Therapy for adults dealing with burnout. We help you understand what's wearing you down and make practical changes, at work and outside it.
Burnout results from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It has three main features.
Feeling drained most of the time, and not recovering after evenings, weekends or holidays.
Feeling distant, negative or detached from your job, including work you used to care about.
Feeling less capable at work, and finding it harder to concentrate or get things done.
Burnout tends to develop when the demands of a job, such as workload, time pressure and emotional strain, outweigh the resources you can draw on, such as support from others, control over how you work, recognition and time to recover.
Burnout usually builds over months. Common symptoms of job burnout include:
Burnout can overlap with anxiety and depression. Early sessions focus on understanding what is going on, so you get the right support.
The way you work may have brought real benefits, such as success, recognition or financial security. Therapy starts by looking honestly at what it is also costing you, in your health, relationships and enjoyment of life.
Once the costs are clear, you can decide what to change. This usually covers:
Rebuilding energy through sleep, rest and learning to switch off from work outside working hours.
Managing workload and setting clearer boundaries, including working on perfectionism or finding it hard to say no.
Building support and control, such as talking to your manager or changing how you approach your role.
Reconnecting with what matters to you, and thinking through a change of role or career if needed.
Sessions draw on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). CBT helps you work with unhelpful thinking patterns and manage stress. ACT helps you handle difficult thoughts and feelings while acting on what matters to you.
Hudson Kent is a psychologist who has spent 10 years working in high-pressure consulting environments, including Deloitte and KPMG. He understands the demands of these workplaces and the pressure to keep performing.
To claim a Medicare rebate, ask your usual GP for a Mental Health Treatment Plan and a referral to Hudson Kent at Mentum Psychology. To find out more, read how to get a referral.
Recovery usually involves rest and time to switch off from work, along with changes to the demands and habits that led to burnout. Rest on its own often isn't enough if nothing else changes. Therapy can help you work out what to change and keep those changes going.
If a break hasn't helped, the signs above are affecting your health, relationships or work, or you're not sure what needs to change. You don't need to wait until things are severe to get support.
It varies. It depends on how long the stress has been building, what else is going on in your life, and what can change at work. We'll talk about what to expect once we understand your situation.
No, but they overlap. Burnout is tied to work, while depression tends to affect all areas of life. The symptoms can look similar, and ongoing burnout is linked with a higher risk of depression, so it's worth talking to a psychologist or your GP about what's going on.
Stress is a response to pressure, and it usually eases when the pressure does. Burnout develops when work stress continues for a long time without enough recovery. It brings exhaustion, cynicism about work and a sense of being less effective, which don't always lift after a break.
Burnout on its own isn't a medical diagnosis, so it doesn't qualify for a Mental Health Treatment Plan by itself. It often occurs alongside anxiety, low mood or sleep problems, and your GP can assess whether a plan is right for you. Read how to get a referral.
Yes. Therapy can help you work out what is within your control, how to raise issues with your manager or employer, and whether your role is still right for you.
Not necessarily. Many people come to sessions while still working, and Mentum offers sessions after hours and on weekends. If time off or changes to your role would help, we can talk about how to approach that with your employer.
What you discuss in sessions is confidential, within the limits set out in our Privacy Policy. We won't contact your employer without your consent.
EAPs usually offer a small number of sessions with a provider they choose. If you'd like to choose your psychologist or need more sessions, you can see us privately or with a GP referral. Read how to get a referral.
No. Mentum doesn't currently take on WorkCover claims.
Sessions are mostly by video or phone. Some face-to-face sessions in Highett and Keysborough may be available on request, subject to room availability.