Brain Breaks
Healthy Choices, and the Culture We Create at Thrive
Brain Breaks, Healthy Choices, and the Culture We Create at Thrive
By Laura Kietell, MSW, LCSW – Psychotherapist & Owner of Thrive Counseling Services
In the mental health field, we spend a great deal of time teaching our clients about self-care, balance, and healthy coping. Yet as professionals, we often hold ourselves to a very different standard. We push through exhaustion, skip breaks, and tell ourselves we will rest later. At Thrive Counseling Services, I believe one of the most powerful ways we can support both our clients and our team is to model what we teach.
That means brain breaks are not only allowed here, they are encouraged.
Recently, one of my interns knocked on my office door and told me she could hear the sounds of a game coming from the lobby. I had forgotten my phone was connected to the speaker in the lobby while I was taking a short mental reset. We laughed about it, but the moment stayed with me. What mattered most was not the game. It was the message. My team saw that even the owner takes breaks. Even the clinical supervisor needs to pause and recharge. Even the person responsible for payroll, compliance, and leadership has a nervous system that needs care.
This is intentional.
Therapists hold space for trauma, grief, anxiety, and crisis every day. We listen deeply. We regulate ourselves so we can help others regulate. Without breaks, this work becomes unsustainable. When we push past our limits, we risk burnout, compassion fatigue, and reduced effectiveness. When we model healthy boundaries, we create a culture where longevity in this profession becomes possible.
At Thrive, healthy choices look different for everyone. Sometimes it means stepping outside for fresh Wyoming air. Sometimes it means sitting quietly with a cup of coffee. Sometimes it means closing your office door and resting your eyes for ten minutes. I have even told my team that if they need to lay down and take a power nap, they should. The work will still be here. Their wellbeing matters more.
This approach is not about being unprofessional. It is about being sustainable.
Clients benefit when their therapists are present, grounded, and emotionally available. Staff benefit when they know they are supported as whole human beings, not just productivity units. The culture of an organization is not created by policies alone. It is shaped by the everyday choices leaders make and the behaviors they model.
As the owner of Thrive, I want my team to see that it is possible to lead with both intention and compassion. I want them to feel safe taking care of themselves. I want them to build careers that last. Most importantly, I want them to know that healthy choices are not weaknesses. They are strengths.
When we give ourselves permission to pause, we are not stepping away from our work. We are stepping toward doing it better.
At Thrive, we believe that caring for the caregiver is not optional. It is essential.
