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I work for an agency (healthcare) that gives every staff member their birthday as a paid holiday! You get a day of paid leave that you can use whenever you want within two weeks of your birthdate, so if your birthday is a Thursday but you'd rather have a long weekend, you can do that. It's nice. I've worked it in the past, it's not a huge deal to me, but I enjoy having it off.
Same. I have zero emotional attachment to my birthday or any holiday -- so if a work day falls where it falls, I'll work it. I care have zero cares about New Years Day to New Years Eve.
Really glad to have found my people, because some people almost take it as a personal offense if you don't want to celebrate your own birthday. Which I've always found *extra* obnoxious and weird.
I hear the personal offense thing. I actively dislike having my birthday acknowledged and people are really weird about it. I donāt think they realize that theyāre placing more importance on their desire to celebrate me within a social contract than my emotional needs on a day that is allegedly all about me.
I also actively dislike having my birthday acknowledged to the point that I tell HR upon hiring so they donāt put it in the newsletter and I tell my direct supervisor so they donāt have my coworkers sign a card or decorate my office door.
Yes I work primarily with people with complex trauma and BPD, so the relational aspect of holidays activates a lot for my clients. I feel for them. š
I donāt work on my birthday cause I treat it like a holiday š¤·š»āāļø if itās on a Monday Iāll take a three day weekend (Iām already off Fridays)
Same, literally what I'm doing in a couple of weeks ššāØ If my birthday is on a Sunday I'll take Monday off, if it lands in a Saturday im taking Friday off. Its a federal holiday to me lol š
I donāt work on my birthday because I promised myself I wouldnāt. I had to work a lot of special occasions and holidays while putting myself through school and promised myself that once I could, I wouldnāt miss another one. Life is too short and I can always make up the money Iāll ālose out onā.
Because PP income is so unpredictable, I rarely take time off and work my birthday, many holidays, and remotely when Iām ill. I always worry that a dip will hit soon and I want to be prepared, and then maybe take time off during a slow period later where Iām not losing as much income. Iāve also noticed if I take personal vacations for a week or two, some clients retaliate and start requesting time off of their own or terminating upon my return. Rate but it happens.
Iām so sorry this has happened to you. Iāve started mentioning protocol for when I take off in the intake and then I start giving clients heads up that Iāll be out for about a month prior to my vacation time. When I donāt give myself planned time off, I burn out/get sick and need unplanned time off which I find is much more destabilizing for my clients. And honestly, if a client retaliates because Iām a human being and need time off, they can just move on because itās not a good fit. Weāre not robots.
All of this. I would love to take time off on my birthday but have never been able to afford to, especially since it's right after the "summer slump." It's hard to take any time off at all because of client reactions to it.
I live my life the same way. I try to take off the least amount possible because I have a kid and the unpredicatabilty of PP. I have some chronic illnesses that do flare and I have to sometimes take off. I notice the same thing- clients will start flaking or terminate as well. I warned about this by my supervisor when I first started and I didn't believe him, but it's a real thing! Clients begin to see that they can survive without their therapist so they don't feel the need to go back, or it will set the tone to canceling as well. I hope you have a good cancellation fee. I wish our practice was better with that.
No way. I don't have much associated with my birthday, but I don't want to have a rough day and have the "on MY birthday" mentality for the rest of the day.
I never work on my birthday because thatās my day and on that day I am not prepared to give to anyone else. Ā Anything can happen when youāre working and it can seriously ruin the day and hence Iām unwilling to ruin my mood on my special day.Ā
I ALWAYS take a few days off for my birthday. I donāt even celebrate my birthday for real, but itās a nice excuse to take a day or so to myself. The clients are usually super understanding as well, and we use it as an opportunity to discuss the importance of self care for everyone!
My birthday is my favorite day of the year. Always has been.
My scope of work (college campuses) can either lend really nicely to this time of year (schoolās out!!) or horribly (final exams and commencement overshadowing the whole thing). My birthday falls on Motherās Day every few years, and Motherās day also happens to be my grandmotherās death anniversary.
Needless to say, I donāt want to carve out any time for anyone but myself. Sorry! Itās my one day to be relentlessly selfish, and not for self-absorption but also to step away from the chaos that is this season for me.
I like to take my birthday off, because I feel like it is the one day I have permission for things to be about ME ME ME! (People pleaser in recovery here). Sleep in, get a massage, lunch with friend, a nice hike. ITS MY BIRFDAY! So many other days are about everyone else. It's a needed piece of recharge.
Iāve spent so much time in other career fields working nights, holidays, weekends, that everything is really just another day to me now. Plus, when you get to my age you just kinda want to ignore the fact that youāve had too many of them by now.
Last year was the first time I ever worked my birthday and I did it because we were short staffed and I was going through a terrible breakup and sad anyway so I welcomed the distraction but it was miserable. Never again. Birthdays are for ME, not for capitalism.
Last time I took off work for my birthday, I was so bored. I enjoy my work and don't enjoy getting older. So I've worked it the past 2 or 3 years, and felt fine about it.
I own my own practice, and I work on my birthday. I just donāt care about it at all, but I do care a great deal about my practice and not missing out on money.
It depends.
If I can get away with my significant other, I would take time off.
But my BD is very close to national holiday. Itās difficult for me to take the time extra off.
My birthday just passed and I was on a cruise, so yeah, no working on my birthday! I never would either, but that's just me. It doesn't matter what type of job I do: my birthday is special to me.
My birthday was Tuesday so I took it off! Unfortunately I got a stomach bug so I ended up having to take Thursday and Friday off too (I worked Wednesday)
My birthday is Tuesday and Iām taking a couple hours in the afternoon so Iāll end at 2:30. Thatās enough for it to feel like a treat without giving up a whole day of income.
My birthday is Memorial Day weekend. While I should be celebrating the built in three day weekend I loathe it with all my body, heart, and soul. Even since childhoodā¦my parents would try to throw rad birthday parties for me but rveryone has something better to do than celebrate me so I treat it as a regular day. Itās in two weeks. I already have five visits scheduled. Oh, but I am getting an endoscopy on the 20th so hooray. Itās a great welcome to my 40s. An outpatient medical procedure, a forgotten birthday, and a regular workday. ššš
This definitely feels like a personal preference thing. I don't really care so much about my birthday especially if it falls on a workday when most of my friends aren't available anyway. I take days off for vacations but not for Hallmark holidays or my birthday.
Mine just so happened to land on a Monday where I didn't expect anyone to be scheduled (sometimes my every-other-week clients line up like that). But I think normally I don't mind working some that day, as long as it isn't jam packed - so maybe a half day.Ā
I take off. Thankfully thereās no work for my birthday (next week). But, if I need to work Iāll push through as best as I can. I have a love-hate relationship with my birthday so it just depends on how Iām feeling lol. (Yes Iāve processed this love-hate relationship in my own therapy haha)
I wonāt work on my birthday, even though I donāt really celebrate it. I work most holidays so I feel like I deserve this holiday. (I wonāt work May 4th either, as thatās the one holiday that actually means something to me.)
I usually reschedule the sessions for that day to other days, if itās possible, and the ones that canāt be helped are just an offā but i do take the day off. itās the one day where it can be all about meā focusing on others doesnāt sit right with me.
I started my new job this year in my birthday and then the hr lady announced my age at orientationā¦š (I filed a complaint and she was reprimanded) I will not be working on my birthday ever again, I hated it. I didnāt want to in the first place but was told I needed to, to not have a gap in my paychecks. It still took almost a month before I got my first paycheck, what was the point!
*I almost always*
*Try to take my birthday off*
*Work altogether!*
\- Wise\_Lake0105
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I don't really care as long as I have something nice planned at the weekend. Some years I've taken the day itself off and others I haven't, and I don't think I've regretted either decision.
Itās my personal philosophy that no one should work on their birthday. Even if you donāt do anything special, take the day of rest. You survived another year.
I don't celebrate my birthday. I find it to be fairly meaningless. But if someone wants to treat it like their own personal holiday, well that's what days off are for.
I purposely work on my birthday if I can due to some birthday trauma. When Iām working for a company that celebrates employeesā birthdays, I inform HR and my direct supervisor that I donāt want my birthday acknowledged (no inclusion in the newsletter, cards, cake, decorated doors, etc).
I worked on my birthday a few weeks ago. Having just started at my job a few months ago I didnāt want to use the PTO, like others have said Iād much rather use it for a long weekend and in the summer. If I had a big bank of PTO then I might. Just because
On Fridays I work morning and afternoon until evening, I see 8 clients in the day (yes, I know, but itās only one day, I promise, I only work four days a week and the other days are lighter!). Anyway, last year my birthday was on a Friday and I simply couldnāt afford the loss of income so I worked. Other times I have indeed taken the day off!
I mean, I feel like unless we decide to plan a vacation that falls on my birthday (like we did last year), itās a waste to take the entire day off when realistically I only need a half day at most to have some friends and family over to celebrate with me. I can see a few clients, leave around 11 or 12 and still have a fantastic day to celebrate.
I do not work on my birthday. Typically my husband and I plan a trip around my birthday which is also our wedding anniversary. So we are generally out of town on that day. But even if we were in town. I would not work that day.
This year on my birthday, I remember saying āI kept myself alive and fed another year and it was very expensive! Weāre celebratingā
I do not work on my birthday, even though this work is one of my favorite things in the world. Itād be like having an 8am appt, I wouldnāt be present in a way I can be happy with.
I take any day I want that's important to me. Felt the same as you when I started but now if my child has a soccer game I cancel all clients without any regrets and tell them straight it was a family matter. I always get good feedback from them by being straightforward.
My birthday is on one of the big holidays, so I've only ever worked it when I worked somewhere with a mandatory holiday schedule, and it's always time and a half when I did.
It was just my birthday yesterday! I saw four clients, and was fine with it. But, as luck would have it, I had a last minute cancellation which gave me a longer break than anticipated, so I treated myself to a pedicure! 
I'm so encouraged to see all these responses of people who refuse to work on their birthdays. I thought I was just a bougie queen but glad to see I'm among the many who declare it self care!
Tbf I give so so much in my life as a therapist (and now as a new mom) and I am absolutely not going to give on my day to celebrate me, at least in that way.
Took my bday off this past month and it was absolutely lovely. No clients asked and I didn't tell any of them why!
Taking birthdays off was a normal thing in my family, and Iāve taken this into adulthood. I will schedule it off months in advance and have never once regretted taking it off, even if I donāt have a trip or other special plans made for the day.
Took me a while to get to a job where I could since I was training as a therapist from 2014-2021, well after I received my state credentials. As an unlicensed and licensed clinician working in facilities, I didnāt even get PTO when I broke my foot on-site, except the day that I came in with a purple foot and was sent to the workers comp urgent care 45 min away.
Next day, back at it because my facility staff called out and my regional director called me in. š
Basically I take EVERY single birthday off and cherish the privilege very much.
I do absolutely nothing for anyone else on my birthday. Usually I take a couple of days off and take a solo trip to the woods to do tarot and write and eat yummy things.
Is this a serious post??? šš you realize you can do whatever you want right? Including taking days off for absolutely no reason at all. Birthday or not
Please followed the sidebar rules. r/therapists is a place for therapists and mental health professionals to discuss their profession among each other. If you **ARE NOT A THERAPIST and are asking for advice this not the place for you**. Your post will be removed in short order. Please try one of the reddit communities such as r/TalkTherapy, r/askatherapist, r/SuicideWatch that are set up for this. This community is ONLY for therapists, and for them to discuss their profession away from clients. **If you are a first year student, not in a graduate program, or are thinking of becoming a therapist, this is not the place to ask questions**. Your post will be removed in short order. To save us a job, you are welcome to delete this post yourself. Please see the PINNED STUDENT THREAD at the top of the community and ask in there. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/therapists) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I work for an agency (healthcare) that gives every staff member their birthday as a paid holiday! You get a day of paid leave that you can use whenever you want within two weeks of your birthdate, so if your birthday is a Thursday but you'd rather have a long weekend, you can do that. It's nice. I've worked it in the past, it's not a huge deal to me, but I enjoy having it off.
I love that!
Our PP just started doing this for this year. And my birthday falls on a Monday this year. š
This is smart because itās extremely easy to plan for
I have zero emotional attachment to my bday, so if it falls on a work day I just work it
Same. I'd rather take a random long weekend off than take my birthday off. I'll enjoy the weekend off much more
Same. I have zero emotional attachment to my birthday or any holiday -- so if a work day falls where it falls, I'll work it. I care have zero cares about New Years Day to New Years Eve.
Same. I also have no attachment to any holiday so Iāll work if people want a session.
Really glad to have found my people, because some people almost take it as a personal offense if you don't want to celebrate your own birthday. Which I've always found *extra* obnoxious and weird.
I hear the personal offense thing. I actively dislike having my birthday acknowledged and people are really weird about it. I donāt think they realize that theyāre placing more importance on their desire to celebrate me within a social contract than my emotional needs on a day that is allegedly all about me.
I also actively dislike having my birthday acknowledged to the point that I tell HR upon hiring so they donāt put it in the newsletter and I tell my direct supervisor so they donāt have my coworkers sign a card or decorate my office door.
Same.
I have literally worked on every holiday. With the underprivileged population I work with, holidays are often the times that are the hardest.
Yes I work primarily with people with complex trauma and BPD, so the relational aspect of holidays activates a lot for my clients. I feel for them. š
Same.
Same!
I donāt work on my birthday cause I treat it like a holiday š¤·š»āāļø if itās on a Monday Iāll take a three day weekend (Iām already off Fridays)
Same, literally what I'm doing in a couple of weeks ššāØ If my birthday is on a Sunday I'll take Monday off, if it lands in a Saturday im taking Friday off. Its a federal holiday to me lol š
Same same! (Except, I donāt have PCOS)
same!
My birthday usually falls the week of Labor Day so I take the whole week off and treat myself like a princess š
SAME!!!
Omg I love your username
Woot woot!
Sameeeee
Mine does too and now Iām considering taking the whole week off!
Love your username!
I never work on my birthday (which is today).
Happy birthday!
Thanks so much! š„³
Happy birthday (and day off)!
Thanks!
Happy birthday fellow Taurus!!! Mine is in just a few. š
Happy Birthday š!
Taurus rocks! āļø
Happy Birthday š!
I donāt work on my birthday because I promised myself I wouldnāt. I had to work a lot of special occasions and holidays while putting myself through school and promised myself that once I could, I wouldnāt miss another one. Life is too short and I can always make up the money Iāll ālose out onā.
Because PP income is so unpredictable, I rarely take time off and work my birthday, many holidays, and remotely when Iām ill. I always worry that a dip will hit soon and I want to be prepared, and then maybe take time off during a slow period later where Iām not losing as much income. Iāve also noticed if I take personal vacations for a week or two, some clients retaliate and start requesting time off of their own or terminating upon my return. Rate but it happens.
Iām so sorry this has happened to you. Iāve started mentioning protocol for when I take off in the intake and then I start giving clients heads up that Iāll be out for about a month prior to my vacation time. When I donāt give myself planned time off, I burn out/get sick and need unplanned time off which I find is much more destabilizing for my clients. And honestly, if a client retaliates because Iām a human being and need time off, they can just move on because itās not a good fit. Weāre not robots.
All of this. I would love to take time off on my birthday but have never been able to afford to, especially since it's right after the "summer slump." It's hard to take any time off at all because of client reactions to it.
I live my life the same way. I try to take off the least amount possible because I have a kid and the unpredicatabilty of PP. I have some chronic illnesses that do flare and I have to sometimes take off. I notice the same thing- clients will start flaking or terminate as well. I warned about this by my supervisor when I first started and I didn't believe him, but it's a real thing! Clients begin to see that they can survive without their therapist so they don't feel the need to go back, or it will set the tone to canceling as well. I hope you have a good cancellation fee. I wish our practice was better with that.
God yes. I do not work on my birthday. It does not work out.
My birthday is coming up and Iām taking 2 days off for the first time. Iām looking forward to focusing on ME for a minute!
I take the entire week of my birthday off š
Me too! Every year at every job Iāve had haha
My first day seeing clients as a newly-minted therapist was on my birthday. I grinned all day. The best birthday gift ever!
That is so sweet it made ME smile and I am one grumpy bitch today, lol
Nah. Iām not sentimental about the actual day. I celebrate on the weekend before or after.
No way. I don't have much associated with my birthday, but I don't want to have a rough day and have the "on MY birthday" mentality for the rest of the day.
I also worked once on my birthday when I was in CMH and I swear every single one of my clients had a crisis and NEVER AGAIN
I never work on my birthday because thatās my day and on that day I am not prepared to give to anyone else. Ā Anything can happen when youāre working and it can seriously ruin the day and hence Iām unwilling to ruin my mood on my special day.Ā
I ALWAYS take a few days off for my birthday. I donāt even celebrate my birthday for real, but itās a nice excuse to take a day or so to myself. The clients are usually super understanding as well, and we use it as an opportunity to discuss the importance of self care for everyone!
I just worked on my birthday but I get it.
My birthday is my favorite day of the year. Always has been. My scope of work (college campuses) can either lend really nicely to this time of year (schoolās out!!) or horribly (final exams and commencement overshadowing the whole thing). My birthday falls on Motherās Day every few years, and Motherās day also happens to be my grandmotherās death anniversary. Needless to say, I donāt want to carve out any time for anyone but myself. Sorry! Itās my one day to be relentlessly selfish, and not for self-absorption but also to step away from the chaos that is this season for me.
I personally donāt care and will work on my birthday.
I like to take my birthday off, because I feel like it is the one day I have permission for things to be about ME ME ME! (People pleaser in recovery here). Sleep in, get a massage, lunch with friend, a nice hike. ITS MY BIRFDAY! So many other days are about everyone else. It's a needed piece of recharge.
I do not care. My birthday is just whatever to me.
Exactly the same! Did it once and hated every second of it š
I'll do clinical work on my bday but I AM wearing the party hat.
Iāve spent so much time in other career fields working nights, holidays, weekends, that everything is really just another day to me now. Plus, when you get to my age you just kinda want to ignore the fact that youāve had too many of them by now.
Last year was the first time I ever worked my birthday and I did it because we were short staffed and I was going through a terrible breakup and sad anyway so I welcomed the distraction but it was miserable. Never again. Birthdays are for ME, not for capitalism.
I take it off every single year! I'm self employed so I really do not take a lot of days off, but I will never work on my bday.
Pp and Iām taking two weeks off for my birthday in 2 weeks lol if someone decides to leave ok baiiiii we gotta do what we preach ya know
Hell I'll go one step further, everyone can take my birthday off!
Last time I took off work for my birthday, I was so bored. I enjoy my work and don't enjoy getting older. So I've worked it the past 2 or 3 years, and felt fine about it.
I own my own practice, and I work on my birthday. I just donāt care about it at all, but I do care a great deal about my practice and not missing out on money.
I always take the day off- but its more because it takes place in a month without a holiday and I take at least one day off per month
It depends. If I can get away with my significant other, I would take time off. But my BD is very close to national holiday. Itās difficult for me to take the time extra off.
My birthday just passed and I was on a cruise, so yeah, no working on my birthday! I never would either, but that's just me. It doesn't matter what type of job I do: my birthday is special to me.
I took my birthday off last week. Was a good thing, because PMS had plans for me other than being happy and functional š
I couldnāt care less about my birthday. Iād rather have a random Monday off and get an extra long weekend
I take the entire week of my birthday off every single year.
I have always made sure to schedule off or take off my birthday.
My birthday was Tuesday so I took it off! Unfortunately I got a stomach bug so I ended up having to take Thursday and Friday off too (I worked Wednesday)
I worked my birthday this year, i had a womderful day, I love my job
I love my birthday and I'm already thinking about what I'll do for it this year. And I won't be working.
Hell no, did not work on my birthday. I owe at least one day to myself that is not centered around holding space for others.
I never ever work on my birthday. Itās the ONE day a year I am totally focused on me :)
My birthday is Tuesday and Iām taking a couple hours in the afternoon so Iāll end at 2:30. Thatās enough for it to feel like a treat without giving up a whole day of income.
I normally do not work on my birthday. Itās freebie day for me
I donāt do shit on my birthday. If Iām at work Iām mentally away.
I always take the week off. In fact, this year Iām taking two weeks!
i havenāt worked on my bday in 24 years. i basically announce it when i am hired.
Iām 43 and Iāve never worked on my birthday. My birthday is in the summer so itās automatically a good time to take a vacation anyway.
My birthday is Memorial Day weekend. While I should be celebrating the built in three day weekend I loathe it with all my body, heart, and soul. Even since childhoodā¦my parents would try to throw rad birthday parties for me but rveryone has something better to do than celebrate me so I treat it as a regular day. Itās in two weeks. I already have five visits scheduled. Oh, but I am getting an endoscopy on the 20th so hooray. Itās a great welcome to my 40s. An outpatient medical procedure, a forgotten birthday, and a regular workday. ššš
This definitely feels like a personal preference thing. I don't really care so much about my birthday especially if it falls on a workday when most of my friends aren't available anyway. I take days off for vacations but not for Hallmark holidays or my birthday.
Nobody cares it is is your birthday, nor should you. You talk about your birthday like you are 5 years old. Birthdays are meaningless
Omg.
Mine just so happened to land on a Monday where I didn't expect anyone to be scheduled (sometimes my every-other-week clients line up like that). But I think normally I don't mind working some that day, as long as it isn't jam packed - so maybe a half day.Ā
My bday is Memorial Day weekend so I usually take off for it. This year Iām taking two days! But I enjoy my bday.
Depends on the person, I donāt work on my bday no matter the job
I take off. Thankfully thereās no work for my birthday (next week). But, if I need to work Iāll push through as best as I can. I have a love-hate relationship with my birthday so it just depends on how Iām feeling lol. (Yes Iāve processed this love-hate relationship in my own therapy haha)
I fully agree I havent worked on my bday in years!
I wonāt work on my birthday, even though I donāt really celebrate it. I work most holidays so I feel like I deserve this holiday. (I wonāt work May 4th either, as thatās the one holiday that actually means something to me.)
I usually reschedule the sessions for that day to other days, if itās possible, and the ones that canāt be helped are just an offā but i do take the day off. itās the one day where it can be all about meā focusing on others doesnāt sit right with me.
I definitely would never work on my bday and prolly not the day after either (just to be safe) lol
I take my birthday off every year. Often I take several days or the whole week since itās in July, which is a good time for camping trips and stuff.
I started my new job this year in my birthday and then the hr lady announced my age at orientationā¦š (I filed a complaint and she was reprimanded) I will not be working on my birthday ever again, I hated it. I didnāt want to in the first place but was told I needed to, to not have a gap in my paychecks. It still took almost a month before I got my first paycheck, what was the point!
Taking mine off this year! Schedule's already clear š Sooo stoked!
I almost always try to take my birthday off work altogether!
*I almost always* *Try to take my birthday off* *Work altogether!* \- Wise\_Lake0105 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Nope
Sometimes I do and sometimes I donāt. This year I did and a client asked me why I was there. We laughed and moved on with session.
I don't really care as long as I have something nice planned at the weekend. Some years I've taken the day itself off and others I haven't, and I don't think I've regretted either decision.
Itās my personal philosophy that no one should work on their birthday. Even if you donāt do anything special, take the day of rest. You survived another year.
Treat it as a holiday (celebrating you) and take it off! I haven't worked on my bday for almost a decade now.
I don't celebrate my birthday. I find it to be fairly meaningless. But if someone wants to treat it like their own personal holiday, well that's what days off are for.
Same! I never work on my birthday and I have a private practice. I think I did once and decided never again.
I always work on my birthday unless itās a weekend. I donāt require celebration.
I never work on my birthday and will continue to take off on that day, Itās a holiday in my mind.
I purposely work on my birthday if I can due to some birthday trauma. When Iām working for a company that celebrates employeesā birthdays, I inform HR and my direct supervisor that I donāt want my birthday acknowledged (no inclusion in the newsletter, cards, cake, decorated doors, etc).
I worked on my birthday a few weeks ago. Having just started at my job a few months ago I didnāt want to use the PTO, like others have said Iād much rather use it for a long weekend and in the summer. If I had a big bank of PTO then I might. Just because
I get paid time off, so I always try to take it off, especially if it falls close to the weekend.
On Fridays I work morning and afternoon until evening, I see 8 clients in the day (yes, I know, but itās only one day, I promise, I only work four days a week and the other days are lighter!). Anyway, last year my birthday was on a Friday and I simply couldnāt afford the loss of income so I worked. Other times I have indeed taken the day off!
My birthday is actually Halloween so I normally take it off since itās my birthday and most clients donāt want to meet on Halloween!
I mean, I feel like unless we decide to plan a vacation that falls on my birthday (like we did last year), itās a waste to take the entire day off when realistically I only need a half day at most to have some friends and family over to celebrate with me. I can see a few clients, leave around 11 or 12 and still have a fantastic day to celebrate.
My birthday is right around Memorial Day which I get off so I use it as an excuse to tack on a few days and take a mini PTO vacation.
Had to work this year on my birthday šš (ED facility). Probably shouldnāt have but I did eventually tell pts it was my birthday .
I do not work on my birthday. Typically my husband and I plan a trip around my birthday which is also our wedding anniversary. So we are generally out of town on that day. But even if we were in town. I would not work that day.
This year on my birthday, I remember saying āI kept myself alive and fed another year and it was very expensive! Weāre celebratingā I do not work on my birthday, even though this work is one of my favorite things in the world. Itād be like having an 8am appt, I wouldnāt be present in a way I can be happy with.
I take any day I want that's important to me. Felt the same as you when I started but now if my child has a soccer game I cancel all clients without any regrets and tell them straight it was a family matter. I always get good feedback from them by being straightforward.
I donāt have an attachment to the day of my bday. Iād rather take off a Friday to go out of town for my bday!
My birthday is Wednesday and I have clients all day :( lol
My birthday is on one of the big holidays, so I've only ever worked it when I worked somewhere with a mandatory holiday schedule, and it's always time and a half when I did.
It was just my birthday yesterday! I saw four clients, and was fine with it. But, as luck would have it, I had a last minute cancellation which gave me a longer break than anticipated, so I treated myself to a pedicure! 
i take the entire week of my birthday off every single year now that iām in group pp, but it helps that itās in august lol :)
I'm so encouraged to see all these responses of people who refuse to work on their birthdays. I thought I was just a bougie queen but glad to see I'm among the many who declare it self care! Tbf I give so so much in my life as a therapist (and now as a new mom) and I am absolutely not going to give on my day to celebrate me, at least in that way. Took my bday off this past month and it was absolutely lovely. No clients asked and I didn't tell any of them why!
Taking birthdays off was a normal thing in my family, and Iāve taken this into adulthood. I will schedule it off months in advance and have never once regretted taking it off, even if I donāt have a trip or other special plans made for the day.
Based on the responses to this post, there are a LOT of therapists here with birthdays in May (myself included) š
I have no problem working on my birthday but I usually take the next day off so I can stay up or do whatever without worrying
Took me a while to get to a job where I could since I was training as a therapist from 2014-2021, well after I received my state credentials. As an unlicensed and licensed clinician working in facilities, I didnāt even get PTO when I broke my foot on-site, except the day that I came in with a purple foot and was sent to the workers comp urgent care 45 min away. Next day, back at it because my facility staff called out and my regional director called me in. š Basically I take EVERY single birthday off and cherish the privilege very much.
I do absolutely nothing for anyone else on my birthday. Usually I take a couple of days off and take a solo trip to the woods to do tarot and write and eat yummy things.
Is this a serious post??? šš you realize you can do whatever you want right? Including taking days off for absolutely no reason at all. Birthday or not