How It's Complicated works
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Learn more about work & career
Work and career encompasses the range of difficulties that arise in professional life: chronic stress, burnout, conflict, underperformance, career uncertainty, questions about purpose and direction, and the psychological patterns that shape how a person functions at work. Work is not only a practical domain; it is bound up with identity, self-worth, relationships, and the use of time in ways that make professional difficulties often more complex than they appear on the surface. Both therapy and coaching have a role here, depending on whether the difficulty is primarily psychological or practical, and the most effective support often addresses both.
Work and career difficulties are worth addressing professionally when they are persistent, affecting health or relationships, or when a decision feels stuck despite clear practical thinking.
- You are experiencing burnout or chronic work stress that is affecting your health, sleep, or relationships
- You are dealing with conflict at work, including a difficult relationship with a manager, and do not know how to address it
- You are considering a career change or transition and feel paralysed by the decision
- You experience persistent self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or the sense that your competence is not quite real
- You have been made redundant or have lost a role that was central to your identity
- You are working in a high-performance environment and the pressure is unsustainable
- You feel disconnected from purpose at work but cannot identify what you actually want instead
Several approaches are effective for work and career difficulties, depending on the balance between psychological exploration and practical action needed.
- Coaching Coaching focuses on goals, decisions, and building specific professional capabilities, and is particularly well suited to career transitions, performance challenges, and developing leadership.
- Leadership coaching Leadership coaching supports people in senior roles with the specific demands of leading others, including communication, decision-making under pressure, and managing complex team dynamics.
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) CBT addresses the thought patterns, perfectionism, and anxiety that frequently underlie work difficulties, including imposter syndrome, fear of failure, and avoidance of professional risk.
- Solution-focused therapy Solution-focused therapy directs attention toward what is already working and what practical steps would make the most difference, which suits people who want forward-looking, action-oriented support.
It's Complicated is a therapist-founded mental health platform connecting clients with verified practitioners in over 60 languages. We work with over 2,500 vetted therapists, with in-person availability in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Vienna, and other major cities, alongside online sessions across the globe.
Finding the right kind of professional support for work difficulties, whether that is therapy, coaching, or a combination, requires knowing what is actually driving the problem. 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 practitioners 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.
Get matched with a therapist or coach who specialises in work and career, or browse the directory.
