Will a Therapy Break Cause Regression? Caregiver Burnout & Therapeutic Breaks

Send us Fan Mail Don't skip this episode because you hear "break in therapy" and think… "not for us." Stay with us for a minute. We see you. You're the nurse, the therapist, the caregiver, and the mom — all before lunchtime, most days. You've been white-knuckling it through every session for months, maybe years, and quietly wondering if you have anything left to give. But the second the word "break" comes up, something in you panics. What if my kid loses everything we've worked for? What if we lose our spot? What if I'm the reason they don't progress? So you keep going. Even when you're running on empty. Even when your kid is tired of it too. Even when some small, quiet part of you just wants permission to stop for a minute. This week, Pam sits down with Heather Anderson, PTA, who works with some of the most medically complex kids in the field — and she gently dismantles every fear you've been carrying about stepping back. In this episode: Why a therapeutic break almost never means starting from scratch — and what the research actually shows What to do (and who to call) if you do see regression, so you're never stuck waiting How to ask for a break without losing your therapy spot or your therapist The burnout that's just as real for you as it is for your child — and why it matters Simple ways to keep the progress going at home, even without a weekly session You are the nurse, the therapist, the caregiver, and the mom — and you are allowed to rest. Your child is allowed to just be a kid for a season. This episode is the permission slip you didn't know you needed. Support the show