200 People Showed Up to Talk About Burnout—Here’s What We Learned
Kia ora koutou (hello all),
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It’s been a full few weeks. As some of you know, I’ve had the privilege of presenting multiple times on compassion and burnout this month—both to the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists and in a much larger webinar.
Special thanks to everyone who attended!
A Surprise in the Numbers
When I first advertised these free webinars, I included a caveat: they’d only go ahead if at least 10 people registered.
Much to my delight, more than 200 people signed up for each session.
I’ve been giving burnout talks for years—especially after my own second round of professional burnout (detailed exhaustively and err…poetically, in my first book Ballad to Burnout). But this round felt different.
What’s New in My Burnout Talks
Here are the major evolutions I’ve made in my standard presentation, along with take-home messages that seemed to resonate most:
- Beyond burnout: Clarifying that the clinical tools I teach can also apply to compassion fatigue, empathic distress, vicarious trauma, and moral injury.
- Keep it simple: Dolan’s single-item burnout measure works well. Honestly, most people know when they’re burned out—you just need to ask.
- Systemic lens: “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” - Jiddu Krishnamurti Burnout is often fueled by context and systemic stress, not any old story about individual weakness.
- Active Ingredient Triflex: The core of my current talk is offering professional and personal practices organized into the three flexibility processes outlined by Hayes et al, 2011: awareness, openness, and engagement.
- Adding hope in new science: I now highlight the role of moral elevation, fierce compassion, and collective action in burnout prevention and treatment.
And yes—I still share my favorite book recommendations on burnout by , , , , , Price, and .
"Find the real world, give it endlessly away, grow rich flinging gold to all who ask. Live at the empty radiant heart of the world". - Rumi
If any of this sounds interesting or useful: *I'm looking for pro bono speaking opportunities so let's chat if you are part of communities who may be interested in free talks about science-based burnout prevention, mindfulness, or compassion practices.*
Thanks for reading Dr Kerry's Love Letters: words for the weary! This post is public so feel free to share it.
Question for You
My new book, Start Here: A Practical Guide for the Overwhelmed, will be released in late November in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand.
As its steward, I want to promote pre-orders in a way that feels generous and valuable—where readers gain more than they give.
📚 The book will cost between $20–$30. What kinds of bonus materials or experiences would feel exciting to you?
Some ideas I’m considering:
- A free live Q&A session for everyone who pre-orders.
- A free supplementary workbook—for example, Start Here for Parents or Start Here for Helpers.
- A free audio companion, with commentary on the book’s development or recordings where I guide you through the exercises.
I’d love to hear what would feel meaningful for you.
Aroha mai, aroha atu (love received, love returned)
Thank you for your time, your attention, and the work you do in the world.
I know there’s a constant deluge of information and painful news most days, and I don’t take your presence here lightly.
🌿 Wishing you moments of peace—sun on your face, breeze on your skin.
🌿 Wishing us all the opportunity to contribute to a better world and to fight for the common good.
Kia mīharo te rā! (Have an AWESOME day!)
With love,
Kerry