The Gritty Mental Health Therapist: Clinical Confidence + Reassurance, Reframing Imposter Syndrome, Overwhelm and Burnout

Stefanie Armstrong + Cathy Schweitzer: Trauma Trained Mental Health Therapists, Practice Owners, Authors and Clinical Supervisors
  • 5.0 (11)
  • MENTAL HEALTH

As a mental health therapist have you ever been awake at 2am replaying sessions in your head, wondering if you’ve done and said the right thing? Do you ever feel isolated, overwhelmed, or unsure of your confidence as a clinician? Do you ever feel like you must be the only mental health therapist who feels this way? You’re not alone, we've been there too.  We’ve lived the long days, secretly thinking "I'm just not good at this yet. My supervisor would do a better job with this client." We've been through the draining sessions, and the silent car rides home where you just can't help from crying. We know the weight of secondary trauma, burnout, and self-doubt and we also know the power of grit, resilience, and community.  We're Cathy and Stef, two "been there, done that" trauma-trained, EMDR-certified, Somatic Experiencing-trained practice owners, and we created The Gritty Therapist as a safe space for clinicians who are tired of feeling like they’re the only ones struggling with confidence and imposter-syndrome.  Our goal: help you feel less isolated and more confident.    Each episode delivers real-talk, grounded in our own experiences with late-night worries, confusion and how we continue to grow our own grit and confidence. We’ll share the exact tools we’ve used to avoid burnout (and get out of burnout!), rebuild confidence, and stay connected to our purpose and passion. You’ll also hear from guest therapists who’ve walked through the trenches and discovered how to grow their gritty confidence while actually having a life outside the therapy room. Whether you’re holding space for vulnerable children, families, or adults, this podcast will remind you that you’re not alone. Together, we’ll explore strategies to help you become a more confident mental health therapist...all while keeping it real, compassionate, and relatable. 👉 Free resources + downloads: www.thegrittytherapist.com 👉 Follow us on Instagram: @grittytherapist

  1. 19H AGO

    Three Attachment-Based Family Therapy Interventions You Can Use Tomorrow

    Ever find yourself mid-session thinking, “Okay… what do I do next?” In this episode of The Gritty Mental Health Therapist, we kick off a “tomorrow-ready” series, complete with a FREE PDF download (grab yours HERE) just for you!  As mental health therapists we know you want more confidence, more grit, and less imposter syndrome with practical interventions you can use right away. Because well, that's what we need too!  This month’s focus is attachment-based, relational work, because when clients are wounded in relationship, they often need to heal in relationship. Drawing from years of clinical experience and the Integrative Attachment Trauma Protocol (developed alongside Deb Wesselmann), we share three simple-but-powerful interventions that strengthen connection between kids, teens, and caregivers (and can be adapted for adult work too). In this episode, you’ll learn 3 relational/attachment interventions you can use tomorrow: Start every session with “What went well this week?” A consistent opener that helps rewire the brain for glimmers, shifts the parent-child dynamic, and builds safety before tackling the hard stuff.The “Magical Cord of Love” (or Caring) exercise A visual, somatic-friendly attachment tool that supports connection through separation anxiety, travel, bedtime struggles, and relationship ruptures—while staying clinically mindful about safety and stability.The “Old Photos” intervention Invite families to bring in pictures from early connection points (or early memories) and narrate positive relational meaning, an often emotional, bonding practice that strengthens attachment and softens conflict cycles.If you’re a therapist who wants concrete therapy interventions, attachment-informed tools, and a more grounded way to support families in session (without overcomplicating it), this episode is for you. Mentioned in the episode: Integrative Attachment Treatment Protocol (and related parenting resources)Deb Dana’s concept of “glimmers” (as a cue for safety and connection)Training and consistency: why these tools work best when repeated session-to-session. Don't forget to grab your FREE PDF download of the interventions covered in this episode. Want to feel more confident using interventions like these? We also share how therapists can build “gritty confidence” so tools don’t fall flat when it’s time to actually use them in the room. ✨ Check out our freebies and our NEW Grit School:  Therapist AF: Grit School for the Real World, practical skills, nervous system grounding, and the reps grad school skippedThe Gritty Therapist freebies, tools, and support: thegrittytherapist.comThe Cord Where Science Meets Connection attachment/trauma-focused therapy. Follow along on Instagram @grittytherapist and go get your gritty on. 💛

    28 min

  2. JAN 25

    Authentic Therapist Identity: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, Setting Therapist Boundaries, and Preventing Burnout with Taylor Dibble-Townsend

    What does it actually look like to build a sustainable therapy career while raising babies, surviving burnout seasons, and learning how to leave work at work? In this episode of The Gritty Mental Health Therapist, we sit down with special guest Taylor Dibble-Townsend, a licensed therapist, former intern at The Cord, and now a Gritty Academy Mentor, to talk about what it really takes to grow into yourself as a clinician, especially in the messy middle of your career. Taylor shares her powerful journey from child welfare caseworker to private practice therapist, including the gritty reality of doing internship life while pregnant, exhausted, and raising a toddler and how she learned to balance being a therapist, mom, wife, and human without losing herself in the process. You’ll hear honest reflections on burnout prevention, emotional boundaries, therapist identity development, and the confidence shift that happens when you stop trying to be your supervisor and start becoming you. If you’re an early- to mid-career therapist navigating overwhelm, imposter syndrome, compassion fatigue, or the constant pressure to “do it all,” this episode is full of gritty nuggets you’ll want to take with you into your next workday. ✨ In This Episode, We Talk About: How Taylor built grit through child welfare case management and foster care workThe importance of separating work life vs. home life as a therapistRituals and boundaries that protect your nervous system (and your evenings)Why “I’m not good enough” shows up and how to quiet that voiceTherapist identity: learning to stop trying to be someone else and start being yourselfThe “different hats” mindset: therapist hat vs. mom hat vs. human hatWhat helps therapists avoid burnout: movement, structure, and non-negotiablesA hilarious (and relatable) supervision moment: “Wait… am I arguing with my teen client?”How humility and confidence can coexist in your clinical growth🔥 This Episode Is For You If You’re: ✅ A new therapist feeling overwhelmed or emotionally flooded ✅ Struggling with boundaries, burnout, or taking work home mentally ✅ Navigating imposter syndrome in private practice ✅ A therapist who’s also a parent trying to stay regulated and present ✅ Learning how to build confidence without becoming rigid or arrogant 💛 Gritty Takeaway You don’t have to know everything to be a great therapist. You just have to stay open, humble, and willing to grow and learn how to protect your energy so you can actually sustain this work. ✨ Check out our freebies and our NEW Grit School:  Therapist AF: Grit School for the Real World, practical skills, nervous system grounding, and the reps grad school skippedThe Gritty Therapist freebies, tools, and support: thegrittytherapist.comThe Cord Where Science Meets Connection attachment/trauma-focused therapy. Follow along on Instagram @grittytherapist and go get your gritty on. 💛

    30 min

  3. JAN 11

    Being a Mental Health Therapist in the Wild: Why Everyone is Curious and Sometimes a Little Afraid

    In this episode of The Gritty Therapist Podcast, we share hilarious, awkward, and deeply relatable stories about the moment we say “I’m a therapist," and how people react next. From being ignored at holiday parties, to becoming the “therapist at the table,” to being bombarded with deeply personal questions in public spaces, this episode captures the reality every clinician knows too well. We explore: The three most common reactions therapists get when sharing their professionWhy people are fascinated, intimidated, or unsure around therapistsHow imposter syndrome can creep in during everyday social interactionsThe invisible emotional labor therapists carry outside the therapy roomWhy the work we do is valuable, sacred, and deeply impactfulThis episode is a reminder that being a therapist isn’t just a job, it’s a role that holds stories, secrets, resilience, and humanity. If you’ve ever wished you had a better answer when someone asks what you do, or needed a reminder of your gritty gift, this one’s for you. ✨ Check out our freebies and our NEW Grit School:  Therapist AF: Grit School for the Real World, practical skills, nervous system grounding, and the reps grad school skippedThe Gritty Therapist freebies, tools, and support: thegrittytherapist.comThe Cord Where Science Meets Connection attachment/trauma-focused therapy. Follow along on Instagram @grittytherapist and go get your gritty on. 💛

    18 min

  4. JAN 4

    Reported to the Board: A Real Story About Therapist Fear, Imposter Syndrome, and Confidence

    What if what you’ve been calling imposter syndrome isn’t a syndrome at all? In this episode of The Gritty Mental Health Therapist, we dig into a powerful reframe that many early- and mid-career therapists desperately need. We’re talking about grit, boundaries, imposter syndrome, and the hard lessons that actually make you a better clinician, even when they feel terrifying in the moment. Cathy shares a deeply personal story about being reported to the licensing board early in her career, the panic that followed, and the surprising insight that changed her entire approach to therapy. Spoiler: the grit wasn’t doing more, responding faster, or over-functioning for clients. The grit was learning to do less. Together, we unpack: The true origins of imposter syndrome and why the word “syndrome” may be doing more harm than goodWhy many therapists mistake over-responsiveness and hustle for gritHow boundaries, restraint, and self-trust are actually core clinical skillsThe difference between being an imposter and being newWhy pathologizing self-doubt can strip therapists of their powerHow gritty growth often comes from mistakes, discomfort, and hard feedback, not perfectionIf you’re a therapist who: Feels like you’re “faking it” despite your trainingStruggles with boundaries or over-responsivenessIs afraid of making mistakes or being “found out”Wants confidence without burnout…this episode will meet you right where you are. We also discuss The Grit Shift, our training designed to help therapists move from imposter thinking to a gritty growth mindset, Where Rookie Meets Ready is our first class and it's out now.  ✨ Check out our freebies and our NEW Grit School:  Therapist AF: Grit School for the Real World, practical skills, nervous system grounding, and the reps grad school skippedThe Gritty Therapist freebies, tools, and support: thegrittytherapist.comThe Cord Where Science Meets Connection attachment/trauma-focused therapy. Follow along on Instagram @grittytherapist and go get your gritty on. 💛

    25 min

  5. 12/28/2025

    From Provisional to Fully Licensed: What Really Grows Therapist Confidence, Failing Forward and Becoming a New Mom with Aubre Powers

    If you’ve ever failed an exam by one point, questioned whether you learned “anything” in internship, or wondered if “grit” just means seeing 35 clients a week… this episode is for you. We sit down with Aubre, one of our own clinicians, who went from provisional therapist to fully licensed while navigating a major life curveball: pregnancy, a traumatic early birth/NICU experience, and the messy middle of building confidence as a new clinician. Aubre shares what it actually felt like to fail the licensure exam, how she rebuilt her self-talk, and why that test is not the thing that qualifies you to be a good therapist. Together, we unpack what “grit” really means in early-career therapy work: self-trust, boundaries, values-based scheduling, and learning the kind of self-care and self-exploration that goes way beyond bubble baths. In this episode, you’ll learn: What it’s like transitioning from internship to provisional practice (and why it can feel weirdly unsettling, even when it’s good)How to recover after failing the licensing exam (without spiraling into shame)Why “work-life balance” is harder than the internet makes it sound and how to actually protect your timeThe difference between burnout-grit (hustle, over-functioning) and healthy grit (aligned boundaries + real self-care)A “gritty nugget” you’ll want to steal: how to choose hobbies that restore you based on how you work all dayA hilarious story about finding out you’re pregnant at your internship… and still having to see a client afterward 😅If you’re a new therapist, associate/provisional counselor, or you’re in the licensure process and feeling like you’re behind, not cut out, or one mistake away from failing, this conversation will help you breathe again and keep going. Check out Aubre's podcast Probably Bad Advice (by two licensed therapists) and her faith-based counseling resources @aubrepowerscounseling ✨ Check out our freebies and our NEW Grit School:  Therapist AF: Grit School for the Real World, practical skills, nervous system grounding, and the reps grad school skippedThe Gritty Therapist freebies, tools, and support: thegrittytherapist.comThe Cord Where Science Meets Connection attachment/trauma-focused therapy. Follow along on Instagram @grittytherapist and go get your gritty on. 💛

    26 min

  6. 12/21/2025

    Holiday Check-In: Grit + Glitter, Traditions, and Staying Regulated (Even in the Chaos)

    It’s officially that time of year; the holiday stretch where your nervous system is doing the most and your calendar is acting like you don’t need sleep. So consider this your gritty little holiday check-in. In this quick episode, we keep it real about what actually helps us stay sane during the holidays: the traditions that bring comfort, the boundaries we're holding (even when guilt shows up), and why keeping a few anchor routines can be the difference between “holiday magic” and total burnout. You’ll hear: The simple family traditions that keep things grounded (food, movies, Christmas Eve appetizers… all the cozy)A reminder you don’t have to wear your therapist hat at family gatheringsHow routines can be regulating and even more enjoyable when you’re not racing to sessionPermission to let the mess exist (hello, chaos) while you stay connected to what steadies youIf you’re a newer therapist, or you’re in the messy middle and feeling stretched thin, this one’s for you: a little grit, a little glitter, and a whole lot of “you’re not alone.” Happy holidays, friend and don’t forget: subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and come hang with us on Instagram. ✨ Check out our freebies and our NEW Grit School:  Therapist AF: Grit School for the Real World, practical skills, nervous system grounding, and the reps grad school skippedThe Gritty Therapist freebies, tools, and support: thegrittytherapist.comThe Cord Where Science Meets Connection attachment/trauma-focused therapy. Follow along on Instagram @grittytherapist and go get your gritty on. 💛

    14 min

  7. 12/14/2025

    How the Grinch Found Grit: Boundaries for Therapists During the Holidays

    The holidays can be magical… but for therapists? They can also feel like a pressure cooker filled with client crises, family expectations, over-responsibility, and the quiet fear that taking time off means you’re “letting someone down." and going broke.  In this candid, cozy, and surprisingly hilarious episode, we get grinchy, in the best, most therapeutic way possible. If you’ve ever:  ✨ booked clients during a holiday week and immediately regretted it  ✨ felt guilty for wanting (or needing) actual time off  ✨ questioned whether you’re doing “enough”  ✨ found yourself emotionally over-involved in clients’ family chaos  ✨ struggled to turn your therapy brain off …this episode is a must-listen. We share four grounded, grit-building strategies that have changed not just our holiday seasons, but our entire careers as trauma-trained therapists, supervisors, and practice owners. Through stories from the courtroom, client sessions, foster care work, family traditions, and classic holiday movies (yes, even the Grinch), you’ll get the permission, validation, and practical tools you didn’t know you needed. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why you must schedule like a Grinch (and how to stop feeling guilty about it)How to remember you are enough, even when you're not actively “helping”How to release over-responsibility and stop holding every family system togetherA simple visualization to “take off your therapy hat” and reclaim your actual lifeHow to create emotional boundaries that make you a better therapistThis episode mixes warmth, humor, clinical wisdom, and the exact kind of honesty therapists rarely get. Consider it your holiday reset button, packed with reminders that therapists are human beings first and that gritty self-compassion is not optional… it’s essential. Whether you're walking into the holidays feeling connected, depleted, overwhelmed, or somewhere in-between, this conversation will help you breathe deeply, soften your shoulders, and choose what you need this season. ✨ Check out our freebies and our NEW Grit School:  Therapist AF: Grit School for the Real World, practical skills, nervous system grounding, and the reps grad school skippedThe Gritty Therapist freebies, tools, and support: thegrittytherapist.comThe Cord Where Science Meets Connection attachment/trauma-focused therapy. Follow along on Instagram @grittytherapist and go get your gritty on. 💛

    35 min

  8. 12/07/2025

    Finding Confidence with Jamie Adler: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Finding Grit

    As a mental health therapist, do you ever secretly think, “How did I even get here… and do I actually know what I’m doing?” 👀 This episode is for every new, provisionally licensed, early-career therapist or even someone who's been doing this a while, who’s quietly spiraling over imposter syndrome, boundaries, and “faking it till you make it.” In this episode, we welcome our very first guest, Jamie Adler, a therapist at The Cord who went from intern, to provisional, to a fully licensed clinician and practice leader at our Fremont location. Jamie gets honest about: What it was really like going from grad school to the therapy room.The moment she told her supervisors, “Just tell me what to do,” and got both a loving cheerleader and a gritty reality check.Why “fake it till you make it” was actually grit in disguise. How her primal question, “Am I wanted?”, fed her imposter syndrome as a new therapistCringey, funny early-therapist moments (hello, doing dishes and teaching double-boiling on telehealth 👋).Learning to invite rupture and repair instead of avoiding conflict with clients, colleagues, and supervisors.How she learned to protect her time and set boundaries with work, email, and after-hours crisis texts.Finding “her one person” for mentorship and how that changed everything.Using RO-DBT work to understand herself and support her clients.If you’re a therapist who: Feels like a rookie and is terrified someone will “find out” you don’t know enough.Wants mentorship, consultation, and real-talk more than another theory chapter.Struggles to turn work off when you get home to your partner, kids, or pets.Is trying to balance being a “good therapist” with being a whole human with a life.…this episode will help you see that you’re not failing, you’re growing, and that discomfort is actually your confidence showing up. You’ll walk away with: A new way to think about success vs. failure (hint: it’s really about growing vs. staying stuck).Practical language for talking about rupture and repair with clients.Permission to set boundaries around your time without abandoning your clients.Encouragement to seek mentorship, supervision, and community instead of white-knuckling it alone.A grounded reminder that you belong in this field, even on the days you feel like you don’t.✨ Check out our freebies and our NEW Grit School:  Therapist AF: Grit School for the Real World, practical skills, nervous system grounding, and the reps grad school skippedThe Gritty Therapist freebies, tools, and support: thegrittytherapist.comThe Cord Where Science Meets Connection attachment/trauma-focused therapy. Follow along on Instagram @grittytherapist and go get your gritty on. 💛

    33 min
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About

As a mental health therapist have you ever been awake at 2am replaying sessions in your head, wondering if you’ve done and said the right thing? Do you ever feel isolated, overwhelmed, or unsure of your confidence as a clinician? Do you ever feel like you must be the only mental health therapist who feels this way? You’re not alone, we've been there too.  We’ve lived the long days, secretly thinking "I'm just not good at this yet. My supervisor would do a better job with this client." We've been through the draining sessions, and the silent car rides home where you just can't help from crying. We know the weight of secondary trauma, burnout, and self-doubt and we also know the power of grit, resilience, and community.  We're Cathy and Stef, two "been there, done that" trauma-trained, EMDR-certified, Somatic Experiencing-trained practice owners, and we created The Gritty Therapist as a safe space for clinicians who are tired of feeling like they’re the only ones struggling with confidence and imposter-syndrome.  Our goal: help you feel less isolated and more confident.    Each episode delivers real-talk, grounded in our own experiences with late-night worries, confusion and how we continue to grow our own grit and confidence. We’ll share the exact tools we’ve used to avoid burnout (and get out of burnout!), rebuild confidence, and stay connected to our purpose and passion. You’ll also hear from guest therapists who’ve walked through the trenches and discovered how to grow their gritty confidence while actually having a life outside the therapy room. Whether you’re holding space for vulnerable children, families, or adults, this podcast will remind you that you’re not alone. Together, we’ll explore strategies to help you become a more confident mental health therapist...all while keeping it real, compassionate, and relatable. 👉 Free resources + downloads: www.thegrittytherapist.com 👉 Follow us on Instagram: @grittytherapist

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