Stress & Burnout Counselling

You might recognise this

You're managing work, home and relationships and you're tired in a way that sleep doesn't fix. It isn't only how much there is to carry. Sometimes it's how little support you get, how unclear expectations are, or an environment that steadily wears you down.

Saying no has become difficult. Your days are packed with what other people need, leaving little to meet your own. You procrastinate on things you used to handle easily. Headaches, gut issues, constant fatigue. Small things irritate you more than they should.

You may notice you're not quite present. You're in the room, but your mind is on what still has to be done, and it becomes harder to feel much for the person in front of you. Evenings and weekends, you carry it home, half-listening to the people you care about.

The exhaustion that started in one area, whether work, caregiving or a relationship, has crept into other parts of your life. You've quietly given up your hobbies, your friendships, your own opinions. The things that used to matter have faded, and you're not sure how long you can go on for.

What coping can look like

Pushing through. Packing your schedule so tightly because stopping does not feel like an option. Even when you rest, the exhaustion stays. So you reach for things that take the edge off. Checking work email when you're meant to be off. Hours of gaming. Shows late into the night. Your mind needs somewhere else to go.

You plan a holiday, hoping getting away will reset things. Rest never quite arrives. And when a quiet moment does come, guilt arrives instead. You've been busy for so long that it's hard to imagine another way of being.

What our work together looks like

Burnout needs attention. We'll look at what got you here: the stressors you've been living with, and the patterns and expectations you carry, along with where they came from. This understanding helps us look at what you need to recover, and what needs to change.

We'll pay attention to how stress shows up in your body, and build ways to settle yourself when it does. We'll also work on who you are outside the roles that keep you busy, and on what you actually need. Part of that is being honest about what sits within your control and what doesn't, and how to ask for what you need.

From there we can put together a way of caring for yourself that you can maintain. Many people come out of burnout with a clearer sense of who they are and what they're willing to carry.

Common questions

How do I know if I'm burnt out?

Burnout tends to show up as exhaustion that rest doesn't fix, growing distance from work you used to care about, and feeling less effective than you know you are. It often shows up in the body too, as headaches, gut issues, or falling sick more easily than you used to. If that tiredness has crept from one area into the rest of your life, it's worth taking seriously.

Is this burnout or depression?

Burnout is usually tied to sustained demands in one part of life, while low mood that colours everything regardless of circumstances may point to something more.

As a counsellor I don't diagnose. What we will do is look honestly at what you're experiencing, and if it seems a medical professional should also be involved, I'll say so and support you in that.

How does counselling help with burnout?

We look at what got you here: the environment, the stressors, and the patterns and expectations you carry. We also look at what recovery requires. That usually includes noticing how stress shows up in your body, where a line needs drawing, and rebuilding a way of caring for yourself that you can sustain.

Many people come out of burnout clearer about who they are and what they're willing to carry.