Caring deeply is not the problem. Carrying it all alone might be.
Dear Colleague,
You listen to trauma stories every day. You hold space for grief, fear, rage, and despair. You try to be present, steady, and safe. And some days, that gets harder.
That heaviness you feel? It is not burnout. It is compassion fatigue.
Compassion fatigue is the quiet erosion of empathy when the heart has held too much for too long.
It is emotional weariness that does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it sounds like “I just need to get through today.” Sometimes it looks like zoning out during a session, feeling irritated by a client’s choices, or wondering if you are even helping at all. And sometimes, it is numbness. A sign that your system is trying to protect itself.
This is not failure. It is a signal that something needs tending.
Start by noticing. Where are you overextending? Where are you still giving, even when the well feels empty? Compassion fatigue grows in silence. It softens when we bring it into the light, when we name it, and when we allow others to witness it with care.
You are not weak for feeling this way. You are human. And you are not alone.
Join our Monthly Free Peer Support Group to be in community with others who get it. This is a space to show up as you are and refill emotionally in a room that holds you too.
With appreciation for all you do,
#compassionfatigue #supportsurvivors #providerburnout #traumainformedcare #reflectivepractice