Burnout & perfectionism
Burnout Therapy for High Achievers in Charlotte, NC
You are still delivering. That is exactly the problem, burnout in high performers is invisible from the outside right up until it is not.
Burnout in people who are still performing
- Sunday evening dread that starts earlier each week
- Cynicism and detachment about work you used to care about
- Exhaustion that sleep does not touch
- Irritability with the people who deserve it least
- Using the weekend entirely to recover from the week
- Achievement that produces relief rather than satisfaction
- Physical symptoms, tension headaches, gut issues, frequent illness
- A quiet fantasy of everything simply stopping
Recognize several of these? That is usually reason enough to start a conversation. Request an appointment →
Burnout is a systems problem wearing a personal problem's clothes
Burnout is driven by chronic demand without adequate recovery. It is not a character defect, and it does not respond to working harder at resting, which is generally the first thing high achievers try.
Treatment works on three fronts at once: nervous system recovery, so your body stops running at threat level; the internal drivers, usually perfectionism, fear of failure, or worth that is conditional on productivity; and the actual structural conditions, including what you are going to say no to on Monday.
Who we see for this
- Executives, founders and people carrying unreasonable scope
- Physicians, nurses and healthcare workers
- Attorneys, consultants and finance professionals
- Teachers and school staff
- Therapists and helping professionals
- Parents and caregivers carrying the household load
- Anyone whose identity has fused with their usefulness
Perfectionism is usually underneath it
For most high achievers, burnout is downstream of perfectionism, the standard that is never met, the impossibility of finishing, the belief that the moment you stop proving it everyone will notice.
We work directly on that, including the self-criticism that presents itself as standards, and the fear that easing up will make you mediocre. It will not. In practice, people who recover from burnout tend to perform better, with a fraction of the internal cost.
What changes
What clients tend to notice
- Energy that is not borrowed against next week
- Boundaries that survive a busy quarter
- Self-worth uncoupled from output
- Genuine rest, not just the absence of work
Who provides this
Josh Gorelick
MS, LCMHC
Therapy for men, fathers and teenage boys, plainspoken and practical.
Diane Yee
MS, LCMHC
A steady, practical presence for adolescents and adults in transition.
Kelly Roberson
MA, LCMHCA (NC), LPC (SC), NCC
Couples work, adult ADHD, and the question of what you actually want your life to be.
Also available with Brooke Wagner and Ashleigh Bryan.
Burnout & Perfectionism: questions we are asked
Is burnout the same as depression?
No, though they overlap and can co-occur. Burnout is tied to a specific context, usually work or caregiving, and tends to improve when that context changes. Depression travels with you and dulls things unrelated to work. Sorting out which one you have is part of the early work.
Do I have to quit my job?
Usually not. Most clients recover without a dramatic exit, by changing the demand-recovery ratio and the internal drivers. Sometimes the job really is the problem, and if so we will help you think that through clearly rather than reactively.
How long does burnout recovery take?
Meaningful improvement typically appears within two to three months of consistent work. Full recovery depends on how long you have been running the deficit and how much the structural conditions can actually change.
I do not have time for weekly therapy. That is the whole problem.
We hear this constantly. Evening appointments run until 8:00 PM and virtual sessions cut the commute. One hour a week is a smaller investment than the quarter you will lose if this continues.
Get started
Taking the first step is the hardest part.
Tell us a little about what is going on and we will match you with the right clinician, usually within a few days.
In-network with BCBS PPO & Aetna · Self-pay from $155 · Evenings until 8 PM