Don’t Go It Alone! Therapist Isolation and How to Build Community
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby is a licensed psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist, board-certified coach, AAMFT clinical supervisor, host of the Love, Happiness, and Success Podcast and founder of Growing Self.
Therapists, if you’ve ever ended your day wondering, “Is it supposed to feel this lonely?”—you’re in good company. And more importantly? You’re not doing anything wrong. Therapist isolation is one of the most overlooked—and honestly, most dangerous—hazards of our mental health profession.
It doesn’t usually make headlines or get talked about in grad school, but it can quietly unravel even the most passionate and purposeful of us. It starts subtly: long hours spent holding space for others, giving all of your compassion to your therapy clients, then ending your day full of therapy sessions completely burned out… and completely alone. And over time, that isolation isn’t just inconvenient. It’s corrosive.
This week on the Love, Happiness & Success for Therapists podcast, I’m tackling therapist isolation head on. If you’re a professional therapist navigating your way through a deeply rewarding but deeply draining career, this conversation is one you can’t afford to skip.
The Hidden Cost of Working Alone
Let’s be honest: most of us didn’t sign up for this gig because we love staring at beige walls alone between sessions. We signed up because we care deeply, because we want to help. But the part nobody warned us about in grad school? The sheer emotional expense of doing this work without a solid, supportive, professional community around us.
You’re giving out a lot of energy, and if you are doing this without a safe, supportive, professional community, it can cost you burnout. Stagnation. Self-doubt. Even ethical missteps. And these effects of therapist isolation can bleed over into your personal life.
Yikes. And yes—been there.
Therapist isolation doesn’t always show up waving a red flag. It can sneak in quietly. You might just start feeling meh. Disconnected. Checked out. Or maybe you’re still showing up for your clients, but somewhere deep down you’re wondering… “Is this it? Being a therapist isn’t what I thought it would be”
What Therapist Isolation Does to Your Practice (and Your Brain)
Here’s where it gets even more real: when we’re professionally isolated, our thoughts begin to sound like truth. That means…
- Over-responsibility
- Overconfidence (or crippling under-confidence)
- Ethical blind spots
- Creative stagnation
Without regular contact with trusted peers or a mentor… our own thoughts start to sound like the truth. Sometimes they are the truth. Sometimes they’re not.
We need mirrors, not megaphones. We need those trusted people who can look us in the eye and say, “Hey… are you okay?” And we need to be that person for someone else, too. That reciprocal support is the difference between thriving and just surviving.
It’s Time To Take Care of You, Too.
You’re a hero, and you deserve support. Sign up below to be included in the conversation, and get weekly “for therapists” podcasts, thought provoking articles, best practices, industry insights, free resources, and self-care ideas delivered to your inbox.
Break Out of Therapist Isolation
If you’re nodding along right now, here’s your action plan:
1. Get clear on your niche. – Knowing what kind of therapist you want to be helps you find the right crew to roll with. Check out my free CE training on 4 Steps to Finding You’re Niche As a Therapist (yes, it’s legit free and gives you one CE credit when you complete the webinar and pass the quiz!).
2. Join (or start!) a peer consultation group. – It doesn’t need to be fancy. Just find a few like-minded souls who care as much as you do. Make it consistent. Make it real.
3. Find experiential learning opportunities. – Like our Coaching Certification for Therapists—built not just to teach, but to connect you with a community that truly gets it.
4. Explore clinician-centered group practices. – Growing Self was built for exactly this reason. Therapist wellbeing is the foundation, not an afterthought.
You Were Never Meant to Do This Alone
If there’s one thing I hope you take from this—it’s this truth: You deserve support. You deserve to feel connected. You deserve to feel seen.
You are not weak for needing people. You’re a therapist. And therapists thrive in community, not isolation. So let’s stop pretending we’ve got it all figured out alone. Let’s reach out. Let’s be real. Let’s be well.
Let’s Stay Connected
If you’re feeling the pull to connect, to grow, and to maybe even enjoy this work again (yes, that’s allowed!), I’ve got you. Every week, I send out a thoughtful, therapist-centered newsletter designed to support your professional development and your emotional wellbeing. From free CE trainings, to podcast updates, to resources that help you stay engaged and energized—I’d love to have you in the loop. You can sign up for the newsletter right here.
And if you’re craving a sense of professional community, let’s make it happen. Come find me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/drlisabobby. I love hearing from fellow clinicians, and it’s a beautiful way to build your network with like-minded therapists who are also passionate about doing this work well—and doing it together.
Xoxo
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
P.S. If this message resonated with you, think about someone else who might need to hear it. Forward this to a colleague, a friend from grad school, or drop it in your favorite therapist community online. You never know whose burnout you’re preventing and breaking the isolation starts with one brave share.
Resources:
McGhee, J. (2017). Isolation, disconnection, and burnout: The importance of staying connected in private practice. In The Resilient Mental Health Practice (pp. 127-145). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315673035-7/isolation-disconnection-burnout-joy-mcghee
Råbu, M., Moltu, C., Binder, P. E., & McLeod, J. (2016). How does practicing psychotherapy affect the personal life of the therapist? A qualitative inquiry of senior therapists’ experiences. Psychotherapy Research, 26(6), 737-749. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10503307.2015.1065354
Holliman, R. P., & Muro, L. (2015). Professional isolation and the counselor. The Practitioner Scholar: Journal of the International Trauma Training Institute, 4(1). http://www.thepractitionerscholar.com/article/download/15266/10017
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