CBT for Stress & Burnout in Cheadle Hulme & Online
When demands keep outweighing the time or energy you have, it can become difficult to switch off. You may keep pushing through, then find that even small tasks feel exhausting.
I offer support to understand the pressures you are facing and explore a more manageable way forward. Therapy considers workload, relationships, sensory needs and practical support alongside thoughts and coping patterns.
When Stress & Burnout Start to Get in the Way
You may recognise some of these experiences. Not every example will fit, and we will take time to understand what is happening for you:
- You feel exhausted in a way that rest or a weekend doesn't fix.
- You've started to feel detached, cynical or numb about work, study or caring responsibilities that once mattered to you.
- Tasks that used to feel manageable now take much longer, and you doubt whether you're doing anything well.
- You find yourself snapping at people, struggling to concentrate or forgetting things.
- You keep going on autopilot, telling yourself you'll rest "once this is over", but there's always something next.
- For parents and carers, burnout may come from long periods of looking after others with little time to recover.
- For teenagers, stress may build around exams, coursework, part-time jobs and social pressures, showing up as tiredness, irritability or giving up on things they used to enjoy.
- If you're Autistic, you may recognise a deep exhaustion that comes from long periods of masking, sensory demands or coping with change without enough support. Autistic people often describe this as autistic burnout. It can feel different from work-related burnout, and recovering usually involves reducing demands rather than pushing harder.
Making Sense of Stress and Burnout Together
Stress is a normal response to pressure, and in short bursts it can help us rise to a challenge. Burnout tends to develop when pressure continues for a long time without enough rest, control or support. It isn't a personal failing. It often reflects a mismatch between what's being asked of you and the resources you have.
When you're stretched, it's natural to work harder, skip breaks or drop things that restore you, such as exercise, hobbies or time with friends. These choices can feel necessary, but they can also drain your reserves further. Thoughts such as "I should be able to cope" or "If I stop, everything will fall apart" can make it harder to slow down or ask for help.
For example, a nurse working extra shifts might stop seeing friends to rest on days off, then find that rest no longer refreshes them and that they dread going in.
Together, we can look at the demands on you, what drains and restores your energy and the beliefs that keep you pushing on. We can then explore realistic changes, which may include practical adjustments to your situation as well as how you respond to it.
Sessions Shaped Around You
Therapy is shaped around you. In our first session, we explore how you think, communicate and learn, what feels comfortable, and what you would like support with. Adjustments are available to everyone, whether or not you have a diagnosis.
We can vary the pace, take breaks, use visual tools or written summaries, and consider sensory needs. Between-session tasks can be broken into realistic steps. If you are Autistic or have ADHD, we also consider how your experiences, attention, energy and environment affect the work, without expecting you to fit one way of doing therapy.
For children and young people, I consider developmental needs from the beginning so that materials and the approach are suitable, and review this as we work together. Parents are an essential part of therapy for younger children, helping reinforce new ways of thinking and regulating; their involvement varies with need.
Location, Fees & Common Questions
Sessions are weekly, last 50 minutes and cost £85. We can meet in person in Cheadle Hulme or online where suitable. Payment is by bank transfer within 24 hours after your session.
In-person sessions are at 11 Station Road, Cheadle Hulme, SK8 5AF. The room is quiet, has low-level lighting and is wheelchair accessible using a lift. Parking is free for up to three hours at the ASDA next door. You are welcome to bring sensory supports.
How long will therapy take?
The length of therapy depends on your needs and goals. We agree an initial plan and review the work together, rather than giving everyone the same number of sessions.
Will therapy just help me cope with the same level of pressure?
We consider whether the pressures themselves need to change, as well as ways of responding. Your goals and the support available around you guide the work.
A free 20-minute telephone or video consultation gives you space to share a little of what you are experiencing, ask questions about the process and explore your next steps.
Arrange a Free 20-Minute Consultation