IN-PERSON THERAPY IN SAN DIEGO & ONLINE THERAPY THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA

Therapy for Burnout in CA

Find a way to keep showing up without always carrying everything on your own.

A woman holding a straw to her lips, possibly preparing to drink or take a sip.

A dried white flower with small blooms on thin, brown stems inside a clear glass vase.

Does this sound familiar?

No matter how much you do, it’s still not enough.

You take your roles seriously—at work, with your family, in your relationships, or all of the above. A lot of your drive comes from genuinely wanting to do things well and care for the people around you, but somewhere along the way, it’s started to feel like too much…and your own needs have been pushed to the bottom of the list.

Between work responsibilities, family expectations, and the constant pressure to keep up, it feels hard to slow down because there’s always something else that needs your attention. Your mind doesn’t really stop either. You might lie awake at night replaying conversations, running through your to-do list, or waking up already feeling mentally “on” before the day has even started. And even though you’re capable and getting things done, underneath it all, you’re completely exhausted.

You’re noticing you:

Take on more than your share to keep things running smoothly
Say yes when you really want to say no, then feel guilty for slowing down or putting yourself first
Worry about disappointing people or being seen as unreliable
Feel frustrated with authority figures who keep moving the goalpost or ignore your boundaries
Struggle to ask for help, or go "above and beyond" every time, because that's how you've learned to be successful

There’s a part of you that knows something needs to change, but it’s hard to know how to slow down without feeling like you’re letting people down—or losing the version of yourself everyone has come to rely on.

A person dressed in beige pants and brown high heels sitting at a wooden table, with only their legs visible. The floor has a patterned carpet.

A dried, orange-brown fern leaf on a light gray background.

A woman with dark hair styled in a bun, dressed in a beige outfit, sitting on a white chair by a large window, holding a white mug in one hand and reading papers.

A man with dark hair and a beard, dressed in a white shirt and black tie, is sitting on a park bench with his eyes closed and a gentle smile on his face. He has his arms raised above his head, with his hands clasped together. The background is a park with trees and blurred greenery.

If doing more were the answer, it would’ve worked by now.

A woman with long dark hair, dressed in a black blazer and white blouse, sipping from a white mug in an office environment with shelves, framed certificates, and plants.

A man with dark skin sitting on a light grey couch, working on a silver laptop, with a large green leafy plant behind him and dark walls to the right.

How I Can Help

Burnout often happens when the parts of you that keep everything going never get to rest.

UNDERSTAND WHAT’S BENEATH THE PATTERN

So in this space together, instead of trying to “fix” the behavior, we start by understanding what’s underneath it. Drawing from parts work (IFS), we get curious about the part of you that keeps pushing, overextending, or taking on more—not as the problem, but as a part that’s been trying to help in some way. We look at where that part came from, what it’s trying to protect you from, and why it’s been working so hard for so long.

MAKING SPACE FOR WHAT MATTERS

At the same time, it’s important to step back and look at the bigger picture. A lot of burnout is shaped by messages you’ve absorbed over time about responsibility, achievement, sacrifice, or what it means to be a “good” leader, partner, or family member. My own experience in leadership positions has given me firsthand insight into how easily pressure, responsibility, and high expectations can become part of your normal. Together, using methods like Narrative Therapy, we begin separating what genuinely matters to you from what you’ve simply learned to carry.

LEARNING TO SHOW UP DIFFERENTLY

As we start to understand these patterns more clearly, we also begin to strengthen a different relationship with yourself—one grounded in greater compassion, flexibility, and space for your own needs rather than constantly overriding them. This isn’t because those hardworking parts are “bad,” but because they’ve likely been operating in overdrive for a very long time.

We’re not here to make you into a completely different person or distance yourself from your culture. This is more about recognizing that you may already have the capacity to show up differently—you just haven’t had much space to access it consistently. Over time, this looks like taking on less without guilt, creating boundaries without feeling selfish, or realizing you can still be caring, capable, and successful without constantly sacrificing yourself in the process.

Instead of constantly pushing through, therapy for burnout can help you begin to:

Feel more in control of your own time and energy
Respond with more intention in the moments that matter
Set microboundaries that actually feel realistic and doable
Hold space for yourself and others without constantly overextending
Feel more settled and present in your day-to-day
Move through your life with more steadiness and less stress

A person lying in a field of tall grass during sunset, wearing a white shirt and red shorts.

A woman with long brown wavy hair, smiling and looking up, sitting at a table in a modern kitchen. She is holding a smartphone in her hands. On the table in front of her are a laptop with a marble design, a pair of glasses, and various small objects. The kitchen has beige walls, a pendant light, a window, and shelves with plants and kitchen items.

Michelle helped me through difficult personal and professional times with great care and provided me with the tools and tactics to help me navigate the tough feelings and situations that were brought up. She is a great listener and made me open up my eyes to help me understand my experiences through a different perspective. For that I’m forever grateful.

— Verified Anonymous Client

Disclaimer: The image shown is a stock photo and does not depict an actual client. These testimonials reflect the unique, subjective experiences of former or current clients regarding their personal growth and the therapeutic relationship. They are shared with permission. These reflections do not guarantee, warrant, or predict identical experiences or outcomes for future clients. Every individual’s therapeutic journey and process of self-understanding is unique.

Got questions?

This is very common. A lot of my clients are already self-aware—they know they’re overwhelmed and want things to be different. But insight alone doesn’t always lead to change, especially when these patterns are tied to long-standing ways of coping or relating. That’s where our work focuses: not just understanding what’s happening, but helping it shift in a way that actually feels sustainable.
No. The goal isn’t to become a different person or stop caring about your work or relationships. It’s about finding a way to show up in those areas without overextending yourself or losing your sense of balance. We’re not getting rid of the parts of you that care—we’re helping them not have to work so hard.
That fear makes a lot of sense, especially if a big part of your identity has been built around being dependable, productive, high-achieving, or the person people can count on.
This work isn’t about taking away your ambition, work ethic, or ability to care deeply. In many cases, those qualities are part of what helped you get through difficult environments and succeed in the first place. The goal is to help you build a different relationship with those parts of yourself so success no longer has to come at the expense of your well-being. Often, people find they’re still capable, driven, and effective—but less consumed by pressure, guilt, or the constant feeling that they always have to keep proving themselves.
Yes, both. Burnout rarely stays in one part of your life, so we look at work, family, and relationships together, and how the pressures in each shape the others.
I've spent over 15 years working with people who carry a lot of responsibility, as a therapist, a clinical supervisor, and a leader myself. Burnout is rarely just a personal problem. Often it's about what's happening around you. At work, that can look like expectations that grow faster than your actual authority, unclear direction, constant restructuring, or layoffs that keep everyone on edge. At home, it can mean being the one everyone counts on to hold things together.
Because I've been in leadership roles myself, I know how isolating it can be to be the person everyone relies on while having less power than people assume. Many of my clients know that pull in their families and relationships too, shaped by expectations tied to family role, gender, or culture, especially where achievement, sacrifice, or not being a burden is the unspoken rule. Together, we make sense of how those pressures shape the way you show up, at work and at home, and find a way forward that doesn't require you to keep carrying everything alone.
It depends on what you’re working through and what’s contributing to your burnout. Some people start to notice small shifts early on—like feeling a bit more aware or having more space in certain situations. Bigger changes tend to build over time as we continue to understand and work through what’s driving the patterns. The focus is on creating changes that are sustainable—not just temporary relief.

Your next step starts here

Sessions available in-person in San Diego and online across California

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