Mental Health in the Healing Professions
This is part of a special series for Foyht: Building Resilient Teams in High-Stress Environments, practical guidance for practitioners, clinic owners and small business leaders navigating the emotional, physical, and cultural demands of the wellbeing industry.
Written by HR Consultant Samantha Newton, the series explores how we can move beyond burnout, embed real resilience, and create workplaces that protect the people doing the healing, not just the clients they serve.
Let’s Talk About the Shame No One Mentions
There’s a particular, corrosive kind of shame reserved for those working in health and wellbeing. A voice in the back of the mind that says:
“I should be stronger.”
“I help people with this every day, why can’t I fix myself?”
Let’s stop right there.
You are not broken. You are not weak. And your profession does not make you immune to pain.
If anything, it makes you more vulnerable.
Because you’re the one holding space for others, day in, day out. You carry their grief, their trauma, their pain, emotional, physical, spiritual. You absorb it all. You carry it quietly. And, more often than not, you are not offered the same care in return.
What You’re Feeling Has a Name
It’s called compassion fatigue, the emotional residue or strain from exposure to others’ suffering.
It’s what happens when caring starts to cost.
It’s the slow erosion of joy, energy and meaning.
You start to question your purpose. You feel emotionally flat. You go quiet. And eventually, you start to believe this is just how the job is.
But it’s not. And it doesn’t have to be.
The Data Doesn’t Lie
According to a March 2025 survey by the Medical Defence Union (MDU):
- 69% of NHS doctors said fatigue impaired or possibly impaired their ability to treat patients safely
- 35% admitted definite impairment, and 26% confessed to near misses or patient harm due to exhaustion
- 38% said they rarely or never get proper breaks, not even lunch
(The Guardian, March 2025)
This doesn’t just affect doctors, it affects everyone in care-based professions.
From yoga teachers to chiropractors, massage therapists to midwives, we’re seeing a quiet mental health crisis across the entire wellbeing sector.
You Need More Than Encouragement. You Need Infrastructure.
Telling your team to “reach out if they’re struggling” isn’t enough.
You need systems that actively normalise support and build emotional safety, before the wheels fall off.
Let’s keep it practical.
Four Foundations of a Mentally Healthy Workplace
1. Psychological Safety
People must feel safe saying: “I’m not okay.”
If someone has to weigh up whether honesty will damage their job security or reputation, you don’t have safety, you have silence.
And silence is where mental health crises grow.
2. Mental Health First Aiders (Used, Not Just Ticked)
Not just a certificate for your website.
Mental health first aiders must be visible, trusted, trained, and empowered.
According to MHFA England, for every £1 spent on MHFA training, employers see an estimated £5 return in productivity, attendance and morale.
This isn’t soft stuff. It’s smart business.
3. Emotional Debriefs
Schedule regular team debriefs, especially after:
- Challenging client sessions
- Safeguarding concerns
- Conflict or complaints
- Intense emotional labour
Let people exhale. Don’t treat emotional processing as a luxury.
4. Protected Recovery Time
Even a single, uninterrupted hour post-session can make a difference.
Quiet space to reset nervous systems, not just refill coffee mugs.
You’d never send a runner back out without water. So why send your team back-to-back into emotionally charged sessions?
Microcase: What It Looks Like in Practice
One of the therapy centres I work with now starts every Monday with a 10-minute check-in. No agenda. No pressure. Just a safe space to say, “I’m not okay,” or “This week feels heavy.”
The result?
- Less staff sickness
- Better morale
- More peer support
And, almost always, someone says, “I didn’t realise I needed that.”
Pulse Check: 3 Questions to Ask Yourself This Week
- When was the last time I felt energised after a working day?
- Who checks in on me, and when?
- What’s one boundary I’ve let quietly slip?
This is where change begins: not with policy, but with pause.
You Cannot Pour From an Empty Cup, And Neither Can Your Team
A mentally healthy workplace doesn’t emerge by chance. It’s built with intention, action, and consistency.
Don’t wait for someone to snap. Build the safety net now.
Because your team isn’t just your greatest asset, they’re human. And humans need support, not slogans.
Coming Next: Turning Policy Into Practice
In Part Four, we’ll move from intention to implementation.
How do you translate your wellbeing values into real, everyday habits?
Hint: no more fruit bowls and “Mindfulness Monday” emails.
Let’s Connect
If your practice is ready to move beyond wellbeing posters and into real, culture-led care, let’s talk.
Main – Photo by Khadeeja Yasser on Unsplash
About the Author: Samantha Newton
