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Guest: Cindi Miller MA, LMHC (she/her)
Host: Kayla Schubert-Wirth, MSW, LCSW (she/her)

Therapists are often punished for being good at their work through increased responsibilities with decreased support. When you're the "go-to" clinician, expect to handle everything solo while leadership tells you to just be grateful for the opportunity.

• Working in residential treatment facilities and group practices with unrealistic expectations
• Being thrown into high-acuity situations with zero training or preparation
• Having seven different supervisors in four months, each with conflicting expectations
• Complete lack of safety protocols, including being left alone with a client who pulled a knife
• The double standard of being told to have "intrinsic motivation" while receiving no feedback
• Experiencing burnout from constantly being left to "figure it out" without proper resources
• Showing up authentically with clients despite system pressures to conform
• Finding your path forward might mean leaving toxic workplaces, even without a perfect alternative

If you've ever felt like speaking up made you difficult, if being the go-to therapist has left you drowning in responsibilities and gaslighting, or if you're tired of being told to be grateful for unsafe, unsupported, unpaid work, you're not the problem, the system is.

Resources & Links:

🔹 Cindi's Instagram: @sportsfoodandmentalhealth

🔹 Work with Kayla:
Burned out by broken systems? Build a practice that honors you.
👉 gritandgracepsychotherapy.com

💼 Ready to leave burnout and bullshit behind for good?
If you're a therapist stuck in someone else's version of success and craving a business that actually feels like yours, Kayla offers bold, honest business coaching to help you unlearn the rules and build your private practice on your own terms.
💥 Join the waitlist or apply here

💌 Be Part of the Show:

📝 Apply to be a guest:
https://forms.gle/fvm82tXdhRmpZ2TE7

🕵️‍♀️ Submit your story anonymously:
https://forms.gle/snoC3Qiz2WxCMKW57

📬 Join Kayla’s Email List for therapist support, raw stories, and no-BS biz tips:
https://kaylaschubertwirth.myflodesk.com/overit

📲 Tag us on Instagram @therapy_with_kayla and let us know what part hit hardest.

This podcast includes personal opinions and experiences shared by guests and anonymous contributors. All identifying details may be changed to protect confidentiality. These stories are intended for educational and storytelling purposes and are not meant to defame, accuse, or harm any person or organization. Any resemblance to real persons or entities is purely coincidental.

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Guest: Ashley Orbanus, LPC (she/her)
Host: Kayla Schubert-Wirth, MSW, LCSW (she/her)
Podcast: Burnout & Bullshit: Real Stories from the Mental Health Field

What happens when your internship starts with a screen door, a stare-down, and the words:

“You’re 10 minutes early? Good. Learn to value your time—or you won’t make it.”

In this raw and unfiltered episode, Ashley Orbanus, LPC, pulls back the curtain on the appearance policing, burnout culture, and boundary-violating leadership she endured from internship to private practice. From being told to hide her tattoos and remove piercings, to being overworked, underpaid, and unsupported—Ashley’s story is the one too many therapists relate to but are scared to say out loud.

🔥 Topics Covered:

• Toxic internship dynamics & microaggressions
• Tattoo shaming in the therapy world
• 1099 exploitation in private practice
• Therapist burnout and nervous system collapse
• Gaslighting disguised as "professionalism"
• Reclaiming identity and building a values-aligned practice

Chapters

Chapters

00:00 Journey into Mental Health: Personal Trauma and Motivation
02:31 Internship Experiences: Challenges and Lessons Learned
04:32 Navigating Professional Identity: Tattoos and Authenticity in Therapy
08:56 Career Path: From Corrections to Private Practice
11:25 The Reality of Private Practice: Flexibility vs. Burnout
14:33 Navigating Professional Identity and Authenticity
16:54 Turning Points in Private Practice
21:46 The Importance of Support and Boundaries
26:11 Advice for New Therapists and Challenging Norms
33:24 Introduction to Raw Conversations
33:46 Finding the Right Therapist

✨ Resources & Links:

🔹 Ashley’s Profile:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ashley-orbanus-shickshinny-pa/894781

🔹 Work with Kayla:
Burned out by broken systems? Build a practice that honors you.
👉 gritandgracepsychotherapy.com

💼 Ready to leave burnout and bullshit behind for good?
If you're a therapist stuck in someone else's version of success and craving a business that actually feels like yours, Kayla offers bold, honest business coaching to help you unlearn the rules and build your private practice on your own terms.
💥 Join the waitlist or apply here

💌 Be Part of the Show:

📝 Apply to be a guest:
https://forms.gle/fvm82tXdhRmpZ2TE7

🕵️‍♀️ Submit your story anonymously:
https://forms.gle/snoC3Qiz2WxCMKW57

📬 Join Kayla’s Email List for therapist support, raw stories, and no-BS biz tips:
https://kaylaschubertwirth.myflodesk.com/overit

📲 Tag us on Instagram @therapy_with_kayla and let us know what part hit hardest.

This podcast includes personal opinions and experiences shared by guests and anonymous contributors. All identifying details may be changed to protect confidentiality. These stories are intended for educational and storytelling purposes and are not meant to defame, accuse, or harm any person or organization. Any resemblance to real persons or entities is purely coincidental.

Send us a text

Guest: Katie May, MA, LPC (she/her)
Host: Kayla Schubert-Wirth, MSW, LCSW (she/her) | Burnout & Bullshit: Real Stories from the Mental Health Field

Summary:
What if the gaslighting isn’t coming from the top down—but from “below”? In this raw and unfiltered episode, therapist and leadership coach Katie May, LPC joins Kayla to dismantle one of the most harmful deflections in group practice culture:

👉 “Sometimes the toxicity comes from below.”

Yeah… no.

From her early days in a partial hospitalization program to building a sustainable, values-aligned group practice, Katie shares the lessons no one tells you about leadership, accountability, and what it actually takes to build a workplace where people don’t ghost you after giving notice.

Whether you’re a therapist who's been scapegoated—or a group practice owner ready to face hard truths—this episode will challenge, validate, and empower you.

🔥 Topics Covered:

• What “toxicity from below” really means
• How shady onboarding and passive-aggressive policies breed burnout
• Boundaries, supervision, and real leadership vs. control
• Questions to ask in therapist interviews
• How to spot hiring red flags
• Why clients aren’t property—and how that mindset hurts everyone
• What it looks like to lead with integrity

🧠 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction to Toxic Leadership
02:01 – Why “Toxicity from Below” Is a Myth
03:10 – Clear Expectations as a Practice Owner
05:56 – Supervision and Communication
07:26 – Leadership Starts with Inner Work
10:04 – Clients Are Not Property
13:05 – Interview Questions for Therapists
15:08 – Red Flags to Spot When Job Hunting
19:12 – When a Practice Works Too Well
25:37 – What is Stabilize & Scale
28:58 – Final Reflections: Responsibility at the Top

✨ Resources & Links:

🔹 Katie May’s Stabilize & Scale Program
Group practice owner? Build values-driven systems that actually work.
👉 becomeagroupguru.com/scale

🔹 Work with Kayla
Burned out by broken systems? Build a practice that honors you.
👉 gritandgracepsychotherapy.com

💌 Be Part of the Show:

📝 Apply to be a guest:
https://forms.gle/fvm82tXdhRmpZ2TE7

🕵️‍♀️ Submit a story anonymously:
https://forms.gle/snoC3Qiz2WxCMKW57

📬 Join Kayla’s Email List for therapist support, raw stories, and no-BS biz tips:
https://kaylaschubertwirth.myflodesk.com/overit

📲 Tag us on Instagram @therapy_with_kayla and let us know what part hit hardest.

💥 Keywords: burnout, therapist burnout, toxic workplace, leadership in therapy, group practice, private practice growth, therapist support, supervision, onboarding, therapist interviews, boundaries, business coaching, mental health podcast

This podcast includes personal opinions and experiences shared by guests and anonymous contributors. All identifying details may be changed to protect confidentiality. These stories are intended for educational and storytelling purposes and are not meant to defame, accuse, or harm any person or organization. Any resemblance to real persons or entities is purely coincidental.

Send us a text

E3: Red Flags, Sand Trays, and Shit Pay: The Lies They Sell New Therapists with Ally Henry MA, LPC (she/her)

Summary

In this raw and unfiltered episode of Burnout & Bullsht*, host Kayla Schubert-Wirth sits down with Ally Henry, LPC, to expose the early signs of burnout and the brutal realities therapists face behind closed doors. From being paid $17 an hour to work with sex-trafficked teens (with zero trauma training) to being hired at a private practice after bartending their Christmas party—Ally shares the red flags, the system failures, and the moments that made her say: this can’t be it.

They dive deep into the toxic work environments so many clinicians endure, the performative nature of supervision, the false promises of private practice, and the financial minefield of 1099 work. You’ll hear about navigating mental health roles during COVID-19, why community care matters more than competition, and the power of real, authentic supervision.

This isn’t just a story—it’s a call to action for therapists stuck in survival mode.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Is it me… or is it the system?”—this episode is your answer.

🎧 In this episode, we cover:

• What it’s really like starting out in community mental health

• Why lack of trauma training is a systemic failure

• Red flags no one warns you about in private practice

• The reality of being a 1099 therapist without financial prep

• Why self-advocacy, mentorship, and leaving matter

• How Ally finally found a workplace that pays her to rest

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Burnout and Mental Health Challenges

01:06 Recognizing Early Signs of Burnout

03:34 Navigating Toxic Work Environments

07:01 The Importance of Advocacy and Self-Trust

10:09 Defining Effective Clinical Supervision

12:48 The Role of Authenticity in Therapy

15:08 Transitioning Between Jobs in Mental Health

19:12 Resignation and Rebuilding in the Private Sector

21:34 The Honeymoon Phase of Private Practice

24:40 Red Flags in Private Practice

27:37 Navigating Challenges During COVID

30:45 Finding the Right Fit in Private Practice

33:01 The Importance of Community in Mental Health

36:05 Advice for New Therapists

🔹 Work with Ally – Ally has openings for therapy clients, and her team is hiring!

Want to work alongside a therapist who actually gets it? ⁠Reset Outdoors⁠ is changing the game for mental health professionals in Pennsylvania. If you're looking for trauma-informed, community-centered work that doesn’t burn you out—go check them out.

🔹 Work with Kayla – Burned out, fed up, and ready to build a private practice that actually works for you? Check out my 1:1 coaching and consultation for therapists: ⁠gritandgracepsychotherapy.com⁠

📢 Feeling seen?Subsc

This podcast includes personal opinions and experiences shared by guests and anonymous contributors. All identifying details may be changed to protect confidentiality. These stories are intended for educational and storytelling purposes and are not meant to defame, accuse, or harm any person or organization. Any resemblance to real persons or entities is purely coincidental.

Send us a text

🎙️ Episode 2: Burnout, Resilience, & What They Don’t Tell You in Grad School

Podcast: Burnout & Bullsht: Real Stories from the Mental Health Field*

🧠 Keywords: burnout, mental health, social work, resilience, education, graduate school, self-care, therapist life, trauma, over-functioning, healthcare

📖 Description:
Before the license. Before the letters after your name.
Burnout starts when you’re chasing trauma papers across a stranger’s yard, working 30 hours a week, and pretending a concussion is no big deal.

In this episode, Kayla Schubert-Wirth, LCSW and EMDR trainer, shares her unfiltered story of surviving undergrad and grad school in the mental health field. From unpaid internships and academic pressure to untreated health crises and impossible expectations, she breaks down how burnout begins long before your first paycheck.

This one’s for the grad students, interns, and early-career therapists who are drowning in over-functioning and calling it passion.

💥 You’ll Learn:
• Burnout doesn’t wait for licensure—it starts in school
• Unrealistic expectations destroy nervous systems
• You’re replaceable at work—but not at home
• Health matters more than hustle
• Self-advocacy is a survival skill in helping professions

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 – The Journey to Resilience
02:23 – Burnout Before the Paycheck
05:11 – The Chaos of Grad School
07:36 – When Health Collapses
10:24 – Early Career Red Flags
12:37 – Lessons from the Breakdown

💌 Got your own “what the actual fuck” story from the field?

Apply to be a guest

Submit an anonymous letter

Disclaimer

This podcast is for storytelling, education, and advocacy purposes only. The views expressed are solely those of the host and guests. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Names, locations, and timelines may be changed or omitted to protect privacy. No information shared should be interpreted as fact without appropriate context or corroboration.

The podcast does not provide legal, clinical, or employment advice. For support, please consult a licensed professional in your area.

All guests have consented to share their stories. Sensitive topics may be discussed—listener discretion is advised.

This podcast includes personal opinions and experiences shared by guests and anonymous contributors. All identifying details may be changed to protect confidentiality. These stories are intended for educational and storytelling purposes and are not meant to defame, accuse, or harm any person or organization. Any resemblance to real persons or entities is purely coincidental.

Send us a text

🎙️ Episode 1: The Story She Couldn’t Silence
Podcast: Burnout & Bullsht: Real Stories from the Mental Health Field*

Keywords: burnout, mental health, therapy, social work, toxic workplace, supervision, eating disorder treatment, military, self-care, therapist burnout, new therapist support

Summary:
In the very first episode, host Kayla Schubert-Wirth sits down with Anna Bova, MSW, LCSW—a therapist specializing in eating disorder treatment—to talk about the story she couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

From crushing caseloads and toxic leadership to signing a four-year contract she couldn’t get out of, Anna opens up about the desperation that led her to join the military just to escape the mental health field. Together, they unpack how burnout really happens, what therapists wish they could say out loud, and why mentorship and boundaries matter more than ever.

🎧 In this episode, we cover:

• The emotional toll of high caseloads and poor supervision

• How desperation leads to signing career-limiting contracts

• The pressure to stay silent in harmful environments

• Why Anna joined the military to escape private practice

• Red flags new therapists should never ignore

• The power of mentorship, networking, and saying “enough”

📍Chapters:
00:00 – Intro to Burnout & Bullsht*
01:01 – Anna’s Journey into Mental Health
02:25 – The Reality of Private Practice
04:27 – Desperation and Contractual Obligations
07:06 – Joining the Military as an Escape
08:35 – The Struggles of a New Therapist
10:14 – The Cost of Leaving a Toxic Environment
12:22 – Experiencing Burnout
13:42 – Red Flags and Ignored Warnings
15:14 – The Hierarchy in Mental Health Practices
16:13 – Sustainability in Client Load
16:27 – Healing from a Toxic Experience
19:04 – Advice for New Therapists

📢 Feeling seen?Subscribe, share, and if you’ve got your own story—it’s time to stop pretending everything’s fine. Submit it here!

👥 Work with Anna:Anna Bova, LCSW is currently accepting new clients in Pennsylvania and specializes in eating disorder treatment and trauma-informed care.

Connect with Anna (Now Accepting Clients)

🧠 Work with Kayla:Burned out therapist? Stuck in a toxic job? Kayla offers EMDR consultation, business coaching, and support for therapists ready to take their power back.

Connect with Kayla

Disclaimer

This podcast is for storytel

This podcast includes personal opinions and experiences shared by guests and anonymous contributors. All identifying details may be changed to protect confidentiality. These stories are intended for educational and storytelling purposes and are not meant to defame, accuse, or harm any person or organization. Any resemblance to real persons or entities is purely coincidental.

Send us a text

Title: Burnout & Bullsht: Real Stories from the Mental Health Field

Host: Kayla Schubert-Wirth, LCSW, EMDRIA Trainer, Approved Consultant & Chaos Maker.

Burnout isn’t just working too much—it’s what happens when therapists are asked to hold it all together in a system that gives us nothing back.

I’m Kayla Schubert-Wirth, a licensed clinical social worker, EMDR trainer, ADHD human, and someone who’s worked in nearly every corner of the mental health field—from shelters to schools to private practice… and survived more than a few breakdowns along the way.

Burnout & Bullsht* is the podcast where therapists get honest. Each episode features unfiltered stories of burnout, red flags, unethical leadership, healing, and the decision to stay—or walk away. Some are mine. Some are anonymous. Some are from therapists who are finally ready to say the quiet part out loud.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overworked, underpaid, unseen, or like you’re the only one struggling—this space is for you.

We’re naming what most people in this field are too scared to talk about.
We’re telling the truth.
And we’re not doing it quietly.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for storytelling, education, and advocacy purposes only. The views expressed are solely those of the host and guests. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Names, locations, and timelines may be changed or omitted to protect privacy. No information shared should be interpreted as fact without appropriate context or corroboration.

The podcast does not provide legal, clinical, or employment advice. For support, please consult a licensed professional in your area.

All guests have consented to share their stories. Sensitive topics may be discussed—listener discretion is advised.

This podcast includes personal opinions and experiences shared by guests and anonymous contributors. All identifying details may be changed to protect confidentiality. These stories are intended for educational and storytelling purposes and are not meant to defame, accuse, or harm any person or organization. Any resemblance to real persons or entities is purely coincidental.