When the Helpers Feel It Too: Recognizing and Responding to Burnout

Resilient Georgia
1 day ago
4 min read

In this blog post, frontline professionals from the Mental Health Career Accelerator (formerly NMWAC) share how burnout shows up for them and the small, intentional practices that help them restore balance. The Mental Health Career Accelerator supports early-career clinicians by reducing barriers in the licensure process and strengthening the behavioral-health workforce across participating states. Through financial incentives, training, and collaboration with state partners, the program expands access to mental health and substance use care by increasing the number of licensed clinicians and building a workforce that reflects the communities it serves. Resilient Georgia serves as the state advisor for the MHCA program in Georgia.

Burnout doesn’t usually arrive all at once.

It creeps in quietly, through shortened patience, longer to-do lists, disrupted sleep, forgotten tasks, or the slow shift from purpose-driven to task-driven work.

For professionals serving children, families, and communities across Georgia, especially in behavioral health and trauma-informed systems, burnout is not a sign of weakness. It is often a signal.

We asked several frontline professionals to reflect on how burnout shows up for them and what they do to respond.

Their answers reveal something important: burnout is deeply human — and so is recovery.

The Early Warning Signs

For many, burnout first shows up in relationships.

Jolene Alejandro, Admissions Supervisor at River Edge Behavioral Health, shared:

“I know I’m getting burnt out when I am no longer as compassionate and patient with my clients and staff.”

Miranda Watkins, a therapist and ICM Supervisor at the Community Service Board of Middle Georgia, notices irritability and stalled productivity:

“Some signs that I am either approaching burnout or have reached burnout is when I become easily irritated and may be more snappy to those around me… my to-do lists get longer and longer because I'm not completing tasks.”

For Associate Professional Counselor Kennedy Inman, the signs are both emotional and physical:

“I struggle with attuning and being present because I get caught up with other factors instead of being in the moment. I also usually have GI issues, trouble sleeping, and struggles around resting and productivity.”

Ashleigh Massey recognizes burnout when even simple tasks feel overwhelming:

“The first sign of burnout for myself is forgetting simple tasks… or when those tasks start requiring extreme motivation.”

And for Dr. Malisha Mishoe, Assistant Professor at Albany State University, the shift is subtle but clear:

“I notice emotional fatigue, shortened patience, and a shift from feeling purpose- driven to feeling task-driven. When I start functioning on autopilot instead of intention, that’s my clinical cue that my nervous system is overloaded.”

Why Burnout Is Hard to Manage

In trauma-informed and helping professions, burnout often intersects with purpose.

Dr. Mishoe explains:

“When your calling and your career intertwine, it can be hard to discern rest from avoidance or to set boundaries without guilt.”

Miranda points to consistency as a challenge:

“A major challenge to managing burnout is consistency… whether that’s due to an increase in work requirements or just ‘not having time.’”

Kennedy adds that external stressors compound the issue:

“Life stressors outside of work can compound the burnout… Additionally, it can be challenging when working in a place that encourages over-productivity and does not value rest.”

Burnout isn’t just about workload; it’s about nervous systems operating in prolonged stress.

And many of the communities these professionals serve are navigating trauma, systemic inequities, and high-acuity behavioral health needs. That emotional weight adds up.

Small Practices That Make a Big Difference

What stands out most in these reflections is that combating burnout doesn’t always require grand solutions.

Sometimes, it starts with a breath.

Jolene shared:

“Sometimes even washing my hands can be a chance to take a few deep breaths and release some tension.”

Others intentionally schedule rest. Ashleigh sets aside a reset day:

“This often includes staying off my phone, reading a book, and spending a few hours outside.”

Miranda focuses on routine and balance:

“I try to create as much balance between my hobbies and work life to help decrease my chances of burnout.”

Kennedy leans into connection and creativity:

“I make time to just be with my cat and talk to her about it… I also make intentional hobby time for reading, writing, and D&D — which engages my imagination and creativity.”

And Dr. Mishoe emphasizes structured rest and boundary reassessment:

“I built in protected time just for me… and I remind myself that protecting me is part of my stewardship.”

A Trauma-Informed Lens on Burnout

Burnout is not a personal failure. It is often a physiological response to sustained stress.

In trauma-informed systems, we talk about regulation, safety, connection, and empowerment for clients. The same principles apply to the workforce.

When professionals are supported with:

Protected rest
Healthy boundaries
Community and peer support
Structured reflection
Organizational cultures that value well-being

…resilience grows.

And when helpers care for themselves, they are better able to sustain care for others.

Burnout is not the opposite of commitment. In fact, it often appears in those who care the most.

As we continue building resilient communities across Georgia, we must also build resilient systems, ones that support the nervous systems of those doing the work.

Because protecting the helper is not selfish. It is foundational to healing-centered communities.