Burnout and Stress Therapy in Brisbane

When working harder stops helping

Burnout is more than just feeling tired or having too much on your plate.

You might feel exhausted despite having time to rest. Work that once felt meaningful may begin to feel empty or burdensome. You might become more irritable, detached or self-critical, while at the same time feeling unable to slow down.

Sometimes burnout develops gradually. You keep pushing because there is always something else to do, another expectation to meet, or another version of yourself you feel you should become.

It's understandable to respond to this kind of stress by trying to become more efficient, disciplined or productive.

Sometimes that helps. But there can come a point where the solution becomes part of the problem. The pressure to keep performing can make it difficult to recognise when you are exhausted, or even to know what you would want if you stopped for a moment.

Achievement and productivity can become closely tied to a person's sense of worth. Rest can begin to feel unearned, and slowing down can bring anxiety or guilt.

Therapy can provide a space to step outside this cycle and think about what is happening.

Finding a different way of being

Recovery from burnout isn't necessarily about becoming better at doing more.

It may involve developing a different relationship with work, achievement, and yourself. This can include recognising limits, reconnecting with interests outside productivity, and becoming more able to notice what you need before exhaustion forces you to stop.

It can also mean reconsidering what you want your life to be organised around.

My approach is psychodynamic and relational. I am interested not only in relieving the immediate symptoms of stress and burnout, but in understanding the patterns and pressures that have contributed to them.

Therapy can be a place to slow down, think, and begin to work out what a more sustainable way of living might look like for you.

If you're experiencing burnout or feeling overwhelmed by the demands of work and life, you're welcome to get in touch.