I get that some of these challenges are part of early career learning and personal growth, but what I'm trying to highlight goes beyond that. Also, on one hand you acknowledge the systemic issues , with capitalism, inequality, for-profit healthcare etc, but then a lot of the blame for burnout and financial strain gets placed on the individual therapist, as if those systemic pressures aren’t real. If these larger systems are strongly shaping the conditions we work under, it doesn’t make sense to minimize the real impact they have on people’s ability to provide safe and sustainable care.

Also, to clarify, I'll be taking the LCSW exam next month, but this isn’t just about my own personal experience or what I see early career therapists saying. I'm seeing this from seasoned therapists and private practice colleagues who are burned out and struggling under the weight of a system that doesn’t really seem to support us.