Understanding the Experiences of Nonprofit Leaders in Psychotherapy

Nonprofit leaders are at the helm of organizations that contribute significantly and meaningfully to society. Nonprofit organizations provide a range of services across sectors that include healthcare, education, mental health, civic engagement, and many others. Existing literature attends to the challenges nonprofit leaders face in their work roles, with managing boards and fundraising frequently cited as stressors. Little is known about the mental health experiences of nonprofit leaders, including common mental health diagnoses they experience, prevalence of mental health symptoms, or effective interventions for mental health concerns. The present study sought to explore the experiences of nonprofit leaders who attend psychotherapy. More specifically, it sought to understand how their work impacts their mental health, the reasons they sought psychotherapy, their thoughts and feelings about attending psychotherapy, their perceptions of productive and unproductive elements of psychotherapy, the effects psychotherapy had on their work, the effect their work had on psychotherapy, and their current perspectives on psychotherapy. Thirteen nonprofit executive directors were interviewed and asked to share their perspectives and experiences in each of these areas. Findings suggested that most participants’ work responsibilities were intensifying their stress and that most participants sought psychotherapy because they were experiencing mental health symptoms. Regarding help-seeking, most participants were eager to attend therapy and did not have concerns before starting psychotherapy, though some wondered if it would be worth the investment. Most participants noted that gaining new perspectives while feeling safe and heard were productive elements of their experience. At the same time, some participants reported that not feeling understood and feeling that psychotherapy was not focused on their goals were unproductive. Participants also described improvements in their functioning as a result of psychotherapy, and some attributed improvements in their organizations to their psychotherapy experience. Most participants also noted that work was the focus of their psychotherapy. Participants’ evaluations of psychotherapy included that it was a positive experience for them while noting that there are important considerations in the selection of a psychotherapist. Limitations, implications, and future research directions are discussed, as well.