You’re tired in a way that sleep doesn’t fix.
Maybe you’re still functional — hitting deadlines, answering messages, showing up. But the tank is empty, and everything that used to feel meaningful now feels like one more thing on the list. Or maybe you’re past that point: calling in sick more, snapping at people you love, crying in the car, wondering if the problem is the job or the field or you.
It’s usually not you.
What burnout actually is
Burnout isn’t a character flaw or a failure of self-care. It’s what happens when the demands on you consistently outpace your resources — and when the systems around you (workplaces, caregiving roles, whole industries) treat exhaustion as normal and rest as something you have to earn.
The overwhelm shows up differently for everyone. Some common shapes:
- Dread on Sunday nights that starts arriving earlier and earlier
- Cynicism about work you used to care about
- Brain fog, forgetfulness, trouble making even small decisions
- Feeling numb, flat, or detached from your own life
- Physical symptoms — headaches, gut stuff, getting sick more often
- Guilt about being burned out, which somehow makes it worse
If you’re a helper, an organizer, a caregiver, or someone whose job asks for emotional labor all day, burnout can carry an extra layer: I’m supposed to be the one who has it together. You don’t have to have it together here.
How I work with burnout
Therapy for burnout isn’t about optimizing yourself so you can tolerate an intolerable situation. Together we’ll look at:
What’s actually depleting you. Sometimes it’s workload. Often it’s something underneath — perfectionism, boundary patterns, golden handcuffs, being the only one of you in the room, or grief about a path that isn’t what you hoped.
What recovery genuinely requires. Rest, yes — but also renegotiating expectations, reconnecting with what matters to you, and sometimes making bigger decisions about work or roles with clarity instead of panic.
For some clients dealing with entrenched burnout and depression, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can help loosen patterns that talk therapy alone hasn’t shifted. It’s not for everyone, and we’d talk through whether it makes sense for you.
Getting started
I see clients in Portland and via telehealth across Oregon. If you’re reading this at 11pm because you couldn’t sleep and typed “why am I so tired all the time” into a search bar — that counts as a sign.
Reach out today and we’ll find a time to talk. You can also check fees & FAQ first if that’s your style.
