Burnout Treatment at Inner Lakes Therapy
Burnout recovery can feel impossible when you don’t have any energy or motivation to put things into motion, especially if you’ve tried self-care strategies and time off, and none of it has made a noticeable impact. But actually treating burnout is more than just a list of self-care strategies, and having a knowledgeable, compassionate therapist to guide the process can make all the difference. Schedule an appointment today to learn more.
Burnout isn't an official diagnosis (yet), which means evidence-based practices to treat it haven't quite caught up to the unprecedented need we are seeing for burnout treatment. Emily Oliver, the owner of Inner Lakes and a therapist specializing in trauma and neurodivergence, as well as the Founder of the Therapy for Therapists Collective, which is an organization focused on the reduction of burnout for mental health professionals, combined all her knowledge into a burnout treatment protocol that is unique and cutting-edge. 
In the same way that trauma is a burden on the nervous system, burnout can have a similar effect.
Burnout often builds overtime from feeling stuck, undervalued, invalidated, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Worries about the future and feeling torn on big life decisions are often a part of what makes it all feel so heavy, and when you’re just trying to make it through the next day, or even the next hour, it’s no wonder that we feel crushed like a soda can just trying to hold it all together.
All of this can result in chronically high cortisol levels, and just like with trauma- the impact of this often trickles into different areas of your life.
You might miss sleep because you’re staying up too late- taking every second of time free of demands that you can get.
You might find yourself feeling distant from your loved ones as all your energy shifts into being needed for day to day survival.
You might stop doing the things you know help you to feel better because you simply don’t have the energy.
And one of the most maddening parts is- every article, every supervisor expects you to “self-care your way out of it.”
That simply won’t work for true burnout. What Emily has found to work has been treating it like it’s trauma- like it’s devastating to the nervous system- because it is.
Components of Burnout Treatment
Individualized Treatment Planning
After a 60 minute intake appointment, we collaboratively outline a path forward that’s realistic, strategic, and tailored to your specific needs. Treating burnout requires that we look at the whole person, and that is exactly the type of care that we are so passionate about.
Environmental and Physical
Some of us can’t recover from burnout without time off work. Some of us might have some symptoms going on that could lead your therapist to recommend doing some medical labs- just to make sure we are covering all our bases while we treat your burnout. We advocate, we collaborate, we refer- we do what we need to do to make sure you have the support you need for meaningful recovery. One of the biggest issues in American healthcare is that we never get to the root of the problem. Providers often stick to their specialty, and if anything seems to be outside of that, they refer out. We work hard to make sure that getting care feels supportive, and not like another frustration.
Emotional and
Relational
Burnout is rarely “just burnout.” Often, we need some support on processing guilt about taking the space we need to rest, or maybe we need help setting boundaries. There might be addiction issues from trying to cope, or there might be panic attacks from worrying about the future. This is the skill-building, support, and processing that happens “around” treatment. It’s not uncommon for clients to come in for treatment for burnout, start taking demands off their plate and trying to work on things, and then other things rush in like “Hey! Here I am- the unresolved grief about your breakup!” You can address it if you choose, without switching therapists.
EMDR Treatment
EMDR is a highly effective, evidence-based treatment for trauma. Put simply, EMDR uses similar eye movements to the ones we experience naturally during REM sleep. We strategically choose the target(s), and allow the brain to “reprocess.” This doesn’t mean that traumatic memories or distressing content disappears, but it often means that we carry what’s happened to us differently. For example, we might carry a belief that we are not good enough when we are honest with ourselves about our capacity. EMDR is amazing for processing the reasons behind why we carry the belief, and reframing it to something that is not “toxic positivity,” but is just real and gives you more of a sense of peace.
Burnout treatment, from the comfort of home.
Ready to Take the First Step?We know how hard it can be to get started. We have the most amazing admin person, Tara, who will get back to you efficiently to answer all your questions and get you scheduled. We do not have a waitlist for burnout services, and a few reduced fee spots just opened up for clients who express financial difficulties accessing care. Just let Tara know you would like one of those slots. Use the contact form to contact us today!