Therapy for Compassion Fatigue in Ontario
Support for Healthcare Workers, Therapists, and Helpers in Kitchener, Toronto, and Across the GTA
Helping is your work and your identity. When the cost keeps rising, therapy can help you recover a clear center. I work with nurses, chaplains, therapists, educators, and caregivers across Ontario. We rebuild capacity, set humane limits, and find a way forward that protects your integrity and your health.
What is Compassion Fatigue?
Compassion fatigue is the emotional and physical exhaustion that comes from caring deeply for others, often at the cost of your own well-being. It’s common among healthcare workers, therapists, social workers, clergy, and other helpers who spend their days attending to the needs of others. Over time, the constant giving can leave you feeling detached, drained, and unable to show up in the way you want to – for others or yourself.
You may be dealing with compassion fatigue if you notice:
– Numbness or irritability after shifts
– Dread before work days
– Guilt for not doing more
– Trouble sleeping or switching off
– Loss of meaning in work you once loved
Signs You May Be Experiencing Compassion Fatigue
Compassion fatigue often shows up quietly at first, then takes over. You may notice:
– Feeling emotionally numb or disconnected from people you care about – Irritability, cynicism, or loss of patience with others – Ongoing fatigue that rest doesn’t fix – Struggling to find joy in work or relationships – Feeling like your efforts don’t matter or aren’t enough – Increased guilt, shame, or self-criticism
Recognizing these signs is the first step toward recovery. They’re signals that you’ve been carrying more than is sustainable.
Why Compassion Fatigue Happens to Helpers
Compassion fatigue is often called “the cost of caring.” Helpers give and give, sometimes without systems of support that replenish them. In healthcare and caregiving professions, the pace is relentless and the demands are high. Even outside of work, helpers are the ones others lean on.
This cycle leaves little space for your own grief, rest, or renewal. Without interruption, compassion fatigue grows into burnout or moral injury. Therapy creates a protected space where your needs come first, so you can begin to restore balance.
How Therapy Helps You Recover
Recovery begins when you’re no longer carrying it all alone. In therapy, we’ll work together to:
– Name and understand the toll compassion fatigue has taken on you
– Create space for your own emotions and unmet needs
– Rebuild energy and strengthen your capacity to care for yourself
– Explore boundaries that protect your well-being without shutting others out
– Reconnect with meaning and purpose in your work and life
My framework, The Cost of Care™, is designed for professionals like you. It recognizes the unique weight of helping roles and provides a structured path from depletion to renewal.
BEGINNING THERAPY
Book a session when you feel ready. You can also visit my burnout or moral injury pages to learn more about how compassion fatigue and burnout are related.
What Working With Me Looks Like
I’m Erika Mills, a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario. I specialize in supporting helpers like nurses, therapists, social workers, clergy, teachers, and caregivers—who are recovering from compassion fatigue, burnout, and moral injury.
All sessions are held securely online, so you can meet from Kitchener, Toronto, the GTA, or anywhere else in Ontario. Therapy may be covered under your workplace or private insurance benefits. My approach blends psychotherapy with narrative and soul care, offering both practical tools and deeper renewal.
What Happens in a Free Consult?
Your 20 minute consult is a no-pressure conversation.
– Talk about what’s weighing on you
– Learn how I approach recovery and what sessions will be like
– Decide if we’re the right fit
You’ll leave with clarity on your next step, whether we work together or not.
Get Started with Compassion Fatigue Therapy
If you’re feeling drained, detached, or unsure how much longer you can keep going, you don’t have to face this alone. Compassion fatigue is not permanent, you can recover your energy, purpose, and compassion for yourself.
Book a free 20-minute consult today. We’ll talk through what you’re carrying, what you need, and how therapy can help you begin to feel like yourself again.
About Compassion Fatigue Therapy with Erika
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