Meet Natalia Samman, LISW | Burn Out Clini-Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalia Samman, LISW and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalia, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I am thrilled to report that I have excellent work-life balance these days- but it took a LOT of work to get to this place. There was a time when “work-life balance” felt like some fairytale that I might read about if I actually had any spare time to read.

I’m a social worker by licensure and education, and a psychotherapist as my profession. As a lifelong high-achiever, I have always prided myself on “going above and beyond” for my clients. As a caring and empathetic human being in an emotionally heavy field, I used to find it nearly impossible to “turn off my brain” after work. Between these two personality traits, it felt like I worked 24 hours a day. Realistically, it was probably 50-55 hours per week. I was perpetually behind on my to-do list despite working long days. My work-stress was becoming overwhelming and causing anxiety, migraines, and insomnia. My relationships were suffering. I was burnt out. To. A. Crisp.

I quit my job and pondered what had went wrong- why did I burn out so badly? Why had my self-care strategies failed to protect me? After all, I had taken plenty of bubble baths! Drank countless cups of tea! I’d always been promised that this was the way to prevent burn out.

But it turns out that some stress is beyond tea. I pivoted my career to focus on how to use the tools I already had in my therapist’s toolbox to target work stress and burn out. It turns out that all of the techniques that we use to treat trauma and mood issues- things like boundaries, communication, managing mood, improving focus, changing deep patterns for the better- these are all tools we can use to improve balance and happiness at work and beat burn out!

Now, I work exactly enough to keep my business thriving. I have enough time and energy for the things I love to do- running around with both my toddlers (yes, there are two!), make art, travel and adventure, taste every cheese I can get my hands on, and pursue further trainings on all things Burn Out.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
There are hundreds of Burn Out coaches out there- so what makes me different?

Well, I’ve been described as having “work bestie vibes”, though clients also say again and again how they appreciate that I’m not afraid to challenge them and call out the nonsense (kindly, of course!). Plus, I probably have the corniest jokes of any Burn Out coach out there 😉

1) My training as a therapist is what ACTUALLY sets me apart from other Burn Out coaches. Coaches who burnt out working in the corporate world and decided to be a coach instead lack any sort of formal training in matters of neurology and psychology- all the things that lead to Burn Out.

Burn out is a psychological issue, and so the solutions should be psychological. My clinical background, and 15 years experience in helping people change their minds and habits to change their life- that’s something other coaches can’t offer.

2) In addition, I’ve been a staff member, a manager, AND a CEO/Entrepreneur! I can offer insights from every level of workplace hierarchy. PLUS, I’m a working mom- I get it! Stress is high and time is precious and kids are the priority…but also sometimes exhausting… I’ve BEEN there, and I’m here with all the empathy and all the tools to help those of you stuck in Burn Out too.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Hosting and traveling are two of my most favorite past-times! I have a tried-and-true itinerary for out-of-towners: 1) Day in Rino, checking out the murals and eating at Fish N Beer. At night, we grab drinks at Nocturne and enjoy some jazz.
2) Hike in Golden Gate State Park and lunch at Sherpa House in downtown Golden
3) Brunch at Sassafras and hike around Red Rocks . Concert at Red Rocks that night.
4) Hike at Mt Falcon park and lunch at Switchback Smokehouse in Kitteridge
5) Dinner and a concert at Ophelia’s
6) Pearl Street Farmer’s Market Sunday mornings in the summer

Come check them out with me sometime!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to give a shout-out to my original mentor and Burn Out co-victim Dr. Jenny King! My first job out of grad school (the one in which I burnt out baaadddd), Jenny was working right there alongside me every day. She and I were counselors in an inner city elementary school, providing support for kiddos with horrifying trauma histories. She and I both experienced burn out. We both left the job, and she went back for further education, pursuing her PhD. She now works as the Co-Director of the Center for Trauma Studies at my Alma Mater, Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Jenny has always been unconventional in her humorous, tireless fight against oppression. The world, and I, has been lucky to have her.

Website: www.nataliasamman.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/coachnataliasamman

Linkedin: Natalia Samman

Facebook: “Brighter After Burn Out” group

Other: Want 3 simple but powerful tools you can implement right away to beat burn out? Get my free 12 min Burn Out Toolkit video at www.nataliasamman.com/burnouttoolkit.

Image Credits
Natalia Samman Ashley Blevins