Depression and Burnout Therapy
Online Therapy for Depression or Burnout
with a licensed psychologist available in 40+ states
Therapy for depression or burnout can provide the support you need when you feel like you're watching yourself from a distance, going through the motions while feeling disconnected from the experiences that once brought meaning and joy. If you're successful on the outside but struggle with emptiness, exhaustion, or a persistent sense of "going through the motions" on the inside, you're not alone. Depression often affects those who seem to "have it all together," creating an invisible struggle that others may not see or understand.
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Depression and burnout don’t always look the way people expect. For many adults, they show up quietly, behind productivity, responsibility, and getting things done, rather than as obvious sadness or withdrawal. I work with adults who feel depleted, disconnected, or stuck in patterns that no longer feel aligned, and who want support that goes deeper than “pushing through” or symptom management.
How Depression Can Show Up
Depression is not just feeling sad. It often shows up across multiple layers of experience:
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Emotional signs
Feeling numb, flat, hopeless, or disconnected. Difficulty feeling joy or excitement, even around things that used to matter. Or a sense that everything feels heavier or harder. -
Signs in your Thinking
Negative self-talk, self-criticism, difficulty imagining a positive future, mental fog, or indecision. -
Physical signs
Low energy, fatigue, changes in sleep or appetite, or a sense of heaviness in the body- like you know you should move, but just can't make yourself get up or out of the house.
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For some people, depression shows up less as sadness and more as irritability, frustration, or a very low tolerance for stress, especially for those who grew up in environments where emotions were minimized or “buck it up” was the norm.
High Functioning Depression
Many of the adults I work with are still going to work, parenting, managing responsibilities, and showing up for others. From the outside, things may look “fine.”
Internally, high-functioning depression often looks like:
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Going through the motions without feeling connected
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Difficulty looking forward to things or feeling excited
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Feeling emotionally distant from others
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A sense of emptiness or “what’s the point?”
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Constant effort just to maintain baseline functioning
Because responsibilities are still being met, this kind of depression is often overlooked, even by the person experiencing it.
Burnout: When the Nervous System is Depleted
Burnout shares many features with depression, which is why the two are often confused or intertwined.
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Burnout is less about mood and more about capacity.
It often develops after:
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Chronic stress or prolonged overextension
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High emotional labor or caregiving demands
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Long periods of functioning in survival mode
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Little opportunity for rest, recovery, or alignment
From a nervous system perspective, burnout often reflects depletion: a system that has been in chronic activation and eventually drops into shutdown or freeze.
Burnout can include:
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Emotional numbness or detachment
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Exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest
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Cynicism or irritability
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Reduced motivation or creativity
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Feeling disconnected from meaning or purpose
Depression and burnout can look similar on the surface, but the underlying drivers matter.
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Part of my work is helping you clarify:
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What patterns are rooted in nervous system depletion
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What reflects emotional processing or unresolved grief
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Where misalignment or values conflict is contributing
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How long-standing beliefs or internal parts may be involved
This clarity helps us target the right interventions, not just manage symptoms.
Depression & Burnout: Similar,
but Not the Same
How I Approach Depression & Burnout Therapy
I take a thorough, integrative approach that begins with understanding your full context, not just a checklist of symptoms.
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A Thoughtful, In-Depth Intake
Our work starts with a comprehensive intake that functions more like a mini-assessment. I review questionnaires and measures ahead of time so we can focus our sessions on what’s most relevant to you.
Together, we map:
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Emotional, physical, and cognitive patterns
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Nervous system states (activation, shutdown, freeze)
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Internal dynamics (self-criticism, pressure, protective parts)
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Environmental and relational stressors
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Areas of misalignment or energy drain
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What would bring the most immediate relief
From there, we create a clear plan for what to focus on first.
Treatment: Restoring Capacity & Then Creating Change
Depression and burnout are not fixed by effort alone. Often, meaningful change requires restoring nervous system capacity before deeper emotional or cognitive work can take hold.
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My approach may include:
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
To identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns, reduce avoidance, and address behaviors that reinforce hopelessness or withdrawal.
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
To help you reconnect with values, build flexibility, and move toward meaning even when motivation feels low.
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Internal Family Systems–Informed Parts Work (IFS-informed)
To understand internal parts such as the inner critic, overfunctioner, protector, or shutdown part — and reduce internal conflict rather than fighting yourself.
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Somatic & Nervous System–Informed Approaches
Including polyvagal-informed strategies to support regulation, gently bring a system out of freeze or collapse, and rebuild a sense of safety and vitality in the body.
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Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills
Particularly distress tolerance and emotion regulation skills, when emotions feel overwhelming or shutdown is prominent.
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Emotionally Focused Interventions (EFT-informed)
To explore emotional needs, attachment patterns, and relational dynamics that contribute to disconnection or hopelessness.
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Throughout therapy, we integrate skills + insight, adjusting pace and focus based on your capacity week to week while staying oriented toward your larger goals.
A Final Note
Depression and burnout are not signs that you’re broken or weak. They are signals, often from a nervous system that has been under too much strain for too long, or from a life that has drifted out of alignment with your values and needs.
Therapy can help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface, restore capacity, and begin building a way of living that feels more connected, meaningful, and sustainable.
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If you’d like to explore whether working together feels like a good fit, I invite you to schedule a free consultation or reach out with questions.
Depression and Burnout Therapy FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
What is depression therapy, and how can it help me?
Depression therapy is a collaborative process focused on understanding how depression is showing up in your thoughts, emotions, body, relationships, and daily life. We look at patterns that may be contributing to low mood, disconnection, hopelessness, withdrawal, or loss of motivation and identify practical ways to help you feel more engaged in your life.
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When burnout is part of the picture, therapy can also help us understand what’s driving chronic depletion and what needs to change for recovery to be sustainable. The goal isn’t simply to “feel better,” but to help you reconnect with energy, meaning, and a greater sense of choice in your life.
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How do I know if I need therapy for depression or burnout?
Many people I work with are still functioning, working, parenting, maintaining relationships, and meeting responsibilities, while feeling emotionally flat, exhausted, irritable, or disconnected underneath it all.
If life feels heavier than it used to, joy feels muted, your frustration tolerance is lower, you’re withdrawing from things you normally care about, or rest no longer feels restorative, therapy can help you understand what’s happening and what kind of support may actually help.
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What does therapy for depression or burnout look like in your practice?
Therapy is tailored to your specific patterns, needs, and goals. Some sessions may focus on practical strategies for coping, rebuilding routines, increasing meaningful activity, or managing energy. Others may explore deeper emotional patterns, self-criticism, relationships, or experiences that contribute to feeling stuck or depleted.
I work integratively, adjusting the pace and focus based on your capacity while keeping sight of the changes you want to make in your life.
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How long does depression therapy typically take?
There’s no single timeline. Some clients notice meaningful changes relatively early, while others benefit from longer-term therapy, particularly when depression is recurrent or connected to longstanding patterns, chronic stress, trauma, or burnout.
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Early in therapy, we’ll clarify your goals and develop an approach based on what you’re experiencing. We’ll revisit that plan as therapy progresses rather than assuming one timeline fits everyone.
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Do you offer online therapy for depression or burnout?
Yes. I provide depression and burnout therapy through secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth. Online therapy can offer greater flexibility for busy or depleted adults and allows you to participate from a private, comfortable space without adding the time and energy of commuting to an appointment.
What therapeutic approaches do you use for treating depression and burnout?
I use an integrative, evidence-based approach that may include:
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to address unhelpful thought patterns, avoidance, and withdrawal
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to increase psychological flexibility and reconnect with values and meaning
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Internal Family Systems–informed (Part Work) work to explore internal conflict and self-critical patterns
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Somatic and nervous-system-informed approaches to support regulation and awareness of how stress and depletion show up in the body
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Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance
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Emotionally focused interventions to explore emotional needs and relational patterns
Rather than applying a single model, I draw from different approaches based on your needs, goals, and capacity.
What can I expect during the first few therapy sessions?
We begin with a free consultation so you can ask questions and get a sense of whether we’re a good fit. If we decide to move forward, our initial session is 90 minutes and gives us time to explore your history, current concerns, and goals in depth.
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I review your questionnaires ahead of time so we can use our time together thoughtfully. After the intake, we’ll discuss the themes I’m noticing and develop a clear plan for what to focus on first.
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Will I have homework or exercises to do between sessions?
I may suggest tools, reflections, or practices to try between sessions when they’re likely to be useful. Practice outside of therapy can help new skills translate into everyday life, but therapy shouldn’t become another source of pressure.
We’ll work collaboratively and adjust expectations based on your energy, capacity, and real-life demands.
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What does depression or burnout look like in high-achieving adults?
Depression and burnout can be easy to miss in high-achieving adults because outward functioning may remain intact. You may continue working, caring for others, and meeting expectations while privately experiencing exhaustion, numbness, irritability, loss of motivation, self-criticism, or a growing sense of disconnection from your life.
In therapy, we look beyond performance to understand what’s contributing to these patterns and work toward a way of living that feels more sustainable and meaningful, not simply a way to keep functioning.
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What’s the difference between depression and burnout?
Depression and burnout can look similar, but they aren’t the same. Both can involve exhaustion, reduced motivation, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and feeling disconnected from things you once enjoyed.
Burnout is typically associated with prolonged stress and demands that exceed your available resources, while depression can affect many areas of life and may persist even when external demands change. It’s also possible to experience both at the same time.
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Therapy can help us understand what’s contributing to your symptoms rather than assuming that every experience of exhaustion or disconnection has the same cause.
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What states do you provide depression and burnout therapy in?
As a licensed clinical psychologist and PSYPACT-authorized provider, I offer online therapy for depression and burnout to eligible clients located in PSYPACT-participating states, including Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, and Virginia, among others.
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You must be physically located in a participating PSYPACT state at the time of your session. If you’re unsure whether your state participates, feel free to reach out or check the current PSYPACT list.