Taking a Sabbatical: How to Take a Break, pt. 2

Written by Cicely Green, LCPC

In a world that often prioritizes perpetual productivity, psychotherapists and business owners are not exempt from the pressure to keep going. However, what if taking a sabbatical could not only elevate your life, business, and healing but also challenge the very systems and beliefs that bind you?

This past November, I took the longest time ever off from work and my business. It was three weeks out of the country and with my out of office automated replies on for one month. I was filled with doubts and worries; but also joy in anticipation of the trip and a feeling of liberation as I was going to disrupt what therapists traditionally “should not” do. Here’s how you can make your way towards taking a sabbatical:

1. Mindset Revolution:
   Challenge the ingrained belief that constant availability, saying “yes” to everything, and doing more equals success. It is natural to internalize the expectations of western capitalism onto ourselves and our business, including the expectation of minimal time off; and extended time off only expected during the end of year holidays. Therapists have an extra expectation to not leave clients as this can be viewed as client abandonment. Therapists may hold guilt for leaving clients for a long period and may also hold fear that clients will leave. This revolutionary act of taking your desired time off or taking a sabbatical is not just a break; it's a conscious choice to strengthen your relationships with ideal clients, develop your self outside of working and accomplishing, and prioritize personal well-being and rejuvenation. You deserve it. You will also model to your clients that it is okay to disrupt what a marginalizing system expects of us and focus instead on what your authentic self needs and enjoys.

2. Planning Your Time Away

   This step is at the top instead of at the end so that you can have a goal to work towards and something to look forward to. If you mark it on your calendar, book a flight, lodging, etc. for six months from today, you will have no choice but to begin emotionally and practically planning for your time away. Assure to begin financially planning during this step (or before) as well. If you do not have PTO, this means calculating how much you need to save for the actual vacation and saving the amount of money you will not earn while you’re away.

3. Balancing Act with Emails:
   Establish a balanced relationship with emails well before your sabbatical. It is easy to get caught up in answering emails as a daily and all day habit (similar to how we may function on social media), but this distracts us from the work that we want to do. Remember, availability does not equate to success; but balance and sustainability does. Practice implementing boundaries such as: I will not respond to emails until end of the day or only on certain days; I can schedule email replies so that my team and others learn when and when not to expect to hear back from me; I will set up an automated reply indicating a reasonable time that I will reply. Once checking and responding to your emails feels more like a choice instead of a distraction or obligation, you are ready to take your sabbatical.

4. Notification Strategies:
   Notify clients well in advance (i.e. one month), emphasizing the importance of self-care, and your absence as an opportunity for clients to practice tools they’ve learned in therapy. Also, offer alternative resources during your absence. Implement out-of-office replies and update your website’s contact forms to manage expectations.

5. Delegation Dynamics:
   If you have employees, trust and delegate responsibilities to maintain the practice's or business’ continuity. Ensure everyone is equipped to handle routine tasks and address potential issues, fostering a culture of collaboration. This delegation should already have under gone a trial and error phase and be well into practice by the time you leave. I recommend beginning delegating months to a year prior to your sabbatical. This ensures you and your staff can work out any misalignment and there’s time for everyone to be confident in their role, able to manage conflict or issues without you, and well equipped by the time you take your time off.

   If you do not have employees, plan to execute your workload in advance, schedule content, and set up automatic payments if a bill will be due during your absence.

6. Risk Mitigation for (High-Risk) Clients:
   Develop a safety plan for high-risk clients, ensuring they have access to a backup therapist during your absence. Transparent communication and collaboration with colleagues are vital to maintaining the well-being of these clients. If you have low risk clients only, use your professional discretion to assess if each would need a backup therapist, or if they are able to use the resources they’ve learned in therapy to function. A safety plan can be implemented with low risk clients as well such as “I will journal or call a friend when I feel x emotion.” This is also a good time to assure your clients’ emergency contacts on file are accurate.

By challenging the norm and embracing a sabbatical mindset, therapists can break free from the misconception that taking time off jeopardizes their practice, business, or life. Elevate your life, business, and healing by creating a foundation of well-being that permeates all aspects of your professional and personal life. It's time to smash the expectations and empower therapists to prioritize your own mental health.

Listen to the corresponding podcast episode here.

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More resources on how to take a sabbatical in any career: Exodus Summit