When Burnout Becomes Unsustainable: How Therapy for Burnout at Boundless Can Help
- Prerna Menon, LCSW
- Sep 23
- 5 min read
In high-pressure fields like tech, consulting, medicine, and finance, burnout isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a lived experience. You’ve put in the long hours, sacrificed weekends, maybe even postponed personal goals—all to meet expectations. Then one day, the fatigue hits so hard you can’t recover with a weekend. Your body, mind, and sense of purpose are crying out.
Boundless understands this. We’ve worked with dozens of professionals who came to us feeling like they’re running on empty. If you’re here, something inside you knows it’s not enough just to push on. Healing requires more.
What Is Burnout, Really?
Burnout is more than tiredness. According to recent data, burnout arises when prolonged stress wears us down—mentally, physically, emotionally. Simple tasks feel draining, focus feels impossible, joy fades from things you used to love.
Recent research (for instance, studies in clinical psychology) connects burnout to serious downstream consequences: disrupted sleep, immune system dysregulation, chronic inflammation, and even mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
When you’re ambitious—working in tech, consulting, finance—burnout is doubly dangerous. The very traits that make you successful (drive, perfectionism, long hours) can intensify burnout’s grip.
Who’s at Risk & What It Looks Like
You might notice:
Emotional exhaustion: waking up feeling drained, not rested, dreading work.
Reduced productivity: deadlines missed, creativity stalled, focus slipping.
Physical symptoms: headaches, digestive issues, immune flares.
Cynicism or disengagement: feeling numb, detached, or emotionally shut off.
Feeling trapped: like there’s no escape from the hustle, constant pressure, or internal “shoulds.”
Boundless especially sees this in: tech folks burning the midnight oil, consultants traveling relentlessly, doctors and healthcare professionals carrying the weight of others, graduate students far from home building careers they were taught to value—but now questioning what it cost them.
Why Burnout Therapy Works
Therapy isn’t just “talk.” Good therapy is strategic, embodied, and deeply personal. Here’s what gets lost when people try to “just manage”—and what we do instead:
What People Often Try | Why It Falls Short | What Therapy Offers at Boundless |
Self-help apps, meditation for 10 minutes when stressed | These are helpful short-term, but don’t address root causes like work culture, internal pressure, identity conflicts, and overwhelm in the body | We help you dig into the sources: your values vs demands, expectations vs realities, cultural/family messages about success, identity, belonging |
Pushing through with caffeine, overworking, sacrificing rest | The cycle compounds: more stress → worse physical symptoms → greater emotional drain | We use somatic and regulation practices so your body can signal and recover; so that you don’t get stuck in fight/flight |
Isolating, pretending it’s “just part of the job” | Loneliness increases burnout; feeling overseen and un-understood damages your mental health | In therapy you don’t carry the burden alone. You find a space where someone gets it. At Boundless many of us are immigrants, multicultural professionals ourselves—we know how layered this gets |
How We Work at Boundless
Here’s how we guide professionals back from burnout:
Active, relational therapy
We engage rather than simply listening. We ask the hard questions, track patterns, reflect what you might be missing—so that you stop spinning and start seeing what really needs to shift.
Multiple evidence-based modalities
We integrate Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), CBT, DBT, EMDR, somatic practices, and mindfulness. Depending on what feels most resonant for you, we weave these in.
Tailored strategies & tools
Each session is designed around your values, schedule, and the kind of overwhelm you are carrying. We don’t just give tools—we help you build ones that work for your life, and practice using them (in session + take-home).
Cultural attunement & identity awareness
Many clients are South Asian, immigrants, or people of color. Family expectations, immigration background, belonging, cultural shame—these show up in burnout, and ignoring them misses a big part of the story. We hold space for your full identity, not just your work stress.
Focus on restoration over just coping
Our aim is not just to help you survive another week, but to help you find sustainable energy, clearer purpose, renewed joy. To rebuild balance, not just patch cracks.
What Budgeting Your Wellness Might Look & Feel Like|
Imagine in 4-6 weeks of therapy you begin to see:
A noticeable drop in overwhelm—deep rest during off hours feels possible again
Stronger boundaries at work; the ability to say “no” without guilt
More consistent mental clarity— fewer days where you feel stuck or fogged
Greater emotional regulation— less reaction, more response
A re-connection to what matters: flow in life, whether that’s time with family, creative work, or grounding rituals
Scientific Backing
Research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine and other peer-reviewed journals shows that therapeutic interventions (mindfulness-based, cognitive behavioral, somatic) reduce burnout symptoms significantly. [PMC8450185 is one such review that highlights how stress regulation and emotional self-awareness benefit burnout recovery.]
Manhattan Mental Health Counseling describes how burnout therapy can help rebuild joy, reduce fatigue, and reclaim functioning in daily life.
Why Boundless May Be the Right Match for You
If you’re tired of burnout being your default self, here’s why coming to Boundless matters:
Because you want more than advice; you want therapy that actually changes the way you work, rest, and feel.
Because you’ve carried expectations (from family, culture, self) that don’t always leave room for rest—and you want someone who understands.
Because the journey out of burnout isn’t just about “slowing down”—it’s about learning how to feel secure, grounded, and restored even when life demands are heavy.
Sources & Further Reading
PMC8450185 — review article on interventions effective in treating burnout and improving well-being.
Koutsimani, P., Montgomery, A., & Georganta, K. (2019). The relationship between burnout, depression, and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 284. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00284
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20311
West, C. P., Dyrbye, L. N., & Shanafelt, T. D. (2018). Physician burnout: Contributors, consequences, and solutions. Journal of Internal Medicine, 283(6), 516–529. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.12752
Your Path Forward
You don’t have to wait until you’re totally exhausted to begin. Small steps now can ripple into bigger change. If you’re a professional in tech, consulting, healthcare, education—or anywhere you carry big expectations—and you’re done feeling like burnout is inevitable, let’s talk.
Book your free 15-minute consult with a Boundless therapist who knows your world, understands the pressure, and wants to help you reclaim rest, meaning, and balance.
Ready to feel less alone?
Together, we can rewrite the story.
Authors
LCSW | CCTP Specialties: Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Trauma, Complex Trauma, Race, Gender &, Sexuality-related Conflicts, Anxiety, Depression & Lack of Fulfillment, Generational Trauma & Family Systems Issues and LGTBQIA+ Relationship Concerns
Begin Therapy Today
Discover the transformative power of therapy today! Explore therapy services tailored to your needs and find culturally sensitive support. Connect with our team of therapists at Boundless and experience the benefits of the right cultural fit. Begin today.
Additional Therapy Services at Boundless
At Boundless, we understand that healing looks different for everyone, which is why we provide a diverse range of therapy services for individuals, couples, and families. Our team offers specialized support for South Asian couples, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and those coping with issues such as trauma, depression, and anxiety.
Our clinicians use a variety of evidence-based methods, including EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (EXRP), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Somatic Experiencing with mindfulness. We also provide group therapy opportunities, clinical supervision and training for professionals, and flexible online therapy—ensuring clients can access support in ways that work best for their lives.
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