For the last ten years, I’ve worked as a speech-language pathologist, splitting my time between a therapeutic outplacement school and my private practice. I’ve had the opportunity to serve families in my community, present my ideas on a national stage, and advocate for the support my students need to succeed when they return to their district schools. But when my mental health took a nosedive last year, I realized that I couldn’t continue like I had been. I love my work. I have an incredible team around me, a caseload of students who light up my day, and a chance to bring my own dog to work as a staff therapy dog. And I still found myself sitting on the couch at the end of the day, buried in a book so my brain could disassociate from the stress.
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As the school year draws to a close, I’ve noticed an uptick in those behaviors again. I’ve been withdrawn in the evenings, pulling back from conversations with my friends, stepping back from watching a show with my husband, and letting my attention bounce from book to book in hopes of a story drawing me in (so I can forget about real-world stress). That nagging voice in my head is back, questioning whether I’m really doing enough, whether I’m really good enough. Coupled with the burnout that inevitably comes with the end of the school year, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and doubt myself. If you’re feeling the same way, I want you to know: it’s okay.
Burnout Happens
There’s no reason to ignore it; it’s something that affects all of us. The end of the school year is a notoriously challenging time for educators and therapists alike. The cumulative stress of managing a caseload, completing paperwork, attending meetings, and ensuring each student receives the needed attention can take a toll on anyone. Burnout doesn’t mean you’re weak or unfit for your job; it’s a natural response to prolonged stress and high demands. Recognizing this is the first step toward self-compassion and healing.
And When Burnout is High, It Likes to Bring Along Its BFF, Imposter Syndrome
You know, that insidious feeling that you’re not as competent as others believe you to be and that you’ll be exposed as a fraud sooner or later. Imposter syndrome doesn’t discriminate—it affects people across all professions and levels of experience. For us, as school-based SLPs, it can manifest in various ways: doubting our clinical skills, second-guessing our treatment plans, or feeling inadequate compared to colleagues.
Why does imposter syndrome flare up now? The end of the school year is a time of reflection and evaluation. We review our students’ progress, assess our own performance, and often focus on what we could have done better rather than what we accomplished. This hyper-focus on perceived shortcomings can amplify feelings of inadequacy.
It’s important to remember that feeling like an imposter doesn’t reflect reality. Read that again. Read it out loud. Let those words sink in as you take a breath.
Your experiences, skills, and dedication are real. The progress your students have made is real. The positive feedback from colleagues and parents is real. Challenging cases and complaints from families are not a sign of failure but rather a sign of how you are invested in their student’s success. Combatting imposter syndrome involves recognizing and reminding yourself of these truths, especially when self-doubt creeps in.
Feeling Burnt Out and Questioning Your Abilities Doesn’t Negate Your Hard Work or Your Worth
It’s okay to feel tired. It’s okay to doubt yourself. And it’s okay to take a step back and acknowledge all that you’ve accomplished.
It’s okay to be human.
One strategy I always return to at this time of year is my “why file.” This is a place where I collect positive notes from students, thank-you emails from parents, and any other affirmations of my work. When imposter syndrome strikes, I revisit this folder to remind myself of my impact. It’s a tangible way to counteract those negative thoughts. As I clean out student files and empty my inbox for the end of the year, I make it a point to add them to this file.
It’s not a fix-all. It can’t counteract the very real stressors of this time of year. The notes themselves aren’t enough to erase all of the doubts that sneak in. But it can help. Ten years in, and I’ve got a pretty hefty, literal physical representation of the differences I’ve made. And that is worth celebrating.
So, if you’re feeling the weight of this school year’s end, it’s okay. It’s okay to feel burnt out. It’s okay to doubt yourself. And it’s okay to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate all that you’ve accomplished. Imposter syndrome and burnout might be part of our journey, but they don’t define us.
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