Why Therapist Retreats Are Essential for Combating Burnout

Photo: Me saying goodbye after 18 months of working as a therapist & facilitator at a retreat center in Thailand.

Burnout has almost become ubiquitous for many mental health therapists. The constant holding of others’ pain, the paperwork, the long hours, and the pressure to “keep it together” often leave mental health clinicians emotionally drained. Symptoms of therapist burnout, such as exhaustion, disconnection, and a fading sense of accomplishment, not only take a toll on us as professionals but also ripple out to impact the people we serve.

So how do we move from barely coping to feeling restored and grounded in the work again? One increasingly powerful answer is retreats for therapists that help you relax and recharge. Far from being just a temporary escape, research shows retreats can create lasting shifts in well-being, energy, and motivation.

Retreats Restore Energy Long After They End

Even a brief retreat can have a measurable impact. In one study, a single-day retreat for mental health professionals significantly reduced emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, two core aspects of burnout. What is striking is that these improvements were still present six weeks later. This study shows that a short pause from daily demands created long-lasting relief (Salyers et al, 2011).

Mindfulness Retreats Support the Therapist-Client Connection

Mindfulness-based practices, a common focus at therapists retreats, are particularly effective at supporting therapist burnout. Medical clinicians who participated in mindfulness interventions & mindfulness retreats reported not only reduced burnout but also experienced stronger therapeutic relationships and a greater sense of presence with clients. In other words, the benefits are carried directly back into the client encounter (Fortney et al., 2013; Razzaque & Wood, 2015).

Sustained Benefits of Wellness Retreats

A study conducted on a week-long residential holistic retreat experience combining leisure activities, an organic diet, educational, and therapeutic activities yielded psychological and physical health improvements, and these improvements in wellbeing were maintained for 6 weeks afterward (Cohen et al., 2017). 

Renewed Purpose and Meaning in Therapy Work

The most important outcome is that retreats help clinicians reconnect with why they do this work. In one study, participants described leaving with a renewed sense of meaning and purpose, along with practical motivation to carry self-care practices back into daily life. Participants also reported reductions in stress. That kind of reset is essential for preventing burnout and sustaining the passion that brought us therapists into the field in the first place (Bailey et al., 2023).

The Key Takeaway about Therapist Retreats

Therapist retreats offer more than rest. They create space to breathe, reset, and gather tools to sustain yourself in a demanding profession. If you have been feeling exhausted, disconnected, or weighed down by the demands of therapy work, attending a retreat could be a turning point, not only for your own well-being but also for the clients who benefit from your renewed energy and presence.

I invite you to reframe a therapist retreat not as an escape or an expense, but as a meaningful investment in yourself, your work, and the well-being of your clients. 

Enroll in a Therapist Retreat

If this resonates with you, I invite you to explore the retreats I lead for therapists and other healing professionals. My retreats combine many things supported by this literature that make retreats so restorative and transformational: mindfulness, holistic self-care practices, community, connection with others, self-reflection, and connection with nature. 

As a mental health therapist myself, I know the unique challenges we face in this field. My retreats for therapists are designed to help you step away from burnout and return to your work inspired, rested, and reconnected. You can learn more about upcoming retreats for mental health professionals here.

References

Bailey, A. K., Sawyer, A. T., Tao, H., Durr, L. I., Lajeunesse, A., Sabapathy, R., & Hall, T. L. (2023). Evaluating the feasibility and impact of a well-being retreat for physicians and advanced practice providers. Journal of Wellness, 5(1), Article 9. https://doi.org/10.55504/2578-9333.1186 

Cohen, M. M., Elliott, F., Oates, L., Schembri, A., & Mantri, N. (2017). Do Wellness Tourists Get Well? An Observational Study of Multiple Dimensions of Health and Well-Being After a Week-Long Retreat. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 23(2), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2016.0268 

Fortney, L., Luchterhand, C., Zakletskaia, L., Zgierska, A., & Rakel, D. (2013). Abbreviated mindfulness intervention for job satisfaction, quality of life, and compassion in primary care clinicians: a pilot study. Annals of family medicine, 11(5), 412–420. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1511 

Razzaque, R., & Wood, L. (2015). Exploration of the effectiveness and acceptability of a professional mindfulness retreat for psychiatrists. Mindfulness, 7(2), 340–348. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0443-2 

Salyers, M. P., Hudson, C., Morse, G., Rollins, A. L., Monroe-DeVita, M., Wilson, C., & Freeland, L. (2011). BREATHE: a pilot study of a one-day retreat to reduce burnout among mental health professionals. Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.), 62(2), 214–217. https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.62.2.pss6202_0214

About the Author

Emma Donovan, MA, LPC, BCHN, is a therapist, ordained spiritual counselor, and functional nutritionist based in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the founder of The Holistic & Functional Psychology Institute, where she trains therapists and other helping professionals in integrative, research-backed approaches to mental health. Emma also leads international therapist retreats designed to prevent burnout and help clinicians restore balance, connection, and inspiration in their work.

Learn more about her upcoming therapist retreats here.

Thinking about signing up for a retreat but not sure what to consider? Download my free Therapist Retreat Toolkit to help you know what to pack, how to prepare, how to handle logistics, how to fly for free, and set intentions for your best retreat experience. It's completely free, and you can download it here.