It’s Okay To Close Your Practice: A Compassionate Message To The Psych NP Facing Private Practice Stress And Burnout

You didn’t open your practice because you were uncertain or impulsive. You opened it because you are brave, capable, and deeply committed to serving others. You believed you could create something meaningful. A place where patients were treated with dignity. A space where your voice mattered. A professional life that aligned with your values.

You invested your time, your money, your energy, and your hope into that vision.

And now, beneath the ongoing weight of private practice stress, you are exhausted. You are still showing up, still caring, still holding everything together, but quietly you’re wondering whether the life this practice created is costing you more than it gives.

I know this feeling deeply, because I lived it.

My Story: Choosing To Close My Practice

I made the decision to close my own practice. It was one of the hardest choices I have ever made. I felt like I was letting people down. I worried about my patients, my team, and my community. I worried about the reputation I had built and the money, time, and emotional energy I had invested.

From the outside, everything looked successful. But inside, I knew it wasn’t working for me anymore. My health, my peace, and my family were carrying the cost. And I had to tell myself the truth.

I learned so much through that season. I served deeply. So many needs in the community were met. But in the end, I simply did not want to do it anymore. The season had run its course.

And today, I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

The Hidden Cost Of Private Practice Stress For Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners

Owning a practice is often described as freedom and independence. But behind the scenes, many psychiatric nurse practitioners experience:

• nonstop administrative workload

• staffing challenges and turnover

• insurance and compliance pressure

• emotional responsibility for everyone and everything

Instead of more peace, there is less.
Instead of more time, the schedule tightens.
Instead of joy, there is quiet burnout.

And still, many of us hold on, not because it feels aligned, but because of guilt.

Guilt about the investment.
Guilt about expectations.
Guilt about being the person others depend on.

But guilt is not a sustainable reason to keep something that is hurting you.

Choosing Yourself Is Not Failure

If your practice is costing you your health, your joy, your relationships, or your sense of self, this is not about quitting.

This is about self-preservation in the face of private practice stress and burnout.

You are allowed to say
This no longer aligns with my life.
This is costing me more than it gives.
I deserve peace again.

Closing a practice does not erase your courage or your impact. Nothing you invested was wasted. You learned, you served, you grew, and the wisdom you gained will guide you forward.

You Are More Than A Business

You are a healer. A professional. A human being with a life that deserves space, joy, and rest.

A practice is something you run. It should never run you into the ground.

If continuing means losing yourself, the bravest and most self-honoring decision may be to let go.

Not because you failed.

But because you finally chose YOU.

If This Spoke To You, You Are Not Alone

So many psychiatric nurse practitioners carry this tension in silence, especially when private practice stress becomes overwhelming.

You don’t have to walk through this alone.

I write resources, reflections, and support for psych NPs who are redefining success on their own terms. If you want honest guidance, encouragement, and next-step clarity, I’d love to stay connected with you.

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A new season is possible. And you are allowed to choose it.