PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
Evidence & Impact
The Burn In Model is an evidence-informed, conceptually grounded and practice-forward framework developed through research, lived experience and reflective practice.
Evidence
The Burn In Model was developed, conceptually validated and pilot tested using a layered and iterative process.
Read more about this and the model’s theoretical underpinnings in the eBook.
Literature Review
Two narrative literature reviews explored the science of burnout and a central question: What is its opposite? Comparing established research with lived experience helped us look beyond work engagement toward a broader understanding of alignment and sustainable wellbeing.
Lived Experience
The model development process drew heavily from the lived experiences and professional expertise of international collaborators. Their stories revealed how burnout can emerge not only from work, but also from caregiving, masking neurodivergence, and the cumulative demands of everyday life.
Mapping Review
We reviewed 13 empirical studies examining factors influencing burnout and job satisfaction among occupational therapists. Mapping these factors to the model’s constructs provided early support for its conceptual foundations and helped identify connections between the research and the model.
Over 20 people participated in a six-week guided program applying The Burn In Model to their personal lives through group discussion and independent reflection. Post-program feedback supported the model’s relevance and practicality, with participants reporting that they could readily integrate its concepts into everyday life and professional practice.
Personal Reflection
Helping professionals are applying The Burn In Model across diverse clinical settings, as well as in education, leadership, supervision, and mentorship. Early anecdotal feedback highlights its value in fostering meaningful conversations, connection, engagement, and wellbeing.
Reflective Practice
We conducted semi-structured focus groups with 14 occupational therapists across several countries. Participants affirmed the model’s clarity, relevance, and practical utility across diverse settings, highlighting its relatable fire metaphor and ability to capture the complexity of human experience.
End User Feedback
Impact
Explore how The Burn In Model is contributing to professional dialogue, shared learning, and emerging scholarship across disciplines and communities.
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EBOOK → Crispe, R. K., & Luken, M. L. (2026). The Burn In Model: A Lens and Language for Reframing Burnout and Living in Alignment.
WEB ARTICLE → Crispe, R. K., & Luken, M. L. (February 12, 2026). The Burn In Model: A Brand New Model of Occupational Therapy. The Occupational Therapy Hub.
WEBPAGE → Crispe, R. K., & Luken, M. L. (2026). The Burn In Model. OT Theory Database.
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KEYNOTES
Burn In, Not Out: Reclaiming Creativity, Purpose, and Possibility | 2026 Maryland Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference
Burn In, Not Out: Reclaiming Creativity, Purpose, and Possibility, 2026 Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference
The Story, Science, and Soul of The Burn In Model, Towson University Scholarship Day, Towson, Maryland, USA
INVITED SYMPOSIUM
Luken, M. (2026). Staying In or Stepping Away: Burnout and Moral Injury in the United States Military, The American Psychological Association (APA) Convention, Washington, DC, USA.
PEER-REVIEWED POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Luken, M., & Crispe, R. (2026). Burning In, Not Out: A New Paradigm for Addressing Burnout and Living a Life of Alignment, The World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress, Bangkok, Thailand.
Bouritsas, A., Luken, M., & Crispe, R. (2026). The Burn In Model: An Occupational Therapy Perspective on Burnout, The 1st Annual International Congress of Occupational Therapy, Komotini, Greece.
Research
What began as a grassroots collaboration is now inspiring new avenues of scholarly inquiry. The Burn In Model is currently being explored through collaborations with researchers at multiple universities, with exciting possibilities for further investigation across disciplines, populations, and settings.
“The Burn In Model has sparked a great deal of reflection and excitement among colleagues and my students as well. Our research groups are now well underway, and The Burn In Model is very much shaping their thinking about occupational alignment, both personally and professionally.”
- Associate Chair, Masters in Occupational Therapy Program “The Burn In Model truly shifted my perspective on what burnout is and has improved my life. I am using The Burn In Model in my capstone research titled Reframing Burnout: Exploring a Holistic Approach Through Healthcare Workers' Experiences.
The purpose of the study is to address a gap in the existing literature by exploring and shifting the conceptualization of burnout among healthcare workers through a holistic perspective, using elements of The Burn In Model as a guide.”
- Occupational Therapy Student“Learning more about The Burn In Model and hearing conversations surrounding sustainability, passion, and longevity within OT reminded me why I fell in love with this profession in the first place. I just wanted to thank you both for the work you’ve done and the impact it’s had on students like me. It means more than I can fully put into words.”
- Occupational Therapy StudentAre you a researcher passionate about burnout and wellbeing?
Join universities, researchers, clinicians and change-makers around the world in exploring The Burn In Model—its theory, impact and applications across diverse contexts.
If your work explores topics like burnout, moral injury, leadership, wellbeing or alignment, you’re warmly invited to connect about opportunities to collaborate!
“I truly believe that The Burn In Model is going to be very impactful in our profession — an ember to occupational therapy that will continue to ignite or reignite the fire in professionals, clients, students and more.”
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— DR. MARLA DAVIS, PRIVATE PRACTICE OWNER + ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
STAY CLOSE TO THE WORK
The Burn In Model Newsletter
Keep exploring The Burn In Model. Get occasional resources, reflections, research, and updates to deepen your understanding of the model and support greater alignment across life and work.
