Understanding Burnout & Betrayal Trauma

My Story

This is a somewhat personal blog, one I had no intention of writing, yet the powers of the universe guide us into spaces where everything just aligns up & to dismiss all of this powerful pull is a reminder of just how far you have walked… & to dismiss this, means you are choosing to ignore all of your pain & courage to get this far… Often without realising it, we just don’t recognise how much courage it takes to stay in your own lane… anyway… here goes...

For years, I was the therapist everyone turned to. I built treatments that worked, created healing environments, and poured my soul into helping others recover. I worked in private practice, in healthcare, in retreats—spaces that were meant to be nurturing, holistic, and soul-led.

But the place that was supposed to support me… broke me.

I was working at a renowned holistic retreat—one that claimed to value healing, integrity, and community. I brought my full self to that space: I designed new treatments, supported high-end clients with deep emotional needs, and even brought in outside professional help to enhance client care. I wasn’t just doing a job—I was elevating the whole experience.

My work brought in income for the retreat. My care brought relief to clients. My vision brought expansion.

But when I asked for fair compensation for the value I was creating—everything changed.

I was met not with respect, but with gaslighting and betrayal trauma. I was told clients had “complained” about me. I was asked if I was “on drugs.” Then I was told to just forget it ever happened. The same person who once praised me, now undermined my confidence, my credibility, and my sense of reality.

That moment shattered me.

It wasn’t just stress—it was a betrayal of my profession, my purpose, and my nervous system. What should have been a conversation about value and integrity became a deep wound to my identity.

I walked out. I went to my doctor. I was signed off with stress.

And I haven’t felt the same about my work since.

For a while, I thought it was my fault. That I was “too much.” That I’d caused trouble. That I’d been unprofessional somehow. But now I know the truth:

I was gaslit. I was exploited. I was betrayed by a system that benefited from my work—but couldn’t honour it.

And I’m not the only one.

Too many therapists, carers, healers and empaths have given their hearts to spaces that didn’t protect them. We’ve been taught to hold space for others, but not to advocate for ourselves.

That season in my life led to burnout, soul fatigue, financial instability, and a complete breakdown of trust—not just in others, but in myself.

But here’s what else it did:
It led me here.

To rebuild with power, softness, and sovereignty.

To become the woman who can hold your story—because she’s walked through her own.

To create a new path for midlife women who are ready to come home to themselves.

*There is so much more I want to add to this… & I will… slowly over time I will add more…

With warmth & Wild Wisdom

Rose