CARER STRESS AND BURNOUT SUPPORT
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD
Evidence-based psychological support for people experiencing sustained stress, exhaustion or reduced wellbeing in a caring role.
Appointments are available in person in Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast and by secure telehealth across Australia.
Caring for a partner, child, parent, relative or another person can be meaningful and demanding at the same time. Stress may build when responsibility is prolonged, needs are unpredictable, support is limited or there is little opportunity for recovery.
This page focuses on unpaid, family and relational caring roles. People in paid caring professions whose main difficulty arises from employment should use the occupational stress service page.
Carer stress may involve:
These experiences are understandable responses to sustained demands. Assessment can also consider anxiety, depression, insomnia and physical health.
Therapy offers space to consider the carer’s wellbeing without losing sight of the person receiving care or the realities of the situation.
It may help to:
Treatment is individualised. The caring relationship, culture, family system, health needs, service availability, finances and safety can all shape what is realistic.
Therapy may explore the history and current demands of the role, the carer’s health, available support, family relationships and periods of heightened risk or transition.
Carers may feel solely responsible or guilty when considering limits. Therapy can examine these beliefs while developing boundaries that are compassionate, safe and realistic.
Caring can include ongoing grief, uncertainty and changes that do not have a clear endpoint. Therapy can make room for loss, relief, anger, love and other mixed responses without judging them.
Small, achievable periods of recovery can matter when respite is scarce. Therapy may support problem-solving, help-seeking, relationships and activities that preserve a sense of self.
Sustainable caring is not simply a matter of trying harder. Planning may include early warning signs, shared responsibility, service use, contingency plans and decisions about what the carer can reasonably provide.
Treatment draws on evidence-based approaches while recognising that distress may be closely connected to real, continuing demands rather than an individual deficit.
CBT can help address worry, guilt, unhelpful responsibility beliefs, avoidance and reduced restorative activity.
ACT may support psychological flexibility, self-compassion and values-guided choices when circumstances and emotions are difficult.
Mindfulness-based strategies may help carers notice stress responses, pause before automatic reactions and relate differently to difficult internal experiences.
Explore the broader therapy approaches used at Hennessy Clinical Psychology.
Therapy cannot remove all caring demands or create services that are unavailable. It can support the carer’s psychological health, decision-making and use of practical supports.
With consent, care may be coordinated with a GP or other treating professionals. Practical carer organisations and respite services may also be relevant.
References: Adelman, R. D., Tmanova, L. L., Delgado, D., Dion, S., & Lachs, M. S. (2014). Caregiver burden. JAMA, 311(10), 1052–1060. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.304; Pinquart, M., & Sörensen, S. (2003). Differences between caregivers and noncaregivers in psychological health and physical health. Psychology and Aging, 18(2), 250–267. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.18.2.250
David Hennessy is a Clinical Psychologist providing evidence-based assessment and therapy for adolescents and adults.
His approach is collaborative, practical and respectful of the complexity of caring relationships. Therapy considers wellbeing, responsibility, grief, values and the person’s actual options.
Learn more about David’s background, clinical experience and approach to psychological therapy.
In-person appointments are available at Hennessy Clinical Psychology in Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast.
Secure telehealth appointments are available throughout Australia where clinically appropriate, which may be helpful when caring responsibilities make travel difficult.
You do not need a diagnosis or a formal carer title before making an appointment.
This page is limited to unpaid, family and relational caring demands. General prolonged overload and stress arising mainly from paid work are directed to their dedicated service pages.
Visit the cornerstone hub for broader information and the complete chronic stress and burnout cluster.
Use the broader service pathway when persistent stress and exhaustion span several parts of life beyond the caring role.
For burnout arising mainly from paid employment or a professional caring role, use the occupational stress pathway.
Explore assessment and treatment options where insomnia or disrupted sleep is a central concern.
Explore related support where anxiety or mood difficulties are a central concern.
Common questions about psychological support for carer stress and burnout.
This service is for people affected by sustained responsibility for a partner, child, parent, relative or another person. A formal carer designation is not required. Paid caring professionals should use the occupational service when work is the primary context.
Carer burnout is not a standalone mental health diagnosis. It is a useful description of exhaustion and reduced capacity associated with sustained caring demands. Assessment can consider whether anxiety, depression, insomnia or another condition is also present.
Yes. Therapy cannot remove every demand, but it can help with guilt, grief, decision-making, communication, recovery, use of support and choices about what is sustainable.
No. Boundaries are not one-size-fits-all. Therapy considers safety, dependency, family and cultural expectations, available services and the likely consequences of change before identifying workable options.
Yes. Caring may involve anticipatory grief, ambiguous loss, changes in identity or relationship, and bereavement. These experiences can be included when they are relevant to the person’s goals.
Yes. Appointments are available in person at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast and through secure telehealth across Australia where clinically appropriate.
We are a Gold Coast Clinical and General Psychologist clinic conveniently positioned in Varsity Lakes.
Therapy is available in person at Varsity Lakes or via telehealth anywhere in Australia.
The easiest way to book an appointment is online.
Clinical Psychologist in Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast. Evidence-based psychology for adolescents and adults, with in-person appointments and Australia-wide telehealth.
Anxiety Disorders
Mood Disorders
Trauma & PTSD
Neurodiversity
CBT
ACT
EMDR
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
This practice is not a crisis service.
If you require immediate assistance, call 000. For crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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