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Learn more about burnout
Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged stress that has not been successfully managed, most often stress related to work. The World Health Organization recognises burnout in the ICD-11 as an occupational phenomenon, defined by three features: exhaustion, growing mental distance or cynicism towards work, and reduced effectiveness. Burnout is not a medical diagnosis, but its effects on energy, mood, sleep, and relationships are real, and it responds well to therapeutic support. Left unaddressed, burnout can contribute to anxiety or depression, which is one reason to take persistent exhaustion seriously.
Burnout builds gradually, and many people only recognise it once it has been present for months. You don't need to have collapsed to justify getting support.
Support might help if:
- You feel drained from the moment you wake up, and rest doesn't seem to restore you
- Work you once cared about now leaves you cynical, detached, or numb
- You're more irritable or impatient than usual, with colleagues or at home
- Concentration and memory feel noticeably worse than they used to
- You keep pushing through on willpower, and it's taking more effort each week
- Weekends and holidays no longer make a difference to how tired you are
- You've started doubting your competence in areas where you used to feel capable
Several approaches can help with burnout, and the right one depends on whether you need recovery, structural change, or both.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) targets the thought patterns that fuel burnout, such as perfectionism, all-or-nothing thinking, and guilt around resting. It suits people who want a structured, practical approach.
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) helps you clarify what matters to you and act on it, which is often exactly what chronic stress has eroded. It can help when burnout has left you feeling disconnected from your own values.
Mindfulness trains attention and reduces the body's stress response, making it easier to notice early warning signs before exhaustion takes over. It's often combined with other approaches.
Coaching focuses on practical change: boundaries, workload, career decisions. It suits people whose burnout is clearly tied to how their work is structured.
Somatic coaching works with the body's stress patterns directly, which can help when burnout shows up physically as tension, poor sleep, or a nervous system that won't switch off. It works alongside, not instead of, other support where clinical concerns are present.
Choosing an approach isn't something you have to do alone. IC's matching can pair you with a therapist whose approach suits your situation. Get matched.
It's Complicated is a therapist-founded mental health platform connecting clients with verified practitioners across Europe and globally, in over 60 languages. The platform is free to use, with over 2,500 vetted therapists offering in-person sessions in cities including Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Vienna, alongside online sessions worldwide.
Finding a therapist for burnout is its own kind of admin, and admin is precisely what you have no energy for. Our matching service is built to remove that friction. You complete a short survey, our psychologists combine data-driven insights with human judgement to identify the right therapists for your situation, and you choose from a shortlist of strong candidates. You can also browse our directory directly if you'd prefer to choose yourself.
If your burnout is work-related, it's worth knowing that many employers cover therapy through employee assistance programmes. You can recommend It's Complicated to your employer as their EAP, which can give you and your colleagues access to free sessions.
Get matched with a therapist who specialises in burnout, or browse all burnout therapists in the directory.
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