For people under pressure at work, high responsibility, low recovery, and growing cost
Work stress often affects people who are conscientious and competent, the ones who keep going until the body or mind forces a stop.
I offer therapy for work-related stress in Central London (W1 / W1W) and online, focusing on changing the work pressure-overfunctioning-depletion cycle.
My work integrates ISTDP, CBT and psychodynamic therapy, with emphasis on boundaries, roles, and sustainable performance.
When work stress is the problem
- difficulty switching off; sleep disruption
- anxiety before meetings, presentations, emails
- perfectionism and over responsibility
- conflict avoidance and boundary difficulty
- physical symptoms (tension, gut issues, fatigue)
- reduced confidence and concentration
The work stress cycle
- Demands + standards rise
- Overfunctioning (say yes, absorb responsibility)
- Reduced recovery and boundaries
- Symptoms increase → you push harder
- Cycle intensifies → burnout risk
Boundary failure points (where work stress quietly escalates)
Work stress often isn’t caused by one big problem, it builds through small, repeated boundary slips that train the nervous system to stay “on”. Common failure points include:
- Email and messages: checking first thing, last thing, and “just quickly” in between
- Availability creep: staying reachable outside hours, responding instantly, never being fully off
- Calendar overfill: meetings backtoback with no reset, no buffers, no protected thinking time
- Saying yes by default: agreeing before checking capacity (then paying with evenings/weekends)
- Scope creep: unclear role expectations, taking on work that isn’t yours, absorbing others’ urgency
- Conflict avoidance: not pushing back, not renegotiating deadlines, not saying “this isn’t possible”
- Perfectionistic overdelivery: overpreparing, overchecking, rewriting, difficulty finishing
- Recovery erosion: breaks get skipped, lunch becomes work time, holidays aren’t restorative
How ISTDP understands work stress
Work stress is often driven by relational roles (approval seeking, fear of conflict) and emotional inhibition (anger/need suppressed). Anxiety and tension carry the load. Therapy builds capacity to set limits and respond with clarity rather than fear.
How therapy helps
We work to:
- clarify your role patterns and triggers
- reduce overcontrol and people-pleasing
- strengthen boundaries and assertiveness
- reduce worry/rumination loops
- prevent burnout recurrence
What sessions look like
Early sessions:
- map pattern and identify leverage points
Ongoing work:
- practise boundary responses and emotional regulation
Related ways I work
- ISTDP – relational/emotional drivers of over functioning
- CBT – worry loops, behavioural boundaries
You may also find these pages helpful:
Frequently asked questions
Is this coaching?
No, therapy addresses the emotional and relational drivers beneath the pattern.
Do you work with high-pressure professions?
Yes.
How do I stop switching off from work?
Usually it’s a pressure-and-responsibility loop, not willpower. Therapy helps change the cycle by targeting boundaries, worry/rumination habits, and the emotional drivers underneath.
Can therapy help with boundaries and assertiveness?
Yes. We work with the anxiety and guilt that block boundaries, then practise clear, proportionate communication and follow through so boundaries hold in real situations.
W1W/online?
Yes.
Insurance?
See Fees & Insurance.
Next steps
