CHRONIC STRESS AND BURNOUT THERAPY
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD
Evidence-based psychological therapy for people experiencing persistent stress, exhaustion and reduced capacity across everyday life.
Appointments are available in person in Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast and by secure telehealth across Australia.
Chronic stress can develop when demands remain high and opportunities for recovery are limited. Burnout is commonly used to describe sustained exhaustion, distancing or disengagement, and a reduced sense of effectiveness.
This broad service page concerns prolonged overload across life contexts. Detailed support for work-related burnout and caring responsibilities is provided on separate pages.
Therapy can help clarify the factors maintaining the difficulty and develop changes that are realistic within the person’s circumstances.
People may notice:
These experiences can overlap with anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and physical health conditions. Assessment can help clarify what is contributing.
Therapy does not assume that stress is solely an individual coping problem. It considers demands, resources, health, relationships, routines and the wider environment.
Depending on individual needs, therapy may help to:
Treatment begins with an individual assessment. The focus may include current stressors, symptoms, coping patterns, strengths, supports and the effect on daily functioning.
A shared formulation can identify how demands, beliefs, habits and environmental pressures interact. This helps distinguish changes within the person’s control from problems requiring practical or systemic responses.
Therapy may support regular recovery, sleep, movement, nourishing routines and a gradual return to activities. Recommendations are adapted to health, caring, employment and other constraints.
CBT, ACT and related approaches may help with unhelpful cycles involving worry, avoidance, perfectionism, overcommitment, guilt and reduced activity.
Prolonged stress can narrow life around obligations. Therapy may help reconnect daily choices with personal values, relationships, health and meaningful activities.
Change is usually more sustainable when it is specific and gradual. Therapy can include boundary-setting, communication, pacing, problem-solving and a plan for recognising early warning signs.
Treatment is guided by assessment and formulation rather than a single method. Approaches are selected according to the person’s needs, preferences, goals and circumstances.
CBT can help examine interactions among thoughts, emotions, behaviour and physical stress responses, while supporting practical changes to maintaining patterns.
ACT may support psychological flexibility, self-compassion and values-guided action when difficult thoughts and feelings are present.
Mindfulness-based strategies may help strengthen awareness, reduce automatic responding and support intentional recovery.
Explore the broader evidence-based therapy approaches used at Hennessy Clinical Psychology.
Chronic stress may occur alongside anxiety, depression, insomnia, chronic pain, neurodivergence, grief or physical health difficulties. Treatment considers these interactions without assuming that every experience represents a disorder.
Where appropriate and with consent, care may be coordinated with a GP, psychiatrist or other health professional.
References: World Health Organization. (2019). Burn-out an occupational phenomenon. ICD-11. https://icd.who.int/browse/2024-01/mms/en#129180281; Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20311
David Hennessy is a Clinical Psychologist providing evidence-based assessment and therapy for adolescents and adults.
His approach is collaborative, practical and tailored to the individual. Therapy considers personal patterns as well as the real demands and constraints surrounding the person.
Learn more about David’s background, clinical experience and approach to psychological therapy.
This page has a broad service intent covering chronic stress and burnout across life contexts. Workplace-specific and carer-specific concerns are kept on their dedicated service pages to provide clearer pathways and reduce overlap.
For stress arising primarily from work demands, role conflict, organisational conditions or difficulty recovering from work.
For sustained strain associated with supporting a partner, child, parent, relative or another person.
Explore assessment and treatment options when insomnia or disrupted sleep is a central concern.
Explore related support where anxiety or mood difficulties are a central concern.
Common questions about therapy for chronic stress and burnout.
Burnout is classified by the World Health Organization as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition. Similar experiences outside work are often described as chronic stress or exhaustion. Assessment can also consider whether anxiety, depression, insomnia or another condition may better explain the difficulties.
Stress may have become chronic when demands feel ongoing, recovery is limited and changes in sleep, mood, concentration, physical tension or daily functioning persist. A psychologist can help assess the pattern rather than relying on one symptom.
Therapy can help identify maintaining patterns, strengthen recovery, address worry or perfectionism, improve boundaries and support sustainable behaviour change. It cannot remove every external demand, so practical and environmental changes may also be important.
This page addresses prolonged stress across life contexts. If the main source is employment, professional responsibilities or organisational conditions, the Occupational Stress and Burnout Therapy page provides the more specific pathway.
There is no fixed duration. It depends on the severity and duration of the difficulties, current demands, goals, co-occurring concerns and response to treatment.
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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