don’t Feel Respected
This is a big one that can happen anywhere, even if you work with a bunch of therapists. If you don’t feel respected where you work you’re likely to feel A LOT of things, and boredom may be one of them.
It is hard to feel good going to work somewhere you don’t feel respected. This can be worth exploring within yourself as well as human resources to see if there are changes that can be made. Sometimes where we are may simply not be a good fit for us. Not all work cultures are created equal. You deserve to feel respected in all life areas, work included. If you are feeling disrespected it is likely time for some change.
To Sum It Up
Your work as a therapist can be exciting and rewarding. It can also become boring and mundane just like any job. Feeling bored in your work may be common for some but this feeling can really impact your work with clients.
Feeling bored must be explored and addressed. It’s hard to be present for our clients and help them grow when we feel stuck. Continue to challenge yourself, grow, and practice basic self-care. I know you know these things, though that does NOT mean you do them on a regular basis.
Practice what you preach my fellow therapist, and see you next time.
*Feeling bored? It may be time to explore something new. If you are a therapist licensed in North Carolina, send your cover letter and resume to the following email: Applicants@CarolinaCounselingServices.com We look forward to hearing from you!
