There’s a kind of burnout only psychiatrists truly know.
The kind that comes from holding space for suffering—while being stuck in systems that don’t hold space for you.
Maybe you’re in academia or corporate medicine, staring down mandatory “resilience training modules” you’re expected to complete on your own time.
Or maybe you’re still in training, looking at disempowered attendings and wondering, ‘Is this it?‘
Let’s be clear:
I love being a psychiatrist.
I love practicing psychiatry.
If you used to love it too but now feel depleted, the problem isn’t psychiatry, and it’s not you either. It’s the structure psychiatry is practiced in.
I wasn’t burned out when I took my telepsychiatry practice abroad to Portugal. But I discovered something I didn’t expect. The real shifts weren’t just about working with a new view outside my window. They went much deeper, reshaping how I practice, how I spend my time, and how I live my life.
And here’s the best part: they’re not unique to me. Any psychiatrist who builds a private practice that’s truly their own can experience them, too.
These are the 3 life-changing shifts you’ll feel in your bones:
Shift #1: True Location Independence
There’s remote work. And then there’s freedom.
“Remote” work means that your overlords are saving money by not renting an office for you, while still expecting you to live nearby. Definitely not abroad, because that complicates their Medicare billing and corporate tax structure.
But when you’re location-independent, you decide where to live and work. Whether that’s:
- Near family overseas,
- Exploring life as a digital nomad, or
- Putting down roots in a new country that feels more like home.
Your career doesn’t limit your life dreams. It makes space for them.
Yes, some telepsychiatry companies do allow you to work abroad. But policies change. And several have already reversed their stance. Sometimes psychiatrists get “grandfathered in”. Sometimes… they don’t.
When the practice is yours, that freedom isn’t conditional. It’s permanent.
Shift #2: You Call the Clinical Shots
Not only do you choose where you practice, but you also choose how you practice.
Build an out-of-network, cash-pay private practice, and you’re no longer shackled by corporate productivity metrics or Insurance company micromanagement
Instead, you can:
- Slow down
- Think deeply
- Build long-term relationships
Prefer 60-minute med checks for complex cases?
Want to work with a specific patient population that energizes you?
When it’s your practice, you set the rules.
Shift #3: You Own Your Time (For Real)
Here’s the biggest reason I’ll never go back:
When you run your own practice, your time is truly yours.
You can:
- Take that noon Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class
- Take a three-day weekend every weekend
- Consolidate your schedule to travel each summer
The only person you need permission from… is you. You’re not just building a practice to fund a dream life later.
You’re building a life worth living now—one that reflects your values, your rhythm, your goals.
Is it easy?
No. You’ll learn things they never taught you in residency.
Like how to:
Navigate the legal and logistical maze of working from abroad
Incorporate your business
Market your practice (without feeling like a sleazy car salesman)
Is it worth it?
If you’re craving real freedom, real connection with your patients, and a practice that heals rather than drains you, this might be the best decision you’ll ever make.
Curious about building your own telepsychiatry practice from abroad? Take our free 8-question quiz (takes 45 seconds) to find out where you are now + the 3 smartest next steps for you. 👉 Take the quiz
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Emeric Bojarski, MD, is a Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatrist who runs his telepsychiatry private practice out of Coimbra, Portugal. He graduated from Harvard Medical School, completed his Adult Psychiatry residency at Yale, and his Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at MGH/McLean. He is the co-founder of Hippocratic Adventures. When not seeing patients or helping fellow physicians move abroad, he enjoys competitive long-distance running, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and studying game theory and design.
Physicians: MGH Institute of Health Professions designates this live activity for a maximum of 8.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits ™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this activity.
JA Statement: In support of improving patient care, MGH Institute of Health Professions is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Updated August 25, 2026. Originally published Sept 9 2025.
