The Invisible Weight Therapists Carry 

Occupational Therapy
Written By Megan Veenstra OTD OTR/L

The Invisible Weight Therapists Carry

  • Staying regulated in sessions while your personal life feels like it's unraveling.

  • Remembering ever patients stories even after hours or days pass.

  • Feeling helpless when a patient is in pain and knowing you can't fix it.

  • Managing the death of a patient and not always having the space or time to process it.

  • Being present for everyone emotionally all day, then trying to be emotionally available at home.

  • Maintaining confidentiality even when your heart really needs to talk.

  • Having no say in an insurance cut, watching your patient discharge home when you know they are not safe to go home yet.

  • Being treated with disrespect from a patient and having to sit back and take it.

This message is not intended to induce guilt in patients; rather, it aims to acknowledge the emotional labor that therapists manage daily. As clinicians, we have a responsibility to address this unseen burden and seek support when necessary. Doing so enables us to continue engaging ethically, wholeheartedly, and with compassion.

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Megan Veenstra OTD OTR/L
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