For high-functioning people who keep going until the system breaks
Burnout often affects capable, conscientious people. You may be performing, delivering, and coping externally, while internally feeling depleted, numb, anxious, or increasingly unable to switch off.
I offer burnout therapy in Central London (W1 / W1W) and online, working with adults whose burnout is maintained by overcontrol, perfectionism, chronic role pressure, and difficulty setting limits.
My work integrates ISTDP, CBT and psychodynamic therapy, focusing on shifting the patterns that drive burnout, not just recovering temporarily and repeating it again.
When burnout is happening
- exhaustion that rest doesn’t fix
- cynicism/irritability, loss of motivation
- reduced concentration and confidence
- sleep disruption, physical symptoms (tension, gut issues, headaches)
- emotional numbness or tearfulness
- feeling trapped in responsibility
The burnout cycle
- High demands + high standards
- Overfunctioning (say yes, take responsibility, push through)
- Reduced recovery and boundaries
- Symptoms increase → you push harder to compensate
- Depletion accelerates → burnout deepens
Boundary failure points (how burnout recurs even after time off)
Many people “recover” from burnout temporarily, then slip back into it because the boundary pattern hasn’t changed. Burnout often returns through familiar points of leakage:
- Invisible overtime: evenings/weekends become normal without being named as overtime
- Always-on availability: responding quickly becomes expected (by others and by you)
- No buffers: backtoback days without decompression time; recovery is treated as optional
- Saying yes under pressure: agreeing to deadlines or responsibilities before reality-checking capacity
- Over-responsibility: taking ownership of outcomes that require a team, a system, or a manager
- Difficulty stopping: “just one more thing” becomes a daily loop
- Perfectionism as fuel: self-attack drives performance until the body forces a stop
- Boundary guilt: resting feels irresponsible; saying no feels like letting people down
How ISTDP understands burnout
From an ISTDP lens, burnout often involves:
- chronic emotional inhibition (anger/need not experienced/expressed)
- anxiety carried in the body
- self-attack as motivation
Therapy helps build emotional clarity and boundary capacity, so performance becomes sustainable.
How therapy helps
We work to:
- identify the burnout-maintaining pattern (roles, boundaries, self-attack)
- reduce overcontrol and perfectionism
- develop sustainable limit-setting
- restore emotional access and agency
- prevent recurrence
What sessions look like
Early sessions:
- map the burnout cycle + pressures
Ongoing work:
- work with emotions and boundaries; translate into work decisions
Related ways I work
- ISTDP – emotion/anxiety and self-attack patterns
- CBT – behavioural boundaries and worry loops
You may also find these pages helpful:
Frequently asked questions
Is burnout the same as depression?
Sometimes overlaps; therapy clarifies.
Do you work with high-pressure roles?
Yes.
W1W/online?
Yes.
Insurance?
See Fees & Insurance.
Next steps
