Therapy for social justice advocates who need to rest and recalibrate
Therapy for activists, organisers and social justice advocates in New York who are feeling burnt out, disillusioned or emotionally depleted, and who want to stay connected to their values without losing themselves.
Movement work, community organising, public health, education, mutual aid and community care all ask a great deal of the people who do them. When the need never stops, rest can feel like betrayal. I offer a trauma-informed, unhurried space to reflect, grieve, restore and find a more sustainable rhythm, drawing on psychotherapy, somatic support, mindfulness and medication when it helps.
“Caring for yourself is not a retreat from the struggle. A rested, whole person can stay in the work far longer than one running on empty.”
Sustainability is a political question as well as a personal one, and it deserves serious attention.
Why social justice advocates burn out
Advocacy fatigue is not simply overwork. It is the cumulative effect of caring deeply in systems that resist change, often with too few resources and too little recognition.
People drawn to social justice work tend to feel injustice keenly. That sensitivity is a strength, and it can also leave you exposed. You may witness harm repeatedly, hold the stories of people in crisis, absorb public hostility, or watch hard-won victories reversed. Over time, the emotional cost can show up as exhaustion, cynicism, irritability, numbness, or a creeping sense that nothing you do is enough.
Movement spaces can add their own pressures: internal conflict, unclear roles, expectations of constant availability, and a culture in which admitting you are struggling can feel like weakness. Many advocates also hold personal histories of marginalisation or trauma that the work touches again and again. These layers rarely get space in ordinary life, which is why they so often surface in the body as sleeplessness, tension or illness.
Therapy for social justice advocates offers a place to step outside the urgency for a while. We look at what you have been carrying, how it is affecting you, and what would help you continue, adapt or step back in a way that honours both your values and your limits. My perspective is shaped by feminist philosophy and the study of global religion and culture, so we can hold the political and the personal together.
Disillusionment, moral injury and grief
Disillusionment is not the same as giving up. It often arrives when your ideals meet the slow, frustrating reality of change, or when organisations you trusted fall short. Moral injury, the pain of witnessing or participating in situations that violate your values, can be especially heavy. Therapy can help you grieve these losses, make sense of anger and despair, and rediscover what still feels meaningful.
Rest as part of the work
Many advocates struggle to rest without guilt. We can explore the beliefs that make rest feel undeserved, look at how your nervous system responds to stillness, and build practices of restoration that are realistic for your life. Somatic work and mindfulness can be especially helpful for people whose bodies have been in a state of alert for a long time.
Identity, community and belonging
For many people, advocacy is bound up with identity and community. When burnout makes you want to pull away, it can feel like losing part of yourself. We can explore who you are beyond your role, how to stay connected to community in a sustainable way, and how to navigate conflict within movements without losing your sense of belonging.
When advocacy starts to cost too much
There is no need to wait until you are completely depleted. Many advocates reach out when they notice their capacity shrinking or their relationship to the work changing. If several of these feel familiar, it may be a good time to talk.
- Exhaustion that never lifts
- Cynicism replacing hope
- Guilt whenever you rest
- Numbness to news and stories
- Irritability with colleagues or comrades
- Trouble sleeping or switching off
- Conflict within your organisation
- Old trauma stirred by the work
- Questioning whether to continue
- Losing touch with joy
Trauma-informed support for people who care
I bring psychotherapy, somatic practice, mindfulness and psychiatric care into one relationship, adapting the balance to what you need. The aim is not to make you care less, but to help you care sustainably.
Feminist and relational therapy
We explore your experiences within their social and political context, rather than treating distress as purely individual. This helps you see which burdens are yours to carry and which belong to systems that need to change.
Somatic regulation
Long periods of urgency can leave the nervous system stuck on high alert. Gentle somatic work helps you notice tension, find moments of settling and rebuild capacity for rest, presence and pleasure.
Mindfulness and restoration
Mindfulness practices offer ways to meet distressing news, overwhelming emotion and endless to-do lists with more steadiness. We tailor practices so they feel supportive rather than like another obligation.
Psychiatric care when needed
If burnout has tipped into depression, anxiety or persistent insomnia, I can assess and prescribe. Medication decisions are collaborative, introduced gradually and closely monitored, always respecting your preferences.
Values and direction
We revisit what drew you to this work, what still matters and what may need to change. This can mean adjusting your role, pace or boundaries, or finding new ways to contribute that fit your life now.
Holistic lifestyle support
We look at sleep, nourishment, movement and recovery. Vitamins and supplements may support resilience, reviewed for safety and interactions with any medication, and offered alongside rather than instead of medical care.
Running on empty versus sustainable advocacy
Small shifts in how you work and recover can make a profound difference over time.
Running on empty
- Rest only when you collapse
- Every crisis feels like yours
- Feelings pushed aside
- Body signals ignored
- Isolation inside the movement
Sustainable advocacy
- Rest built into your rhythm
- Clearer limits and roles
- Space to grieve and rage
- Body treated as an ally
- Supportive, honest community
Starting therapy for advocate burnout
Four simple steps, each one shaped around your needs and capacity.
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1
Free consultation 15 minutes
A brief, confidential conversation to share what you are experiencing and what you are looking for. You can ask about my approach to working with activists and decide whether it feels like the right fit.
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2
First full session
We explore your work, history, health, sleep, relationships and the toll advocacy has taken. If depression, anxiety or insomnia are present, I assess them thoroughly and talk through options.
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3
Shared priorities
Together we decide where to focus, perhaps recovery from burnout, processing grief, setting boundaries or rethinking your role, and which tools to use. The plan remains flexible as circumstances change.
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4
Ongoing restoration
We meet regularly for 60 or 90 minutes. Over time, many advocates find they can return to their work with renewed clarity, firmer limits and a gentler relationship with themselves.
Francesca Rome-Marie, PMHNP-BC
I bring together psychiatry, psychotherapy, somatic work and whole-body health, informed by years in primary care and further study in gender theory, feminist thought, culture and visual art.
I keep a deliberately small caseload so that every client receives consistent, unhurried and genuinely attentive care, held within one relationship rather than split across several providers.
Clear, upfront rates
I don't accept insurance. Modern Holistic Psychiatry is an out-of-network provider, so sessions are paid for directly. Depending on your plan, you may be able to claim reimbursement through your out-of-network benefits.
Find out how much your insurance may coverNeed urgent support? If you're in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911.
Therapy for Social Justice Advocates FAQs
What is therapy for social justice advocates in New York like?
Therapy for social justice advocates with me is an unhurried, trauma-informed space to explore the emotional impact of advocacy, from burnout and grief to anger and disillusionment. Sessions may combine talk therapy, somatic work, mindfulness and, if needed, medication. The work considers both your personal history and the wider systems you are working within.
Who counts as a social justice advocate?
Anyone whose work or life is committed to justice and community care. That includes organisers, activists, nonprofit staff, public health workers, educators, mutual aid volunteers, legal advocates, researchers and artists working on social issues. Paid or unpaid, full-time or alongside other commitments, the strain of caring deeply is real.
Will therapy make me less politically engaged?
No. The aim is not to dampen your convictions but to help you sustain them. Burnout tends to shrink engagement over time, while rest, reflection and support can restore it. Some people do decide to change roles or step back for a while, and that is a valid choice, but it is always yours to make.
I feel guilty taking time for myself when others are suffering more. Is that something we can work on?
Yes, and it is very common among advocates. That guilt often comes from deeply held values, and also from cultures that equate worth with sacrifice. We can explore where it comes from, what it protects, and how to hold compassion for others alongside compassion for yourself without feeling you have abandoned your principles.
Can you help with conflict inside my organisation or movement?
Yes. Conflict within movements can be among the most painful parts of advocacy work, partly because it involves people who share your values. Therapy offers a private place to process hurt, understand your own patterns in conflict, and think through how you want to respond, whether that means repair, boundaries or moving on.
Do you prescribe medication for burnout-related depression or insomnia?
When burnout has developed into depression, anxiety or ongoing sleep problems, I can assess, diagnose and prescribe as a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. We discuss options openly, start gradually and monitor carefully. Many people also benefit from somatic work, lifestyle changes and supplements alongside or instead of medication.
What if the weight of the work is making me feel hopeless?
Please tell me. Hopelessness is an understandable response to sustained injustice, and it deserves care. We can work through it together. If you ever feel you might harm yourself or are in immediate danger, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.
Make space for your own care
Book a free 15-minute consultation to talk about what advocacy has asked of you and what support could look like now.