E1: The Story She Couldn’t Silence

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🎙️ 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