Common questions
What's the difference between compassion fatigue and burnout?▾
Burnout is caused by workload and systemic stress. Compassion fatigue is caused specifically by the emotional cost of caring for others in distress. You can have a reasonable workload and still develop compassion fatigue if you're not processing the emotional weight of what you hear.
Can compassion fatigue affect my clients?▾
Yes. When you're experiencing compassion fatigue, your empathy decreases, your clinical judgment can suffer, and you may unconsciously distance from clients or miss important cues. Taking care of yourself IS taking care of your clients.
How do I prevent compassion fatigue?▾
Regular supervision or peer consultation, personal therapy, clear boundaries between work and personal life, varied caseload intensity, and daily decompression rituals. Prevention is ongoing — it's not a one-time fix.
Should I reduce my caseload if I have compassion fatigue?▾
Often, yes — at least temporarily. But it's not just about quantity. It's about the intensity of cases, the quality of your support systems, and whether you're processing what you absorb. Sometimes restructuring is more effective than simply reducing.