25 Useful Self-Care Resources for Therapists

We all know that caring well for ourselves makes us more capable of showing up more effectively for others. And yet, especially for professionals like clinical therapists, the reality of actually investing in self-care can feel impossible at times. 

But prioritizing self-care is more important than ever for therapists. The psychological toll of supporting others can be profoundly destabilizing, leading to issues like moral injury and extreme burnout in the absence of effective self-care practices in resilience and work-life balance. 

So we’ve put together a list of super useful mental health resources for therapists that’ll help you find fresh ways to approach caring for yourself while also growing as a mental health professional. Check out these comprehensive self-care resources for therapists, including books, podcasts, and online resources that offer insights and practical self strategies to a more balanced life as a therapist and human being. 

💁 In this guide, you’ll get the following types of self-care resources for therapists: 

• Recommended books for therapists
• Best podcasts for therapists
• Online mental health resources for therapists

9 recommended books for therapists

When it comes to taking care of your own well-being as a mental health professional, these therapy books can support you on your journey toward cultivating more work-life balance, personal and professional fulfillment, and a variety of self-care practices.

1. The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh 

If you’re looking for a new way to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life, look to mental health resources for therapists like this classic: The Miracle of Mindfulness has been changing how people think of mindfulness for decades. Thich Nhat Hanh discusses how meditation is more than those minutes or hours of sitting quietly. Instead, he demonstrates, mindfulness meditation is one of those therapy techniques that benefits us most when it’s a practice infuses everything we do. From the simple peace of folding a piece of laundry to the quiet joy of peeling an orange, this book can help you adopt more mindful approaches to your everyday life.

2. How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis 

Private practice therapists are already squeezing so many professional tasks into each day, it’s no wonder many have trouble staying on top of everything else. In How to Keep House While Drowning, KC Davis, LPC, taps into the psychology of shame and moral judgment that so many of us place on housework, and shows us a healthier way to approach it all. This functional guide makes it easier to discover new ways to build chores into your routine and have more motivation and self-compassion along the way. Every person struggling to keep up with their messes at home needs to read this book. 

3. Simple Self-Care for Therapists by Ashley Davis Bush

An oft-recommended guide for therapists in need of more care strategies, Simple Self-Care for Therapists is a book every therapist should own. Licensed therapist Ashley Davis Bush outlines bite-sized actionable steps toward self-care that are specifically for mental health professionals. If you’re looking for self-care resources for therapists that you can come back to again and again, keep this book near you to discover fresh care ideas throughout your work week. 

4. Help for the Helper by Babette Rothschild 

The subtitle of Help for the Helper really says it all: Preventing Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma in an Ever-Changing World. Anyone working in a helping profession, like mental health professionals, will benefit from this book’s perspectives and actionable advice. Drawing from both psychology and neurophysiology, Babette Rothschild, MSW, LCSW, shows therapists new ways to care for themselves in the face of the complexities of care work and an increasingly stressful world. 

5. Beyond Self-Care for Helping Professionals by Lisa D. Hinz

In Beyond Self-Care for Helping Professionals, Lisa D. Hinz, PhD, ATR-BC, gives healthcare professionals a new approach toward caring for themselves in daily life. Hinz shows how healthcare professionals can use art therapy techniques to enrich and revitalize the foundations of their lives. This book would be an accessible part of your toolkit for fighting burnout. 

6. Creativity as Co-Therapist by Lisa Mitchell

This book on “the art of psychotherapy” shows therapists that, even if you don’t see yourself as creative, your clinical therapy work is your art form. In Creativity as Co-Therapist, Lisa Mitchell, LMFT, LPC, ATR, guides therapists through the theory and practice behind that transformative perspective. It’ll help you ask new questions to find creative solutions to your work with clients. 

7. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron 

Decades since its first release, Julia Cameron’s classic guide to artistic and spiritual awakening endures. Its basis of daily “morning pages” and weekly “artist’s dates” are at the root of a deceptively simple process of personal healing and creative discovery. This is a powerful guidebook for therapists yearning to reconnect with their creativity for their personal nourishment and/or to incorporate more creativity into their therapy practice. Whether you dedicate yourself to the whole 12-week program, or simply take what you need and leave the rest, The Artist’s Way is at its core a therapeutic art book that can bring your creative soul back to life — if you let it.

8. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

This is one of the defining books by everyone’s favorite shame researcher, Brené Brown, PhD, LMSW. The Gifts of Imperfection is a transformative tool for learning courage and worthiness as much as it is a tool for unlearning shame and unworthiness. As far as books for therapists go, this is a must-have for both yourself and your clients. Readers will get profound but accessible insights into how to cultivate personal resilience and what wholehearted living really means. 

9. Real Self-Care by Pooja Lakshmin

Too much self-care advice is rooted in consumerist culture, like all the brands out there telling us to put on a sheet mask to chill out. But psychiatrist Pooja Lakshmin, MD, flips the concept of “self-care” on its head with Real Self-Care. Lakshmin uses lessons from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help readers explore how we can truly take care of ourselves with compassion and healthy boundaries — no bubble baths necessary. 

Looking for more book recommendations? 

Check out: 71 of the Best Books for Therapists

7 of the best podcasts for therapists

Some of the best podcasts for therapists can help you explore new concepts, get practical advice, and continue to grow as professionals. Here’s our shortlist of mental health podcasts that can help you find new insights into your own mental health, while also continuing your education in how to care for others. 

1. The Abundance Practice Podcast

Host Allison Puryear, LCSW, CEDS, is passionate about helping you build your dream private practice. This podcast is full of comprehensive, useful tips on running a therapy practice. If you’re finding the business side of things overwhelming, this podcast can help you find new approaches to tackling it all. 

2. Private Practice Startup

Hosted by two LMFT private practice owners, this podcast focuses on the business aspects of building and sustaining your own therapy practice. It particularly includes some useful private practice marketing tips. 

3. The Entrepreneurial Therapist

Host and “business coach for therapists” Danielle Swimm, LCPC, has carved out a niche for herself with this podcast: The Entrepreneurial Therapist targets women therapists who are ambitious and motivated to grow as professionals. Topics include the usual suspects of a therapy practice business podcast, plus additional insights into burnout prevention and creating passive income streams.

4. Thirsty for Art

Are you an art therapist? This podcast can help you “bust through limiting beliefs that hold you back from building your dream business and making a difference in the world through art therapy.” Although it’s targeted toward art therapists, host Youhjung Son, ATR, offers practical professional growth and business tips that’ll be useful for any type of therapist. 

5. The OCD Stories

This podcast is on a mission to bring more awareness and hopeful solutions to the painful realities of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Featuring a new OCD story from a different person each episode, therapist and host Stuart Ralph and his guests explore a wide range of OCD themes and intrusive thoughts. Recommended for any therapists who want to better understand their clients’ OCD and/or struggle with it themselves. 

6. The Trauma Therapist Podcast

Through interviews with experts, Guy Macpherson provides clinicians with valuable perspectives and insights into trauma-informed client care and therapist self-care practices. If you’re a trauma therapist or want to incorporate more trauma-informed care into your work, this is the podcast for you. 

7. Therapy Chat

This podcast hosted by trauma therapist Laura Reagan, LCSW-C, explores a wide variety of topics in conversation with clinicians, researchers, and other experts. Gain insight into new-to-you mental health topics, burnout prevention, and more. 

9 online self-care resources for therapists

These totally free online mental health resources for therapists can help you find new approaches to self-care, community, and managing your work. 

1. 8 Relaxing Exercises That Will Release Tension From Your Entire Body

This compilation of relaxing stretches and yoga poses gives you the physical therapy tools to release tension throughout your day. Using a mix of text-based instruction and visual guides to each pose, these stretches are accessible ways to help release tension, improve alignment, and ground yourself. 

2. Anti-Stress Maximum Relaxation Breathing Pacer

If your meditation practice would benefit from something visual to focus on, this simple breath visualization tool can help. It’s a low-fi but customizable tool that can have a mighty impact on how you measure and notice your breaths. 

3. The Free Mindfulness Project

This collection of free downloadable resources features a variety of useful meditations. It includes mindful breathing practices, body scans, guided imagery, and more brief but effective recordings meant to help you find stress relief. 

4. 19 Creative Ways to Get a Little Self-Care Outside 

We’re often told about the mental and physical health benefits of outdoor time, but sometimes another walk around the block doesn’t feel motivating enough to prioritize in our busy days. Sound familiar? This list of creative ideas for quality time outdoors will help you find fresh, diverse ways to appreciate caring for yourself in the outdoors.

5. Prevent & Reduce Zoom Fatigue: What Can You Do About It 

The screen fatigue is real. After years of virtual meetings, hangouts, and client sessions, it’s no wonder many of us are still in search of healthier approaches to video calls. This article by Marlene Maheu, PhD, will help you breathe new life into your time in front of the screen. 

6. Positive Self-Talk Exercises 

Too often, our own brains are the ones sabotaging us as we try to navigate stress and burnout. These insights, practical therapy tools, and worksheets from the team at Positive Psychology can help you improve the ways you talk to yourself, which can positively impact your self-esteem and outlook. 

7. Therapeutic Art Lab 

Thirsty for Art podcast host Youhjung Son, ATR, has also built a nurturing resource-sharing community for art therapists, teachers, and other therapists, social workers, or counselors who want to incorporate art into their therapy practice. It’s a thriving space to get creative prompts, network with fellow professionals, ask questions, promote your services, and more. 

8. The Orchid Blog

Hello, you’re already here — but did you know about the wealth of other resources for therapists you can find on our blog? We feature the latest tips on launching, optimizing, and growing your private practice. Plus, our blog posts will equip you with insights from experts in mental healthcare and more self-care tips, while helping you keep your finger on the pulse of innovative developments in technology that can make your work (and mental health) easier to manage. 

9. How to Start a Peer Support Group for Therapists

Speaking of Orchid, we’re more than just a platform for 1-on-1 therapy practices. Professionals can also use Orchid to run support groups for clients or fellow clinicians. Peer support groups can be particularly fulfilling outlets for self-care and community care in the mental health profession. Check out our guide to learn more about how to start your own peer support group. 

Looking for more ongoing self-care practices? 

Check out: Self-Care for Therapists | 9 Daily Wellness Tips

FAQ | Resources for Therapists

Why are self-care resources essential for therapists? 

Therapists often face the psychological toll of supporting others, leading to issues like moral injury and burnout. Prioritizing self-care is crucial for resilience and work-life balance, enabling therapists to navigate the challenges of their profession more effectively. Mental health resources like those found in this blog post are essential to that process.

How might the mental health resources shared here help me as a therapist?

This guide provides a variety of self-care resources that can help. They cover diverse topics to support therapists in cultivating work-life balance, personal fulfillment, and effective self-care practices, as well as business advice for helping you manage your private practice. 

What books for therapists do you recommend for therapist self-care? 

• The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
• How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis
• Simple Self-Care for Therapists by Ashley Davis Bush
• Help for the Helper by Babette Rothschild
• Beyond Self-Care for Helping Professionals by Lisa D. Hinz
• Creativity as Co-Therapist by Lisa Mitchell
• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
• Real Self-Care by Pooja Lakshmin

What are some of the best podcasts for therapists looking to expand their therapeutic knowledge and self-care practices?

• The Abundance Practice Podcast
• Private Practice Startup
• The Entrepreneurial Therapist
• Thirsty for Art
• The OCD Stories
• The Trauma Therapist Podcast
• Therapy Chat

What free online mental health resources for therapists can help me with self-care? 

• Tension-relieving exercises for relaxation
• Anti-Stress Maximum Relaxation Breathing Pacer
• Mindful meditation downloads
• Creative ways to get self-care outdoors
• Tips to prevent and reduce Zoom fatigue
• Positive self-talk exercises
• Therapeutic Art Lab
• The Orchid Blog
• How to Start a Peer Support Group for Therapists

Orchid is the ultimate time-saving self-care resource for therapists. 

Orchid is an innovative all-in-one EHR platform designed for mental health professionals to run their private practices. We offer time-saving features such as online scheduling, billing automation, and AI-powered clinical progress notes. By streamlining administrative tasks, Orchid helps therapists like you regain time for self-care, which helps to prevent burnout and promote a healthier work-life balance.