What It’s like to take a big trip as a therapist
Taking time off as a psychologist is… complicated. Necessary, healthy, and rejuvenating — yes — but also layered in ways most people don’t see. I recently returned from a two-week trip out of the country, and while my days were packed with travel, plans, and new experiences, I kept feeling a strange dissonance:
It felt like I’d been away from my clients forever.
And yet, realistically… they missed one, maybe two sessions with me.
An hour here, an hour there.
Two weeks for me.
Two hours for them.
That’s one of the interesting realities of therapist travel: what feels huge to us might barely register for clients.
When Your Time Away Feels Huge — and Theirs Doesn’t
While I was exploring new cities and experiencing constant stimulation, my clients were (rightfully!) living their daily lives. Work, relationships, routines, stressors, growth — the things we normally unpack together.
Meanwhile, my mind kept circling: “Did I miss something important for them? Are they okay without me?”
But the truth is, I didn’t miss their entire lives. Just a small slice. That’s comforting — it shows that therapy works, and that clients’ progress doesn’t hinge on constant presence.
Preparing to Step Away… and Overthinking It Anyway
Before my trip, I did the responsible psychologist-on-vacation thing:
Told everyone I’d be away
Reviewed coping plans
Prepared them for me not being as reachable
Let them know I’d still have phone and internet access (albeit with a big time difference)
Then… no one contacted me.
Cue the therapist-brain tug-of-war:
“They must be thriving! Using skills! Handling life!”
“Oh no — what if they stayed quiet because they didn’t want to bother me? What if they needed support?”
Even therapists get a little anxious when on vacation. Surprise!
When You Think of Your Clients From Across the World
Throughout my trip, little moments would remind me of clients — a sight, a conversation, or an emotion. My instinct was to say, “I thought of you!” or “Remember that thing we talked about?”
But being “out of office” meant holding therapy boundaries. I had to trust the process and respect my role as a therapist, not a peer or friend.
Still, I never stopped caring. I was thinking about them — just quietly.
The Quiet Fear of Being Missed Too Little (or Too Much)
Even though I knew my clients would be okay, the whisper in my mind remained: “I hope no one feels abandoned.”
Or the opposite: “I hope no one thinks I forgot about them while away.”
Because I didn’t. Not for a second.
How Much Do I Share When I Get Back?
Clients often ask:
“How was the trip?”
“Where did you go?”
“What did you do?”
And as a therapist, I want to share — but I also have to balance:
Connecting without oversharing
Being human without distracting from therapy
Maintaining professional boundaries while building trust
A little bit of personal sharing is healthy. Too much can take away from therapy time. It’s a constant calibration.
Therapists Don’t Stop Caring Just Because They’re Traveling
Clients are a genuine part of a therapist’s life. We think about them, worry about them, and wonder how they’re practicing the skills we discuss.
Sometimes I wonder: Did anyone use this time to test boundaries? Did they feel proud of themselves? Were they eager for me to return?
Mostly, I hope no one imagined my caring paused while I was out of office. It didn’t.
Time Away Is Healthy — And Still Emotionally Complex
Going on a big trip reminded me: even when a therapist is far away, we trust our clients’ resilience. They don’t need constant supervision for therapy to continue.
And yet, we’re human. We miss, we reflect, we hope, we worry.
Holding both confidence in clients’ capacity and tenderness toward their stories is part of being a human therapist.
Even thousands of miles away, we care.