Therapy for Stress and Burnout in Seattle

Therapy Also Available Across WA

Feeling worn down by constant pressure and impossible demands? I guide healthcare workers, helping professionals, and high-achievers experiencing chronic stress and burnout so they can reclaim balance and rediscover what matters most.

Do you resonate with any signs and symptoms of stress & burnout?

The demands never stop coming. Your workload keeps growing while support shrinks. You're giving everything to your job, your patients, your clients - but who's taking care of you? You're exhausted, frustrated, and starting to question if this career path was worth it.

The emotional toll of chronic burnout hits every part of your life:

  • Dreading work and feeling emotionally drained before your day even starts

  • Snapping at loved ones because you have nothing left to give at home

  • Losing interest in hobbies and activities that used to bring you joy

  • Feeling unappreciated despite working harder than ever before

You're not imagining things, and you're definitely not weak. Burnout is a real response to impossible workplace conditions. Together, we can help you develop strategies to manage stress, set healthy boundaries. With therapy for stress and burnout, you can find your way back to peace.

What is Chronic Stress and Burnout?

Chronic stress happens when your body stays in fight-or-flight mode for weeks or months. Burnout is the emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion that follows. Your body and mind aren't designed to handle constant pressure without breaks or support.

So many people are feeling what you are feeling right now. Burnout rates among healthcare workers and helping professionals have skyrocketed, especially since 2020. This isn't a personal failing - these are normal responses to abnormal workplace conditions.

Common signs of chronic stress and burnout include:

  • Physical exhaustion that rest doesn't fix

  • Cynicism about work that didn't exist before

  • Feeling emotionally disconnected from clients or patients

  • Difficulty concentrating and making decisions

  • Sleep problems despite being completely drained

You can learn more about how chronic stress affects the brain in this “I’m So Stressed Out! Fact Sheet.”

Get Expert Treatment for Stress and Burnout in Seattle

Your path to sustainable work-life balance starts with recognizing you deserve support.

Why Choose Michelle Solomon for Stress and Burnout Therapy?

Having worked nearly a decade in high-pressure inpatient behavioral health settings, I understand exactly what you're going through because I've been there myself. As a former burned-out healthcare worker, I've felt that crushing weight of impossible caseloads, limited resources, and constantly being "on" for people in crisis. I know what it's like when administration doesn't understand the reality on the ground.

My approach focuses on practical strategies that actually work in demanding careers. We'll work together to identify what's within your control and develop realistic plans for the things that aren't. This isn't about telling you to practice more self-care - it's about creating sustainable systems that fit your actual life.

Benefits of Stress and Burnout Therapy

Healthy Boundaries

Learn to say no without guilt and protect your time and energy for what matters most.

Renewed Energy

Stop feeling like you're dragging yourself through each day and start experiencing genuine motivation and joy again.

Improved Relationships

Have energy and patience for the people you care about instead of being irritable and withdrawn.

Your Life Doesn't Have to Stay This Overwhelming

Without support, chronic burnout can get worse over time. You might find yourself becoming more cynical, isolated, and resentful. Physical health problems often follow. Many people in helping professions eventually leave careers they once loved because the stress becomes unbearable.

With the right strategies and support, you can learn to thrive again. You can set boundaries that stick, manage stress before it becomes overwhelming, and rediscover what truly brings you fulfillment - whether that's in your current role, a new direction, or a better balance between work and the other aspects of life that matter to you.

Our Therapy Process

Step 1: Assessment

  • We'll explore your specific stressors, work environment, and current coping strategies to understand what's working and what isn't right now.

Step 2: Strategy Development

  • Together we'll create practical tools for managing stress, setting boundaries, and improving work-life balance that fit your specific situation.

Step 3: Implementation Support

  • We'll practice new strategies, troubleshoot challenges, and adjust approaches based on what works best for your lifestyle and career demands.

FAQs

  • It depends on a lot of factors! If you’re catching your burnout early on, it can sometimes be easier to become aware of your symptoms and try to take proactive steps to address it.

    If you’ve been experiencing chronic burnout for a long time without addressing it properly, it may be helpful for have some extra support and tools to better navigate it.

    Recovering from burnout can take months, but you may feel relief in the short-term by taking the first steps to manage your stress and burnout, like finding a new therapist. Recovery timeline can also depend on your level of motivation, support system, and willingness to try new strategies.

  • Yes. These two conditions often go hand-in-hand, though they're not the same thing. When you're dealing with burnout, feeling completely drained, disconnected from work, and like you're failing at everything, it can open the door to depression. The constant stress and emotional exhaustion from burnout creates the perfect storm for depressive symptoms to develop.

  • A therapist can absolutely help with burnout! It’s important that you find someone that is a good fit and understands the stress and burnout you’re experiencing. Therapists can help you process trauma you’ve experienced as a result of your burnout, support you with problem solving barriers getting in the way of making changes, and help you gain clarity with how you want to tackle your stress and burnout going forward.

  • I don’t believe there’s one type of therapy that is the “best” for burnout, as it is going to depend on your personal style and what you find most helpful. I take an eclectic approach with burnout, including:

    • Helping reframe negative thoughts and increase awareness of what’s in and out of your control using CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

    • Managing your distress tolerance and improving interpersonal relationships through DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)

    • Using ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) to align with your values

    • Helping you problem solve your current situation using Solution-Focused Therapy

    • Maintaining balance through healthy routine, leisure, and self-care

Click to watch a replay video of a presentation I partnered with NAMI Eastside on to help identify signs and symptoms of burnout and learn more strategies to better manage stress and burnout.