Are Rehab Pros Stuck in a Cycle of Burnout?

In 2015, I was staring at a glowing clinic sign at 6:15 am, coffee in hand, and asked myself, “Is this my life for the next 40 years?”

I was working four 10-hour days at the time, seeing 15-18 clients per day (honestly, very manageable volume)... two of my days were early starts, and two of my days I didn’t get off work until 7 pm (at the earliest).

It was a late day heavy on evaluations, which meant lots of paperwork, so I stayed in the clinic that night until about 7:40 pm…

With documentation pending for 3 evaluations I didn’t finish, I headed in early the next day, ready to tackle the day, but something felt different.

Cue the mini-existential crisis.

I quickly recognized the way I was going to need to operate in the traditional PT space. 

I could either keep taking jobs with more volume, I could get out of patient care and move into management, or I could work in different settings with PRN roles…

None of those seemed appealing to me.

The crux of the issue seemed to be clarified after I started my Cash PT clinic, which was just the same problem on a smaller scale…

That problem?

I was trapped in a prison that was disguised as my schedule.

Everything I was taught in school was tied back to trading time for money. It’s how insurance reimbursement worked, it’s how they had us think about negotiating our work contracts, and it all kind of sucked when I really thought about it.

So what do I typically see now when I speak to rehab professionals who are stuck in the same pattern?

All the current models they’ve explored are session based.

They can only increase prices so much.

They can only put so much more volume on their schedule.

They take time off work, and it costs them money.

But really deep down, I know we are all thinking, “How long can I do this?”

It doesn’t have to be that way forever. 

There are new age systems and models that allow for the freedom and flexibility you’re looking for, but it’s going to take courage to step into a new version of who we want to be.

In 2017, I started blending my practice model by adding a virtual component. This allowed me to do a few things, but most notably, it allowed me to build a $10k/month solo retention-based business without being tied to in-person hours.

All of a sudden, I felt free. I could travel with money still coming in. I knew all my bills would be paid because of the recurring revenue stream I had created, and I finally felt like I could scale my business in a way that felt good to me.

I got my time back.

I felt free.

And if you feel trapped right now, it doesn't have to be this way forever. 

You can evolve. You can build a retention based business that doesn’t rely on how many new clients you put on your schedule. 

You can change the way you play the game.