Editor's Note

Getting Paid: Encouragement and Support for Rest and Renewal During This Holiday Season—Taking Time Off From Your Practice

Lynne Azpeitia, LMFT, Voices Editor

‘Tis the season to be giving thanks and to be giving for the holidays, so my gift to you, is 5 articles of encouragement and support—and practical ideas--for taking time off from your practice this holiday season.

Each of these articles is a short and easy read — and every single one of them is chock full of the best tips and information that therapists can quickly and easily use to make the most of their time off from their practice during the holidays.

Reading any one of them will definitely give you help you minimize the stress of taking time off from your practice.

1. Therapists Need a Break Too! – The Therapeutic Benefits of a Vacation

Rest as a Clinical Responsibility

The quality of our clinical work depends on our emotional, mental and physical resources. Taking time to replenish those resources is not a luxury; it is an ethical imperative that protects both clinicians and clients from potential harm. When we prioritize rest, we preserve the capacity for empathy, deep listening, and creative problem-solving.

So if you’re hesitating to take that vacation, know that the science supports it! And more importantly, your work will be stronger because of it. On that note, I wish you all a most restful, enjoyable, and replenishing vacation.

2. Therapists' Holiday Self-Care: Balancing Client Needs and Personal Wellness 

Not all superheroes wear capes. Some superheroes, like therapists, have couches from which clients arise feeling lighter and more balanced, with a greater sense of their own innate resilience.

While the work that therapists do is incredible and transformative, even they need time off. The holidays are a common time to take time away from work, not only leading to a reduced risk for burnout, but also for therapists to maintain their sense of fulfillment and joy in the work that they do.

3. How Much Time Off Is Enough for a Sensitive Therapist?

After needing a 5-week sabbatical last year to replenish my therapist battery, I decided to do something different at the beginning of this year.  I mapped out ALL the days I wanted to take off for the full calendar year and put the dates into Simple Practice.  My goal was to have enough space for holidays, birthdays, family gatherings, staycations, and travel while also giving my clients a snapshot of the year ahead.  All in all, the grand total was nine full weeks of vacation time which was the same as the previous year just spread out from May to December.

4. Speaking of Psychology: Why you should take a vacation—and how to get the most out of it

de Bloom: We also asked people that in our study how much time they spend on work-related activities during their holidays. We had interviews, phone interviews, with them during the holiday, and we did find that quite a share of people did engage with some clients, with colleagues and so on. But they all said that this was their own choice and they could also decide the amount of time they would spend on it. And in this scenario then we didn’t see the negative effects. It was on average, I think, half an hour that people spent during the holiday on work-related activities. And then we don’t see the negative effects.

5. Taking a Vacation: Time Off as a Solo Practice Owner

Running a solo therapy practice is incredibly rewarding—but let's be real, it can also be incredibly demanding. The idea of taking time off often brings worries about stepping away from your clients, missing potential income, and admin tasks that are sure to pile up. Still, taking regular breaks isn't just nice; it's essential for your own well-being and helps you stay effective as a therapist.

6. 4 Types of Vacations Every Sensitive Therapist Needs

When planning for time away from your practice, it’s important to consider all the different reasons you may be taking vacations - true vacations, staycations, workations and trainings.

True Vacation: Taking time away from home can be very restorative because we get to leave behind our daily responsibilities and just focus on leisure.

Staycation: Sometimes vacations can become overwhelming or depleting for many reasons. We don’t have the energy to manage the logistics and planning of being away from home, have to endure long flights, noisy airports and travel delays or we don’t have buffer day scheduled between vacationing and returning to work. This is where the magic of the staycation comes in - we can turn everything off without leaving the house!

Workation: Taking time off of your practice to work may seem counterintuitive since you aren’t relaxing or making money, but the workation is actually the best move for a Highly Sensitive Therapist who has a propensity to get overwhelmed when multitasking. By taking a few days off of seeing clients we can deep dive into our administrative and business planning responsibilities. The workation can be used for catching up on notes, organizing files, revamping the copy on your website to bring in new clients, or strategizing the next phase of your business. My favorite times to take workations are in the new year when I’m feeling inspired to start fresh or during the slow summer months.

Trainings: We also have to take into account time away for professional trainings and certification courses that we may be pursuing to satisfy continuing education requirements. These should not count towards vacation as they are often overstimulating instead of restorative.

So, when you can, make a little time during this season to reflect on yourself, your needs, and your practice and how to include time off for your own rest and renewal during the coming season and the upcoming year.

I hope you find encouragement and support—and practical tips—for taking some time off from your practice for your own rest and renewal.

Enjoy your reading! 

Happy Holiday Time Off!

Lynne Azpeitia, LMFT, AAMFT Approved Supervisor, is in private practice virtually, and in Santa Monica where she works with Couples and Gifted, Talented & Creative Adults across the lifespan. Lynne’s been doing business and clinical coaching with mental health professionals for more than 15 years, helping therapists create even more successful careers and practices. She offers in-person & online services, workshops, presentations, & monthly no-cost Online Networking & Practice Development Lunches. Website: www.Gifted-Adults.com or www.LAPracticeDevelopment.com