Want to Be a Mental Health Worker? Realities of the Front Lines

Think working in mental health is just sitting and listening? The reality is a chaotic, high volume front line where workers face severe psychological crises every single day. In this episode, our host sits down with the author of “So You Want To Work in Mental Health?: The Good, the Bad, and the Unforgettable,” Cliffard Mayo, MBA, LAC, to pull back the curtain on what really happens behind closed doors for many mental health workers. Listeners will learn: Mental health workers are trained not to internalize a client's failures, and therefore often refuse to take credit for their successes. Nonclinical staff absorb crisis trauma but are often denied essential training and support. Empathy fatigue is where clients begin to feel like a rotation of numbers rather than people. Training vs. Reality: Academia teaches how to run a controlled, one-on-one clinical session, but often fails to prepare graduates for the volume, chaos, and emotional exhaustion of the actual field. Whether you are a professional working in healthcare or someone determined to understand the current, raw state of mental health advocacy, this conversation delivers the essential insights and perspectives you need. Hit play to uncover the unspoken truths of caregiving and learn how we can preserve the people who spend their lives saving others. "School prepared me to be a therapist in a session [...] It didn't prepare me for handling the sheer volume of vicarious trauma, chaos, exhaustion." — Cliffard Mayo, author of “So You Want to Work in Mental Health?” Our guest, Cliffard Mayo, MBA, LAC, is an award‑winning author and behavioral health professional with a decade of direct care experience, including crisis intervention and residential therapy. Known for his authenticity and emotional intelligence, Cliffard blends professional expertise with deeply human storytelling to challenge stigma and inspire resilience. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe is also the host of the "Inside Bipolar" podcast with Dr. Nicole Washington. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Please share the show with everyone you know! Thank you!