You cleared your schedule. You rested. But you still feel tired. If you’re a trauma therapist wondering why time off hasn’t helped, this post offers a deeper lens on nervous system recalibration — plus simple rhythms to help rest actually land.

Early summer can feel disorienting for trauma therapists. You finally have space to rest, but instead of relief, there’s unease. In this post, we explore why rest alone isn’t enough—and how to recalibrate with nervous system support, rhythm, and vicarious resilience.

We’re fluent in the language of trauma, including vicarious trauma. But what about the moments that soften us, nourish us, help us stay? This blog explores vicarious resilience — not as a reframe, but as a nervous system truth. It’s what happens when we let in the good. And it matters more than we think.

Therapists are constantly told to prioritize their mental health — but rarely given the space or structure to do it. This post explores what sustainable care really looks like, how the Trauma Therapist Trauma Response Continuum can help you name your experience, and why slowing down isn’t weakness — it’s survival.

Peer support isn’t a luxury for trauma therapists — it’s real mental health care. In this post, we’re naming the power of peer connection to interrupt isolation, regulate our nervous systems, and remind us we were never meant to do this work alone.

You know what burnout feels like. But what if it’s something else?

This Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re naming vicarious trauma — not as a failure, but as a valid, human response to doing this work.

Because when you can tell the difference, you can finally ask for the support you actually need.

Therapists talk about mental health all the time — but rarely our own.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, I’m sharing what it looks like to stop whispering about anxiety, depression, and vicarious trauma… and start naming them out loud.

Because being human doesn’t disqualify you from this work. It’s what makes you great at it.

Whether you’re sharing a resource, offering a word of encouragement, or simply naming a glimmer from your work—you’re doing more than helping someone else.
You’re strengthening your own resilience.

When equity is missing in trauma therapy, it doesn’t always look loud or dramatic. More often, it looks like brilliant, compassionate trauma therapists quietly leaving the work they love—not because they can’t handle the weight of the stories they hold, but because the systems around them make it almost impossible to stay.

Some days, you leave your office feeling like a ghost of yourself. 

You’ve held space for client after client, absorbed stories of deep pain, made SO MANY clinical decisions—all while holding yourself together.

But when the workday ends and you slam the laptop shut for the day, the work doesn't just disappear.

Some days, you leave your office feeling like a ghost of yourself. 

You’ve held space for client after client, absorbed stories of deep pain, made SO MANY clinical decisions—all while holding yourself together.

But when the workday ends and you slam the laptop shut for the day, the work doesn't just disappear.

Every trauma therapist hits a point where they wonder, Can I actually do this work for the long haul? Our work is emotionally intense. It asks a lot of us. And the therapists who make it long-term? They aren’t the ones who just white-knuckle their way through. 

They’re the trauma therapists who figure out how to build a career that actually works for them.

In trauma work, the emotional weight of the job can quickly eclipse the passion that led you to this work. And without the right support, that burden can become overwhelming.

Effective trauma work begins with a foundation of trust and shared support. Discover how the lessons learned from working with diverse trauma teams can transform the way you connect and collaborate with colleagues.

Accessing resilience is necessary for trauma therapists, but it's not something you build alone. When you're part of a supportive team, you're better equipped to face the most difficult parts of your work, especially when you've received resilience-based training. Read more to discover the 3 Cs of resilience training and how they can strengthen your team.

Resilience-based training isn't just another professional development buzzword—it's a necessity. This training equips you with the tools to manage the weight of your work without pushing your humanity aside. From Nicole Lewis-Keeber’s work on trauma-informed leadership to the supportive community within the BRAVE Trauma Therapist Collective, there’s a wealth of resources designed to help you tap into this inner resilience. Read the blog to learn more.