September 30, 2025 • 42 mins
In this special episode, host Dr. Julie Merriman, PhD shares the story behind Soul Joy and why she’s on a mission to help advanced-degree women in healthcare and helping professions reclaim their energy, purpose, and joy.
With over three decades of experience as a counselor educator, professor, author, and burnout researcher, Julie has witnessed a growing crisis: brilliant women with master’s and doctoral degrees quietly burning out despite outward success.
She opens up about her own midlife crossroads, the perimenopause challenges no one talks about, and the evidence-based strategies that inspired her signature program—the Soul Joy Method.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Why traditional burnout solutions fail highly educated women
- How nervous-system science reveals the real path to recovery
- The four research-backed protective factors that actually work
- A hopeful truth: you’re not broken—you’re overwhelmed, and your best chapter is still coming
Call to Action
🌟 Share with an advanced-degreed friend.
🌟Leave a review!
🌟 Ready to reclaim your energy and design a career—and a life—that excites you again?
👉 Schedule your FREE 20-minute Soul Joy Consultation with Dr. Julie today.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hey y'all.
Dr.
Merriman here.
Before we dive in, I need toshare some important stuff going
on here at Souljoy.
We are pivoting.
So beginning with this episode,and I believe this is episode
48, if y'all can believe it.
Two seasons, 48.
(00:20):
This is starting season three,episode one.
But beginning with this episode,our focus, our focus is laser
sharp.
And that's what's happening.
I'm evolving, I'm sharpening myfocus.
And the focus is, my loves,women over 40, probably over 50,
definitely over 60.
(00:43):
Those of us in the healthcareindustry, physicians,
counselors, therapists, nurses,social workers, advanced
practice clinicians, all of uswho hold advanced degrees,
masters, and beyond.
And those of us that researchshows are drowning in birth, in
(01:08):
burnout.
So why the pivot, you might ask?
Because, y'all, the crisis isreal.
This isn't about being tired.
It isn't about needing a bettermorning routine.
It's a professional andbiological storm that
(01:28):
traditional solutions arecompletely missing.
So, my brilliant advanced degreesisters, this season, this
podcast is for you.
I have hit the books, I lovebooks, I've hit the research,
(01:48):
I'm a researcher, I loveresearch.
I'm bringing to you research,lived experience, and
evidence-based strategiesdesigned specifically for the
unique pressures you, my dear,face.
So let's start with a littledata and the truth about why the
(02:09):
old advice simply fails us.
Those of us in thesehigh-demand, highly educated
positions, why traditionaladvice fails us.
Y'all, I was stopped in mytracks this week when
researching this pivot I've beenpreparing for y'all.
And I just have to share withyou what I learned.
(02:33):
I was reviewing the latestresearch on burnout, something I
do religiously because frankly,I see you struggling every day
in my DMs, my emails, when I runinto colleagues at college at
colleges, at conferences, outand about.
See, the George WashingtonUniversity, not the George
(02:54):
Washington University justreleased findings from the first
comprehensive worldwide study onwomen in healthcare professions.
That's right, the first in womenon women in healthcare
professions.
And here's what made my heartsink.
(03:15):
Y'all, 82% of employees are nowat risk of burnout.
82%.
But here's what really got meand why I'm talking directly to
you today, my brilliant advanceddegree sisters who are listening
(03:36):
while commuting to jobs whereeveryone expects you to have all
the answers.
This isn't just about beingtired.
This isn't about needing a spaday or a better morning routine.
This is about a crisis that'sspecifically affecting women
(03:56):
with advanced degrees in waysthat traditional burnout
solutions completely miss.
So today we're making thatpivot.
We're talking about whyeverything you've been told
about preventing burnout iswrong if you're highly educated,
(04:19):
if you're a woman, and if you'rea woman highly educated in a
helping profession.
And I'm going to share whatactually works.
That's what this podcast isgoing to be about.
Today I'm talking aboutsomething very specific, but
every week I'm going to roll outsome hot topics off research and
hot science-backed strategies,excuse me, that will help you
(04:43):
because y'all are a uniquebreed.
You're women, yes.
You're in midlife, yes.
You're highly educated, andyou're in very high demand
professions.
So today we're talking abouteverything you've been told,
right?
(05:03):
And why it's wrong.
Because for you, specificallybeing a very highly educated
woman in a helping profession.
And I'm going to share whatactually works.
Because I've spent the lastthree decades figuring this out,
both for myself, if you read mybook Souljoy, you'll see how I
(05:24):
crash and burned.
But more specifically, forhundreds, if not thousands, if
not millions, of women just likeyou.
I'm Dr.
Julie Merriman, and this isSouljoy.
(06:00):
All right.
Welcome back to Souljoy.
I'm excited too.
I am going to also have hired aneditor for the podcast.
So I think the intros will be alittle smoother and the outros
will be a little smoother.
I'm excited about that.
We're we're stepping up, ladies.
We're stepping up.
So welcome back to Souljoy, thepodcast for accomplished women
(06:24):
in helping professions who areready to reclaim their energy,
their purpose, and their joy.
And I'm your host, Dr.
Julie Merriman, a PhD preparedcounselor with 30 years in the
trenches of helping others, aprofessor, an author, and
someone who learned the hard waythat our advanced degrees don't
(06:47):
protect us from burning out.
They actually can make it worse,sadly.
If you're new here, welcome.
If you've been with me for awhile, you know we don't do
surface-level self-care tips.
Not here.
We go deep into real challengesfacing women like us.
(07:08):
Okay, so today let's talk alittle bit about um what's going
on, the research reality.
So let's start with somethingnear and dear to my heart.
Um research.
(07:30):
You know, that's what's near anddear to my heart, the research.
Because as advanced degreeholders, we need evidence, not
just platitudes.
The George Washington UniversitySchool of Medicine, as I said,
just published the mostcomprehensive study ever done on
women in healthcare professions.
Y'all, they analyzed 71 studiesfrom 26 countries for over four
(07:56):
decades.
The study went over fourdecades.
And what they found, y'allreally should be a wake-up call
for us.
What they found, I have to sayit again, it has to be a wake-up
call for us, for every femalephysician, psychologist,
clinical social worker,counselor, nurse practitioner
(08:17):
listening to this.
This is your wake-up call.
Women in healthcare facesignificantly higher burnout
rates than our male colleagues.
But here's what hit mepersonally.
They found out that women areoften assigned to patients with
more complex medical problems.
How interesting is that?
(08:38):
Does that sound familiar though?
The difficult cases?
The ones nobody else wants tohandle?
Because you have the expertise,you have that cutting edge.
They give them to you.
You have the experience.
Because you're so good athandling the tough ones, you
keep getting the tough ones.
(09:00):
But here's what nobody talksabout in graduate school, in
medical school, in advancedschooling.
Handling complex, complicatedcases takes more emotional
energy, it takes more time, moreof everything.
And healthcore healthcaresettings, they reward speed, not
(09:23):
depth of care.
Now I want you to think aboutyour own experience.
How many times this week wereyou on were you the one called
in for a difficult case?
How many times did someone say,Hey, can you handle this?
(09:45):
You're so good with thesesituations.
See, you're at the point in yourcareer, you're you're not that
beginner anymore.
You've got some some years ofexperience under your belt.
So you're being called in evenmore as midlife women with
advanced degrees in thehealthcare profession.
You're being called more in morefor these complex, complicated
(10:07):
situations because you've shownyou can handle them.
But here's the kicker.
The research found that whenwomen wear scrubs in hospitals,
people assume they're nurses.
Even if they're the attendingphysician.
Or maybe you're walking aroundyour counseling office and
(10:29):
someone assumes you're thesecretary, or maybe wherever you
are, they don't assume you're inthe position you're in.
When you're in your office, docolleagues assume you're the
assistant rather than thedoctor?
This isn't about individualresilience anymore, y'all.
This isn't about yoga and bubblebaths.
(10:51):
This isn't about systemic issuesthat are literally, well, excuse
me, this is, let's back thatboat up.
This is about systemic issuesthat are literally making us
sick.
You, me, her, look around you.
Look around those ladies youwork with, look around those 40
(11:12):
somethings, 50 somethings, 60somethings.
Look deep in their eyes.
What do you see?
See, I remember, I guess about15 years ago.
Um maybe I was about 10.
No, 15 years into my career.
(11:33):
Yeah.
Um probably around 45, I was thego-to person in my department
for the most challenging cases.
I thought it was a compliment.
I really did.
I thought, wow, I I've I'm nolonger the greenhorn, right?
I thought it meant I wassucceeding.
But y'all, when I'm true grithonest, and if you read my book
(11:56):
and you've listened to thispodcast, you know I like that.
That's who I am.
What you see is what you get.
I was exhausted in a way thatsleep could not fix.
I was irritable with my familyin ways that scared me, and I
was starting to dread work forthe first time in my career.
(12:20):
The breaking point came when Irealized I was giving my best
clinical insights to everyoneelse.
Listen to me, to everyone else,but completely ignoring my own
emotional needs.
Hear that again.
Giving my best clinical insightsto everyone else, but ignoring
(12:43):
myself and my own emotionalneeds.
I could spot depression, I couldspot anxiety and burnout in my
clients, my students, thecounselors I supervised from a
mile away.
But I was walking around infull-blown compassion fatigue
and telling myself it was justpart of the job.
(13:06):
And y'all, that's when Irealized we need different
solutions.
And if you read my book inpursuit of soul joy, I start
there, but I want you to knowthis journey continues.
So why I want to talk next aboutwhy traditional burnout
(13:27):
solutions fail us.
Midlife, advanced degree, healthcare providers.
Here's why most burnout advicedoesn't work for us.
And the George Washington studybacks this up perfectly.
Most burnout prevention programsare designed for the general
(13:51):
population.
But we're not the generalpopulation.
Y'all, we're women with lots oflife under our belt.
I mean, I'm I'm at the I'm in my60s, uh, probably gonna be doing
this into my 70s, and God helpme beyond.
But we are not the generalpopulation.
We're women with master'sdegrees, PhDs, CIDs, clinical
(14:14):
doctorates, advanced nursingdegrees, MDs.
We've spent years, sometimesdecades, in advanced training.
We carry professional licensesthat require continuing
education, supervision, ethicalresponsibilities that keep us up
(14:36):
at night.
The research identified fourspecific protective factors that
actually work for women such asourselves in the positions we
carry.
So I invite you to listen tothese very carefully.
So big deep breath, open up somespace, perk up those ears.
(14:59):
Here's the protective factorsthe research showed works for
us.
First, a supportive and flexiblework environment.
Not work-life balance, work-lifeintegration.
Not work-life balance, work-lifeintegration, which requires
(15:20):
support and flexibility.
Because work isn't just a job,right?
I mean, you don't spend as manyyears as we spent in college to
call what we do just a job.
Our work is a calling thatrequires our emotional
investment.
Second, access.
(15:40):
Well, I want to back up just aminute.
Let's go back to one.
Supportive, flexible workenvironment.
I just want you to embrace allthe years that you spent getting
to where you are right now.
All the sacrifices, all the latenight studying, when other
friends were maybe going to dofun things, we had our nose
(16:01):
stuck in the books, all the umjust trying to get into certain
schools, trying to keep thegrades up, just what it took to
get to where we are today, andwhat it's taken to keep us where
we are today.
Think about looking at thatthrough the lens of work-life
(16:24):
integration via supportive andflexible work environments.
Okay.
Second, access to professionaldevelopment.
I'm not talking about genericwellness seminars, but actual
opportunities to grow in waysthat honor our intellectual
(16:46):
capabilities and professionalaspirations.
I don't know about you, but itfor me, it was very hard to find
a therapist that could challengeme in the therapy room because
I've been doing this a longtime.
I'm at a very advanced level ofdoing this, and I wasted my
time.
(17:07):
I'm not dissing anyone.
I love them, and I'm just beinghonest here.
At the level I was at, it wasvery hard to find a therapist
that could match that and thengo above.
I did, of course I did.
But this is what I'm talkingabout with access to
professional development.
Y'all come into this with somuch education, so much
(17:29):
experience.
You you don't need just ageneric take a bubble bath kind
of seminar.
You need something that's goingto intellectually stimulate you
while supporting you and helpingyou, you know, with your
professional aspirations.
You've done so much with yourlife.
(17:52):
You have broken glass ceilingsfor so many people.
You are saving lives, you'rechanging lives, and your access
to professional developmentlooks different from someone who
isn't at the level of educationyou're at.
So I just invite you to thinkabout that as you think about
where you're going to spend yourdollars on professional
(18:13):
development.
I don't know about you, but I'vespent some dollars and gone in
and gone, uh, okay.
You know, just been verydisappointed because I was not
intellectually stimulated atall.
It was, um, I could have toldthem the next thing they were
gonna say at times.
So um I I say that with love.
Uh I just invite you to thinkabout the level of your training
(18:34):
and what you need to beintellectually stimulated for
develop professionaldevelopment.
Third, supportive relationships.
Yeah, this is key.
With people, see, thesesupportive relationships need to
be with people who understandthe weight that we carry
professionally.
It it's it's and I'm sure you'vegone back to high school
(18:58):
reunions and people are in aweof what all you've managed to
accomplish with your life.
Um, and that that's very kind.
But when you look at surroundingyourself with supportive
relationships, they need to berelationships who get that heavy
burden that you carry with thepatients that you serve.
(19:19):
It's, you know, that's it's anhonor that we get to do that,
but there's a burden that comeswith that, and we need to be
surrounded by folks who get itso that can hold space for us
and help us be seen and validatejust how that feels.
And fourth, intentionalmindfulness practices that are
(19:40):
designed for professionals whocan't just turn off their
helping nature.
It's who you are.
You spent far too longdeveloping this profession to
turn it off.
It's who you are.
Just it's your veritable soul,it's who you are.
So you need a mindfulnesspractice that really gets in
(20:03):
there to help you try to managethat peace of your soul and
nurture that helping nature thatyou have.
Okay, ladies.
My highly degreed sisters,notice what's not on that list.
(20:26):
Individual self-care.
Meditation apps.
Although I love those, we're notgonna diss those, we're not
gonna throw self-care out withthe the baby with the bathwater,
right?
Essential oils, they have theirplace, but it's not everything
you need.
And time management tips.
You could probably write a bookon that.
That's how you've managed yourlife.
(20:48):
That's not on this list.
Because the problem isn't thatyou don't know how to make how
to take care of yourself.
You damn well do.
You do it for others.
The problem is that you'refunctioning in systems that
weren't designed with highlyeducated helpers in mind.
(21:11):
The research shows that 47.2% ofwomen physicians are
experiencing burnout symptomscompared to only 38% of men.
That's not because women areweaker or less resilient, that's
not at all what that means.
It's because we're navigatingadditional stressors that our
(21:33):
beloved male colleagues simplydon't face.
And if, my love, you happen toadd in perioperause,
perimenopause.
Oh, my tongue didn't even wantto say it.
Um, if you add perimenopauseinto this mix, which affects
(21:55):
most of us listening who areover 40, you've got a perfect
storm that traditional burnoutprograms don't even acknowledge,
let alone address.
So I've got a personal storythat I want to share with you.
That, well, I do talk about mypersonal stories a lot.
(22:18):
Hell, I wrote a book about it,but here's a personal story I
want to share.
About 10 years ago, y'all, I wassitting in my office between
clients, and I had a moment ofpanic.
Not clinical panic, professionalpanic.
Y'all, I looked at my scheduleand I realized I had another 20
(22:41):
years of this ahead of me.
And honestly, I didn't know if Icould do it.
The same old day in, day outgrind, get up at 5 a.m., go on
to exercise, do this, do that,work until 9 p.m., get up, do it
again, you know, rinse andrepeat.
With I with no joy scheduledinto my life.
(23:01):
And you'll hear me say a lot, wegot to schedule joy in.
Once we add shit in, joy that welove in, it's gonna take care of
the a lot of things.
But anyway, I looked at mycalendar, had a panic moment of
can I do this for another 20years?
I had a very, I had everyexternal marker of success at
(23:24):
that point in my life.
Established practice, respectfrom colleagues, financial
security, um, and other things Icould go on.
But I felt empty in a way thatterrified me.
And the scariest part, I feltguilty for feeling empty because
(23:44):
I had worked so hard to get towhere I was.
That's when I realized that we,y'all, me, us, as advanced
degree women helpers, face aunique form of burnout that
nobody's talking about.
(24:05):
I call it accomplished woman'sburnout.
You've achieved everything youset out to achieve, but the cost
has been higher than youexpected.
Now you're dealing withperimenopause.
I'm doing it again,perimenopause.
Symptoms that nobody warned youabout in grad school, hot
(24:27):
flashes during client sessions,brain fog when you need to be
sharp, mood changes that affectyour professional confidence for
the first time in decades.
You're managing aging parentswhile trying to maintain your
professional edge.
You're trying to figure out howto be a grandma and deal with
the, you know, facing that emptynest, wondering who you are
(24:52):
behind beyond mom and doctor,and the one that everyone comes
to for help.
You've got an old dichotomy ofbeing mom raising kids.
Well, first trying to getthrough school, mom raising
kids, and now mom, kids areleaving the nest, parents are
(25:12):
aging, a marriage that maybe youtook care of, maybe you didn't,
that now it's just you and him,or her.
I mean, we can look at it allkinds of ways.
But here's the thing that reallygets to me.
You're probably still trying tosolve this problem, the way you
(25:36):
solve everything else, bythinking your way through it, by
reading more research, by tryingharder.
Sweet soul.
This isn't a problem that moreinformation can solve.
This isn't a transformation thatrequires a completely well, let
(26:04):
me reword that.
This is my friend, my highlydegreed, brilliant friend.
This is a transformation, a newone that requires a completely
different approach.
What you were used before, I'mgonna think through this, I'm
gonna research this, I'm justgonna try harder by God.
(26:28):
That's not gonna be what getsyou through this.
So drum rolls.
I can't do a drum roll here, sopretend like you heard a drum
roll.
Drum roll and this is exactlywhat I was thinking about when I
(26:54):
created the soul joy method.
So I'm gonna do just a bit ofinformation here because this is
really important, and I careabout you, and it's important to
me that you know all about this.
So first, I want to tell youabout this because the women
(27:25):
going through this program rightnow are getting results that
frankly surprised even me.
So, this is all about the SoulJoy Method that I've recently
launched and created, and I'mexcited to tell you about some
of the results I'm seeing.
(27:45):
So, the Soul Joy Method is a12-week transformation program
designed specifically for womenwith advanced degrees and
helping professions who areexperiencing what we just talked
about.
This is not another wellnessprogram.
I talk about wellness, but it'snot another wellness program.
This isn't a life coachingprogram.
(28:07):
This is a doctoral levelguidance for women who need
solutions as sophisticated asthey are.
And here's what makes itdifferent.
First, it's designed by someonewho's been exactly where you
are, close to where you are.
I struggle to say exactlybecause we're all different
people and we have differentexperiences, but I've been
(28:30):
there.
I'm a PhD-prepared counselorwith 30 years in the helping
profession.
I've lived through perimenopausewhile maintaining a practice.
I've navigated empty nest whilerebuilding my professional
identity.
I know what it's like to haveeveryone assume you have all the
answers when you're privatelystruggling like hell.
(28:54):
Second, y'all, it addresses thefour research-backed protective
factors I mentioned earlier, butin ways specifically tailored
for our unique challenges.
The program follows four pillfour pillars over 12 weeks.
(29:15):
So weeks one through three arereclaim your energy, and it
isn't about sleep hygiene,although we do cover that.
It's about understanding whyboundary setting is different
when you hold an advanced degreeand everyone expects you to be
available.
It's about managingperimenopause symptoms in
professional settings.
(29:35):
It's about creating sustainableenergy reserves when you when
your work requires deepemotional investment.
Sound familiar?
Weeks four through six arerediscover your purpose.
And this is where we do the deepwork around identity.
I struggle with that one bigtime, especially when the boys
(29:57):
left and mmm.
I mean my boys are still here,but um you know, emptiness.
They went on to do their ownlives, which they needed to.
That's what they're supposed todo.
But we're gonna look at identityand we're gonna look at who you
are beyond your role as a helperand an expert and a caretaker,
and what happens when your kidsleave and your parents need more
(30:20):
care, and when you're leftwondering what's next, or God
forbid, such as I experiencedduring this, your husband gets
some kind of brain cancer or youget breast cancer, and how that
kind of throws a um a monkeywrench into your identity.
We do actual exercises touncover parts of yourself you
(30:42):
have forgotten existed.
And then week seven throughnine, we reinvent your
relationships.
Your relationships are differentfrom when you well, they're
different when you hold anadvanced degree.
Family members expect you to betheir therapists, colleagues
make assumptions about what youcan handle.
We work on creatingrelationships that energize you
(31:05):
rather than drain you, includinglearning how to connect with
peers who understand your levelof training.
And then in weeks 10 through 12,we re-ignite your joy.
This is where the magic happens.
Once you've reclaimed yourenergy, rediscovered your
purpose, and reinvented yourrelationships, we design what
(31:29):
comes next.
This might be a career pivot,might be finding a new passion
in your current work, but it'sintentional and it's
sustainable.
But here's what I'm most proudof about this program.
The women who go through itdon't just survive their 40s,
(31:50):
50s, 60s, and beyond.
They thrive in ways they neverexpected.
Okay.
So let me share just a couple ofstories from our last cohort.
Uh, Dr.
Jennifer, a side D.
She has 15 years of experiencein private practice, and she
(32:10):
told me, I thought I had it allfigured out, but at 47, I was
burning out fast and questioningeverything.
Your program helped me rememberwhy I love this work while
creating boundaries.
I never learned in graduateschool.
I'm thriving again, not justsurviving.
(32:32):
Go, Jennifer.
And then Dr.
Carmen was so sweet to sharewith me her experience.
And Dr.
Car Carmen is a psydee.
Uh, excuse me, she is a DSW,doctorate in social work.
And she said she felt stuck inadministration.
Uh DSDs are often at the collegelevel, or you know, they're
(32:55):
running running something.
But she says after 25 years as aclinical social worker, I felt
stuck.
The Soul Joy method helped metransition back to direct
practice with a renewed sense ofpurpose.
My advanced degree finally feelslike an asset, not a burden.
(33:16):
Go, ladies, go.
Okay.
Now I want to be clear aboutsomething.
The program isn't cheap.
Y'all know as highly degreed,highly skilled professional
women, the good stuff isn'tcheap.
It's$3,497, and there's a reasonfor that.
(33:40):
You're getting 12 weeks ofdirect access to a doctoral
level person for guidance.
A compreh and not only guidance,the program that I've created,
you're getting a comprehensive120-page workbook.
I mean, it's not a burdenworkbook.
(34:00):
There's lots of yummy stuff inthere.
You get ongoing communitysupport, you get monthly
masterclasses, and quarterlyoffice hours with me personally.
But more than that, you'regetting solutions designed by
someone who understands theintersection of advanced
education, helping professiondemands, and midlife
(34:21):
transitions, because I've livedit, I've studied it, and I've
helped hundreds of womennavigate it successfully.
Okay, so we only take about 10women per cohort because I've
got to be able to give youindividualized attention.
Because this level oftransformation requires
intimate, personalizedattention.
(34:43):
Our next cohort starts inNovember, and we're already
halfway full, which is great.
That's exciting.
But I need to tell yousomething, and I hope you'll
hear this with the compassion Iintend.
If you're listening andrecognizing yourself and what
(35:04):
I'm describing, waiting isn'tgoing to make it easier.
Okay?
You've waited long enough.
The research is clear, theburnout crisis is getting worse,
not better, and the solutionsthat work for us are not the
solutions that work for otherpeople.
(35:26):
They aren't designed for womenlike us.
Y'all, I was talking to agirlfriend last week who's been
struggling with burnout, I don'tknow, for several several years,
maybe three.
She keeps saying she's going todo something about it when
things slow down.
Just like you're going to have ababy when the time is right.
(35:48):
But you know as well as I dothat things don't slow down in
helping professions.
There's always another crisis,another client who needs you,
another committee that needsyour expertise.
What if I told you that thewoman or women in our last
cohort were reportingsignificant improvements in
(36:11):
energy and clarity within thefirst month?
What if I told you that by monththree, they were describing
their lives completelytransformed?
Here's what one participant toldme just last week.
I didn't realize how much I'daccepted burnout as just a part
of my life until I wasn't burnedout anymore.
(36:34):
I feel like myself again, but abetter version.
Okay, listen, I get it.
You're skeptical.
And this is a little differentpodcast.
I don't spend a whole podcasttalking like this.
We'll get back to regular formatnext week.
This is just our pivot, ourtransitional podcast.
I want you to be very clearabout who I am, who I'm serving,
(36:57):
and what I can do for you.
I get it.
You're skeptical.
You've tried things before.
You might be thinking, I don'thave time for a 12-week program.
Been there, done that, getcha.
But I want you to consider this.
How much time, oh sweet friend,how much time are you losing to
(37:18):
exhaustion, to decision fatigue,to that mental fog that makes
everything take twice as long.
The women who join this programdon't just survive their 40s,
50s, 60s, and beyond.
They discover that their best,say this with a smile, their
best chapters are still ahead ofthem.
(37:41):
They design careers thatenergize them rather than drain
them.
They create relationships thatsupport rather than deplete
them.
And they wake up excited abouttheir lives again.
And here's something I don'talways share, but I'm going to
share this with you.
I wish so much that this programhad existed when I was going
(38:05):
through my own burnout crisis.
Read the book.
And I was probably around 45when that hit.
I spent five years figuring outwhat these women learn in 12
weeks.
I don't want you to spend twoyears of your life trying to
reinvent the wheel when there'sa clear path forward.
So here's what I want you to do.
(38:28):
Go to Julie Merriman PhD,www.julie Merriman PhD, and
schedule a free 20-minuteconsultation with me.
We'll see if it's a good fit ornot.
Y'all, this isn't with myassistant.
It's not with a salesperson.
It's with me.
And I want to talk about whereyou are right now and if you
(38:51):
think this program is right foryou.
And if it's not right for you,I'm going to tell you that too.
Because I'm not wasting anyone'stime.
This only work, this work onlysucceeds when we're working with
the right people at the righttime.
Okay.
So that's over on my website.
I've got my schedule set up.
(39:12):
Just grab an appointment.
And there's a little applicationyou do have to fill out because,
again, we want to make sure it'sthe right fit, right?
So I do invite you to hop overthere.
Those spots go fast.
I really would like to visitwith you.
So, beautiful, brilliant women,before we wrap up today, I want
(39:32):
to leave you with this thought.
You didn't earn your advanceddegree to feel this burned out
or burned out at all.
You didn't spend years intraining to dread Monday
mornings.
You did not become a helper tofeel empty.
The research is showing us thatthe solutions we need exist.
(39:54):
They're just different from whatwe've been told.
They require understanding theunique challenges we face as
highly educated women in helpingprofessions.
Your next chapter doesn't haveto look like your last chapter.
The skills that got you here canbe, have fun as that, can be
(40:16):
redirected toward creating alife that honors both your
professional expertise and yourprofessional well-being.
So in the next weeks, y'all,we're going, we're diving deep
into perimenopause and careerperformance and all kinds of
juicy topics.
(40:36):
And something that the somethingthe research mentions but isn't
fully explored, and that'sperimenopause and career
performance.
Those things can kind of clash,but we're going to go into other
things too.
I'll be sharing strategies I'vedeveloped specifically for
maintaining professionalconfidence, especially during
(40:57):
hormonal transitions.
And that's those hormones.
But they sure can r uh causesome havoc.
Oh, so okay.
So if you love this podcast andit's helping you make sense of
your experience, and I know thisis the first one on the pivot,
and I spent a lot of timetalking about Soul Joy method,
(41:19):
but I think that's importantthat you ladies know that's
there for you.
But I my goal is for you to lovethis podcast.
And I want you to feel like it'shelping you make sense of your
experience.
And when that happens, pleaseleave me a review.
It helps other accomplishedwomen find us.
And honestly, it helps me knowif I'm on the right track.
(41:41):
And remember, you've spentdecades caring for everyone
else.
It's time to apply that samelevel of expertise to caring for
yourself.
Okay, friends, until next week,I'm Dr.
Julie Merriman, reminding youthat your education prepared you
to help others.
Now it's time to help yourself.
(42:04):
This is Souljoy.
Hey y'all.
Dr.
Merriman here.
Before we dive in, I need toshare some important stuff going
on here at Souljoy.
We are pivoting.
So beginning with this episode,and I believe this is episode
48, if y'all can believe it.
Two seasons, 48.
(00:20):
This is starting season three,episode one.
But beginning with this episode,our focus, our focus is laser
sharp.
And that's what's happening.
I'm evolving, I'm sharpening myfocus.
And the focus is, my loves,women over 40, probably over 50,
definitely over 60.
(00:43):
Those of us in the healthcareindustry, physicians,
counselors, therapists, nurses,social workers, advanced
practice clinicians, all of uswho hold advanced degrees,
masters, and beyond.
And those of us that researchshows are drowning in birth, in
(01:08):
burnout.
So why the pivot, you might ask?
Because, y'all, the crisis isreal.
This isn't about being tired.
It isn't about needing a bettermorning routine.
It's a professional andbiological storm that
(01:28):
traditional solutions arecompletely missing.
So, my brilliant advanced degreesisters, this season, this
podcast is for you.
I have hit the books, I lovebooks, I've hit the research,
(01:48):
I'm a researcher, I loveresearch.
I'm bringing to you research,lived experience, and
evidence-based strategiesdesigned specifically for the
unique pressures you, my dear,face.
So let's start with a littledata and the truth about why the
(02:09):
old advice simply fails us.
Those of us in thesehigh-demand, highly educated
positions, why traditionaladvice fails us.
Y'all, I was stopped in mytracks this week when
researching this pivot I've beenpreparing for y'all.
And I just have to share withyou what I learned.
(02:33):
I was reviewing the latestresearch on burnout, something I
do religiously because frankly,I see you struggling every day
in my DMs, my emails, when I runinto colleagues at college at
colleges, at conferences, outand about.
See, the George WashingtonUniversity, not the George
(02:54):
Washington University justreleased findings from the first
comprehensive worldwide study onwomen in healthcare professions.
That's right, the first in womenon women in healthcare
professions.
And here's what made my heartsink.
(03:15):
Y'all, 82% of employees are nowat risk of burnout.
82%.
But here's what really got meand why I'm talking directly to
you today, my brilliant advanceddegree sisters who are listening
(03:36):
while commuting to jobs whereeveryone expects you to have all
the answers.
This isn't just about beingtired.
This isn't about needing a spaday or a better morning routine.
This is about a crisis that'sspecifically affecting women
(03:56):
with advanced degrees in waysthat traditional burnout
solutions completely miss.
So today we're making thatpivot.
We're talking about whyeverything you've been told
about preventing burnout iswrong if you're highly educated,
(04:19):
if you're a woman, and if you'rea woman highly educated in a
helping profession.
And I'm going to share whatactually works.
That's what this podcast isgoing to be about.
Today I'm talking aboutsomething very specific, but
every week I'm going to roll outsome hot topics off research and
hot science-backed strategies,excuse me, that will help you
(04:43):
because y'all are a uniquebreed.
You're women, yes.
You're in midlife, yes.
You're highly educated, andyou're in very high demand
professions.
So today we're talking abouteverything you've been told,
right?
(05:03):
And why it's wrong.
Because for you, specificallybeing a very highly educated
woman in a helping profession.
And I'm going to share whatactually works.
Because I've spent the lastthree decades figuring this out,
both for myself, if you read mybook Souljoy, you'll see how I
(05:24):
crash and burned.
But more specifically, forhundreds, if not thousands, if
not millions, of women just likeyou.
I'm Dr.
Julie Merriman, and this isSouljoy.
(06:00):
All right.
Welcome back to Souljoy.
I'm excited too.
I am going to also have hired aneditor for the podcast.
So I think the intros will be alittle smoother and the outros
will be a little smoother.
I'm excited about that.
We're we're stepping up, ladies.
We're stepping up.
So welcome back to Souljoy, thepodcast for accomplished women
(06:24):
in helping professions who areready to reclaim their energy,
their purpose, and their joy.
And I'm your host, Dr.
Julie Merriman, a PhD preparedcounselor with 30 years in the
trenches of helping others, aprofessor, an author, and
someone who learned the hard waythat our advanced degrees don't
(06:47):
protect us from burning out.
They actually can make it worse,sadly.
If you're new here, welcome.
If you've been with me for awhile, you know we don't do
surface-level self-care tips.
Not here.
We go deep into real challengesfacing women like us.
(07:08):
Okay, so today let's talk alittle bit about um what's going
on, the research reality.
So let's start with somethingnear and dear to my heart.
Um research.
(07:30):
You know, that's what's near anddear to my heart, the research.
Because as advanced degreeholders, we need evidence, not
just platitudes.
The George Washington UniversitySchool of Medicine, as I said,
just published the mostcomprehensive study ever done on
women in healthcare professions.
Y'all, they analyzed 71 studiesfrom 26 countries for over four
(07:56):
decades.
The study went over fourdecades.
And what they found, y'allreally should be a wake-up call
for us.
What they found, I have to sayit again, it has to be a wake-up
call for us, for every femalephysician, psychologist,
clinical social worker,counselor, nurse practitioner
(08:17):
listening to this.
This is your wake-up call.
Women in healthcare facesignificantly higher burnout
rates than our male colleagues.
But here's what hit mepersonally.
They found out that women areoften assigned to patients with
more complex medical problems.
How interesting is that?
(08:38):
Does that sound familiar though?
The difficult cases?
The ones nobody else wants tohandle?
Because you have the expertise,you have that cutting edge.
They give them to you.
You have the experience.
Because you're so good athandling the tough ones, you
keep getting the tough ones.
(09:00):
But here's what nobody talksabout in graduate school, in
medical school, in advancedschooling.
Handling complex, complicatedcases takes more emotional
energy, it takes more time, moreof everything.
And healthcore healthcaresettings, they reward speed, not
(09:23):
depth of care.
Now I want you to think aboutyour own experience.
How many times this week wereyou on were you the one called
in for a difficult case?
How many times did someone say,Hey, can you handle this?
(09:45):
You're so good with thesesituations.
See, you're at the point in yourcareer, you're you're not that
beginner anymore.
You've got some some years ofexperience under your belt.
So you're being called in evenmore as midlife women with
advanced degrees in thehealthcare profession.
You're being called more in morefor these complex, complicated
(10:07):
situations because you've shownyou can handle them.
But here's the kicker.
The research found that whenwomen wear scrubs in hospitals,
people assume they're nurses.
Even if they're the attendingphysician.
Or maybe you're walking aroundyour counseling office and
(10:29):
someone assumes you're thesecretary, or maybe wherever you
are, they don't assume you're inthe position you're in.
When you're in your office, docolleagues assume you're the
assistant rather than thedoctor?
This isn't about individualresilience anymore, y'all.
This isn't about yoga and bubblebaths.
(10:51):
This isn't about systemic issuesthat are literally, well, excuse
me, this is, let's back thatboat up.
This is about systemic issuesthat are literally making us
sick.
You, me, her, look around you.
Look around those ladies youwork with, look around those 40
(11:12):
somethings, 50 somethings, 60somethings.
Look deep in their eyes.
What do you see?
See, I remember, I guess about15 years ago.
Um maybe I was about 10.
No, 15 years into my career.
(11:33):
Yeah.
Um probably around 45, I was thego-to person in my department
for the most challenging cases.
I thought it was a compliment.
I really did.
I thought, wow, I I've I'm nolonger the greenhorn, right?
I thought it meant I wassucceeding.
But y'all, when I'm true grithonest, and if you read my book
(11:56):
and you've listened to thispodcast, you know I like that.
That's who I am.
What you see is what you get.
I was exhausted in a way thatsleep could not fix.
I was irritable with my familyin ways that scared me, and I
was starting to dread work forthe first time in my career.
(12:20):
The breaking point came when Irealized I was giving my best
clinical insights to everyoneelse.
Listen to me, to everyone else,but completely ignoring my own
emotional needs.
Hear that again.
Giving my best clinical insightsto everyone else, but ignoring
(12:43):
myself and my own emotionalneeds.
I could spot depression, I couldspot anxiety and burnout in my
clients, my students, thecounselors I supervised from a
mile away.
But I was walking around infull-blown compassion fatigue
and telling myself it was justpart of the job.
(13:06):
And y'all, that's when Irealized we need different
solutions.
And if you read my book inpursuit of soul joy, I start
there, but I want you to knowthis journey continues.
So why I want to talk next aboutwhy traditional burnout
(13:27):
solutions fail us.
Midlife, advanced degree, healthcare providers.
Here's why most burnout advicedoesn't work for us.
And the George Washington studybacks this up perfectly.
Most burnout prevention programsare designed for the general
(13:51):
population.
But we're not the generalpopulation.
Y'all, we're women with lots oflife under our belt.
I mean, I'm I'm at the I'm in my60s, uh, probably gonna be doing
this into my 70s, and God helpme beyond.
But we are not the generalpopulation.
We're women with master'sdegrees, PhDs, CIDs, clinical
(14:14):
doctorates, advanced nursingdegrees, MDs.
We've spent years, sometimesdecades, in advanced training.
We carry professional licensesthat require continuing
education, supervision, ethicalresponsibilities that keep us up
(14:36):
at night.
The research identified fourspecific protective factors that
actually work for women such asourselves in the positions we
carry.
So I invite you to listen tothese very carefully.
So big deep breath, open up somespace, perk up those ears.
(14:59):
Here's the protective factorsthe research showed works for
us.
First, a supportive and flexiblework environment.
Not work-life balance, work-lifeintegration.
Not work-life balance, work-lifeintegration, which requires
(15:20):
support and flexibility.
Because work isn't just a job,right?
I mean, you don't spend as manyyears as we spent in college to
call what we do just a job.
Our work is a calling thatrequires our emotional
investment.
Second, access.
(15:40):
Well, I want to back up just aminute.
Let's go back to one.
Supportive, flexible workenvironment.
I just want you to embrace allthe years that you spent getting
to where you are right now.
All the sacrifices, all the latenight studying, when other
friends were maybe going to dofun things, we had our nose
(16:01):
stuck in the books, all the umjust trying to get into certain
schools, trying to keep thegrades up, just what it took to
get to where we are today, andwhat it's taken to keep us where
we are today.
Think about looking at thatthrough the lens of work-life
(16:24):
integration via supportive andflexible work environments.
Okay.
Second, access to professionaldevelopment.
I'm not talking about genericwellness seminars, but actual
opportunities to grow in waysthat honor our intellectual
(16:46):
capabilities and professionalaspirations.
I don't know about you, but itfor me, it was very hard to find
a therapist that could challengeme in the therapy room because
I've been doing this a longtime.
I'm at a very advanced level ofdoing this, and I wasted my
time.
(17:07):
I'm not dissing anyone.
I love them, and I'm just beinghonest here.
At the level I was at, it wasvery hard to find a therapist
that could match that and thengo above.
I did, of course I did.
But this is what I'm talkingabout with access to
professional development.
Y'all come into this with somuch education, so much
(17:29):
experience.
You you don't need just ageneric take a bubble bath kind
of seminar.
You need something that's goingto intellectually stimulate you
while supporting you and helpingyou, you know, with your
professional aspirations.
You've done so much with yourlife.
(17:52):
You have broken glass ceilingsfor so many people.
You are saving lives, you'rechanging lives, and your access
to professional developmentlooks different from someone who
isn't at the level of educationyou're at.
So I just invite you to thinkabout that as you think about
where you're going to spend yourdollars on professional
(18:13):
development.
I don't know about you, but I'vespent some dollars and gone in
and gone, uh, okay.
You know, just been verydisappointed because I was not
intellectually stimulated atall.
It was, um, I could have toldthem the next thing they were
gonna say at times.
So um I I say that with love.
Uh I just invite you to thinkabout the level of your training
(18:34):
and what you need to beintellectually stimulated for
develop professionaldevelopment.
Third, supportive relationships.
Yeah, this is key.
With people, see, thesesupportive relationships need to
be with people who understandthe weight that we carry
professionally.
It it's it's and I'm sure you'vegone back to high school
(18:58):
reunions and people are in aweof what all you've managed to
accomplish with your life.
Um, and that that's very kind.
But when you look at surroundingyourself with supportive
relationships, they need to berelationships who get that heavy
burden that you carry with thepatients that you serve.
(19:19):
It's, you know, that's it's anhonor that we get to do that,
but there's a burden that comeswith that, and we need to be
surrounded by folks who get itso that can hold space for us
and help us be seen and validatejust how that feels.
And fourth, intentionalmindfulness practices that are
(19:40):
designed for professionals whocan't just turn off their
helping nature.
It's who you are.
You spent far too longdeveloping this profession to
turn it off.
It's who you are.
Just it's your veritable soul,it's who you are.
So you need a mindfulnesspractice that really gets in
(20:03):
there to help you try to managethat peace of your soul and
nurture that helping nature thatyou have.
Okay, ladies.
My highly degreed sisters,notice what's not on that list.
(20:26):
Individual self-care.
Meditation apps.
Although I love those, we're notgonna diss those, we're not
gonna throw self-care out withthe the baby with the bathwater,
right?
Essential oils, they have theirplace, but it's not everything
you need.
And time management tips.
You could probably write a bookon that.
That's how you've managed yourlife.
(20:48):
That's not on this list.
Because the problem isn't thatyou don't know how to make how
to take care of yourself.
You damn well do.
You do it for others.
The problem is that you'refunctioning in systems that
weren't designed with highlyeducated helpers in mind.
(21:11):
The research shows that 47.2% ofwomen physicians are
experiencing burnout symptomscompared to only 38% of men.
That's not because women areweaker or less resilient, that's
not at all what that means.
It's because we're navigatingadditional stressors that our
(21:33):
beloved male colleagues simplydon't face.
And if, my love, you happen toadd in perioperause,
perimenopause.
Oh, my tongue didn't even wantto say it.
Um, if you add perimenopauseinto this mix, which affects
(21:55):
most of us listening who areover 40, you've got a perfect
storm that traditional burnoutprograms don't even acknowledge,
let alone address.
So I've got a personal storythat I want to share with you.
That, well, I do talk about mypersonal stories a lot.
(22:18):
Hell, I wrote a book about it,but here's a personal story I
want to share.
About 10 years ago, y'all, I wassitting in my office between
clients, and I had a moment ofpanic.
Not clinical panic, professionalpanic.
Y'all, I looked at my scheduleand I realized I had another 20
(22:41):
years of this ahead of me.
And honestly, I didn't know if Icould do it.
The same old day in, day outgrind, get up at 5 a.m., go on
to exercise, do this, do that,work until 9 p.m., get up, do it
again, you know, rinse andrepeat.
With I with no joy scheduledinto my life.
(23:01):
And you'll hear me say a lot, wegot to schedule joy in.
Once we add shit in, joy that welove in, it's gonna take care of
the a lot of things.
But anyway, I looked at mycalendar, had a panic moment of
can I do this for another 20years?
I had a very, I had everyexternal marker of success at
(23:24):
that point in my life.
Established practice, respectfrom colleagues, financial
security, um, and other things Icould go on.
But I felt empty in a way thatterrified me.
And the scariest part, I feltguilty for feeling empty because
(23:44):
I had worked so hard to get towhere I was.
That's when I realized that we,y'all, me, us, as advanced
degree women helpers, face aunique form of burnout that
nobody's talking about.
(24:05):
I call it accomplished woman'sburnout.
You've achieved everything youset out to achieve, but the cost
has been higher than youexpected.
Now you're dealing withperimenopause.
I'm doing it again,perimenopause.
Symptoms that nobody warned youabout in grad school, hot
(24:27):
flashes during client sessions,brain fog when you need to be
sharp, mood changes that affectyour professional confidence for
the first time in decades.
You're managing aging parentswhile trying to maintain your
professional edge.
You're trying to figure out howto be a grandma and deal with
the, you know, facing that emptynest, wondering who you are
(24:52):
behind beyond mom and doctor,and the one that everyone comes
to for help.
You've got an old dichotomy ofbeing mom raising kids.
Well, first trying to getthrough school, mom raising
kids, and now mom, kids areleaving the nest, parents are
(25:12):
aging, a marriage that maybe youtook care of, maybe you didn't,
that now it's just you and him,or her.
I mean, we can look at it allkinds of ways.
But here's the thing that reallygets to me.
You're probably still trying tosolve this problem, the way you
(25:36):
solve everything else, bythinking your way through it, by
reading more research, by tryingharder.
Sweet soul.
This isn't a problem that moreinformation can solve.
This isn't a transformation thatrequires a completely well, let
(26:04):
me reword that.
This is my friend, my highlydegreed, brilliant friend.
This is a transformation, a newone that requires a completely
different approach.
What you were used before, I'mgonna think through this, I'm
gonna research this, I'm justgonna try harder by God.
(26:28):
That's not gonna be what getsyou through this.
So drum rolls.
I can't do a drum roll here, sopretend like you heard a drum
roll.
Drum roll and this is exactlywhat I was thinking about when I
(26:54):
created the soul joy method.
So I'm gonna do just a bit ofinformation here because this is
really important, and I careabout you, and it's important to
me that you know all about this.
So first, I want to tell youabout this because the women
(27:25):
going through this program rightnow are getting results that
frankly surprised even me.
So, this is all about the SoulJoy Method that I've recently
launched and created, and I'mexcited to tell you about some
of the results I'm seeing.
(27:45):
So, the Soul Joy Method is a12-week transformation program
designed specifically for womenwith advanced degrees and
helping professions who areexperiencing what we just talked
about.
This is not another wellnessprogram.
I talk about wellness, but it'snot another wellness program.
This isn't a life coachingprogram.
(28:07):
This is a doctoral levelguidance for women who need
solutions as sophisticated asthey are.
And here's what makes itdifferent.
First, it's designed by someonewho's been exactly where you
are, close to where you are.
I struggle to say exactlybecause we're all different
people and we have differentexperiences, but I've been
(28:30):
there.
I'm a PhD-prepared counselorwith 30 years in the helping
profession.
I've lived through perimenopausewhile maintaining a practice.
I've navigated empty nest whilerebuilding my professional
identity.
I know what it's like to haveeveryone assume you have all the
answers when you're privatelystruggling like hell.
(28:54):
Second, y'all, it addresses thefour research-backed protective
factors I mentioned earlier, butin ways specifically tailored
for our unique challenges.
The program follows four pillfour pillars over 12 weeks.
(29:15):
So weeks one through three arereclaim your energy, and it
isn't about sleep hygiene,although we do cover that.
It's about understanding whyboundary setting is different
when you hold an advanced degreeand everyone expects you to be
available.
It's about managingperimenopause symptoms in
professional settings.
(29:35):
It's about creating sustainableenergy reserves when you when
your work requires deepemotional investment.
Sound familiar?
Weeks four through six arerediscover your purpose.
And this is where we do the deepwork around identity.
I struggle with that one bigtime, especially when the boys
(29:57):
left and mmm.
I mean my boys are still here,but um you know, emptiness.
They went on to do their ownlives, which they needed to.
That's what they're supposed todo.
But we're gonna look at identityand we're gonna look at who you
are beyond your role as a helperand an expert and a caretaker,
and what happens when your kidsleave and your parents need more
(30:20):
care, and when you're leftwondering what's next, or God
forbid, such as I experiencedduring this, your husband gets
some kind of brain cancer or youget breast cancer, and how that
kind of throws a um a monkeywrench into your identity.
We do actual exercises touncover parts of yourself you
(30:42):
have forgotten existed.
And then week seven throughnine, we reinvent your
relationships.
Your relationships are differentfrom when you well, they're
different when you hold anadvanced degree.
Family members expect you to betheir therapists, colleagues
make assumptions about what youcan handle.
We work on creatingrelationships that energize you
(31:05):
rather than drain you, includinglearning how to connect with
peers who understand your levelof training.
And then in weeks 10 through 12,we re-ignite your joy.
This is where the magic happens.
Once you've reclaimed yourenergy, rediscovered your
purpose, and reinvented yourrelationships, we design what
(31:29):
comes next.
This might be a career pivot,might be finding a new passion
in your current work, but it'sintentional and it's
sustainable.
But here's what I'm most proudof about this program.
The women who go through itdon't just survive their 40s,
(31:50):
50s, 60s, and beyond.
They thrive in ways they neverexpected.
Okay.
So let me share just a couple ofstories from our last cohort.
Uh, Dr.
Jennifer, a side D.
She has 15 years of experiencein private practice, and she
(32:10):
told me, I thought I had it allfigured out, but at 47, I was
burning out fast and questioningeverything.
Your program helped me rememberwhy I love this work while
creating boundaries.
I never learned in graduateschool.
I'm thriving again, not justsurviving.
(32:32):
Go, Jennifer.
And then Dr.
Carmen was so sweet to sharewith me her experience.
And Dr.
Car Carmen is a psydee.
Uh, excuse me, she is a DSW,doctorate in social work.
And she said she felt stuck inadministration.
Uh DSDs are often at the collegelevel, or you know, they're
(32:55):
running running something.
But she says after 25 years as aclinical social worker, I felt
stuck.
The Soul Joy method helped metransition back to direct
practice with a renewed sense ofpurpose.
My advanced degree finally feelslike an asset, not a burden.
(33:16):
Go, ladies, go.
Okay.
Now I want to be clear aboutsomething.
The program isn't cheap.
Y'all know as highly degreed,highly skilled professional
women, the good stuff isn'tcheap.
It's$3,497, and there's a reasonfor that.
(33:40):
You're getting 12 weeks ofdirect access to a doctoral
level person for guidance.
A compreh and not only guidance,the program that I've created,
you're getting a comprehensive120-page workbook.
I mean, it's not a burdenworkbook.
(34:00):
There's lots of yummy stuff inthere.
You get ongoing communitysupport, you get monthly
masterclasses, and quarterlyoffice hours with me personally.
But more than that, you'regetting solutions designed by
someone who understands theintersection of advanced
education, helping professiondemands, and midlife
(34:21):
transitions, because I've livedit, I've studied it, and I've
helped hundreds of womennavigate it successfully.
Okay, so we only take about 10women per cohort because I've
got to be able to give youindividualized attention.
Because this level oftransformation requires
intimate, personalizedattention.
(34:43):
Our next cohort starts inNovember, and we're already
halfway full, which is great.
That's exciting.
But I need to tell yousomething, and I hope you'll
hear this with the compassion Iintend.
If you're listening andrecognizing yourself and what
(35:04):
I'm describing, waiting isn'tgoing to make it easier.
Okay?
You've waited long enough.
The research is clear, theburnout crisis is getting worse,
not better, and the solutionsthat work for us are not the
solutions that work for otherpeople.
(35:26):
They aren't designed for womenlike us.
Y'all, I was talking to agirlfriend last week who's been
struggling with burnout, I don'tknow, for several several years,
maybe three.
She keeps saying she's going todo something about it when
things slow down.
Just like you're going to have ababy when the time is right.
(35:48):
But you know as well as I dothat things don't slow down in
helping professions.
There's always another crisis,another client who needs you,
another committee that needsyour expertise.
What if I told you that thewoman or women in our last
cohort were reportingsignificant improvements in
(36:11):
energy and clarity within thefirst month?
What if I told you that by monththree, they were describing
their lives completelytransformed?
Here's what one participant toldme just last week.
I didn't realize how much I'daccepted burnout as just a part
of my life until I wasn't burnedout anymore.
(36:34):
I feel like myself again, but abetter version.
Okay, listen, I get it.
You're skeptical.
And this is a little differentpodcast.
I don't spend a whole podcasttalking like this.
We'll get back to regular formatnext week.
This is just our pivot, ourtransitional podcast.
I want you to be very clearabout who I am, who I'm serving,
(36:57):
and what I can do for you.
I get it.
You're skeptical.
You've tried things before.
You might be thinking, I don'thave time for a 12-week program.
Been there, done that, getcha.
But I want you to consider this.
How much time, oh sweet friend,how much time are you losing to
(37:18):
exhaustion, to decision fatigue,to that mental fog that makes
everything take twice as long.
The women who join this programdon't just survive their 40s,
50s, 60s, and beyond.
They discover that their best,say this with a smile, their
best chapters are still ahead ofthem.
(37:41):
They design careers thatenergize them rather than drain
them.
They create relationships thatsupport rather than deplete
them.
And they wake up excited abouttheir lives again.
And here's something I don'talways share, but I'm going to
share this with you.
I wish so much that this programhad existed when I was going
(38:05):
through my own burnout crisis.
Read the book.
And I was probably around 45when that hit.
I spent five years figuring outwhat these women learn in 12
weeks.
I don't want you to spend twoyears of your life trying to
reinvent the wheel when there'sa clear path forward.
So here's what I want you to do.
(38:28):
Go to Julie Merriman PhD,www.julie Merriman PhD, and
schedule a free 20-minuteconsultation with me.
We'll see if it's a good fit ornot.
Y'all, this isn't with myassistant.
It's not with a salesperson.
It's with me.
And I want to talk about whereyou are right now and if you
(38:51):
think this program is right foryou.
And if it's not right for you,I'm going to tell you that too.
Because I'm not wasting anyone'stime.
This only work, this work onlysucceeds when we're working with
the right people at the righttime.
Okay.
So that's over on my website.
I've got my schedule set up.
(39:12):
Just grab an appointment.
And there's a little applicationyou do have to fill out because,
again, we want to make sure it'sthe right fit, right?
So I do invite you to hop overthere.
Those spots go fast.
I really would like to visitwith you.
So, beautiful, brilliant women,before we wrap up today, I want
(39:32):
to leave you with this thought.
You didn't earn your advanceddegree to feel this burned out
or burned out at all.
You didn't spend years intraining to dread Monday
mornings.
You did not become a helper tofeel empty.
The research is showing us thatthe solutions we need exist.
(39:54):
They're just different from whatwe've been told.
They require understanding theunique challenges we face as
highly educated women in helpingprofessions.
Your next chapter doesn't haveto look like your last chapter.
The skills that got you here canbe, have fun as that, can be
(40:16):
redirected toward creating alife that honors both your
professional expertise and yourprofessional well-being.
So in the next weeks, y'all,we're going, we're diving deep
into perimenopause and careerperformance and all kinds of
juicy topics.
(40:36):
And something that the somethingthe research mentions but isn't
fully explored, and that'sperimenopause and career
performance.
Those things can kind of clash,but we're going to go into other
things too.
I'll be sharing strategies I'vedeveloped specifically for
maintaining professionalconfidence, especially during
(40:57):
hormonal transitions.
And that's those hormones.
But they sure can r uh causesome havoc.
Oh, so okay.
So if you love this podcast andit's helping you make sense of
your experience, and I know thisis the first one on the pivot,
and I spent a lot of timetalking about Soul Joy method,
(41:19):
but I think that's importantthat you ladies know that's
there for you.
But I my goal is for you to lovethis podcast.
And I want you to feel like it'shelping you make sense of your
experience.
And when that happens, pleaseleave me a review.
It helps other accomplishedwomen find us.
And honestly, it helps me knowif I'm on the right track.
(41:41):
And remember, you've spentdecades caring for everyone
else.
It's time to apply that samelevel of expertise to caring for
yourself.
Okay, friends, until next week,I'm Dr.
Julie Merriman, reminding youthat your education prepared you
to help others.
Now it's time to help yourself.
(42:04):
This is Souljoy.
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