Depression therapy can provide the support you need when you feel like you're watching yourself from a distance, going through the motions while feeling disconnected from the experiences that once brought meaning and joy. If you're successful on the outside but struggle with emptiness, exhaustion, or a persistent sense of "going through the motions" on the inside, you're not alone. Depression often affects those who seem to "have it all together," creating an invisible struggle that others may not see or understand.
Depression and burnout don’t always look the way people expect. For many adults, they show up quietly, behind productivity, responsibility, and getting things done, rather than as obvious sadness or withdrawal. I work with adults who feel depleted, disconnected, or stuck in patterns that no longer feel aligned, and who want support that goes deeper than “pushing through” or symptom management.
How Depression Can Show Up
Depression is not just feeling sad. It often shows up across multiple layers of experience:
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Emotional signs
Feeling numb, flat, hopeless, or disconnected. Difficulty feeling joy or excitement, even around things that used to matter. Or a sense that everything feels heavier or harder. -
Signs in your Thinking
Negative self-talk, self-criticism, difficulty imagining a positive future, mental fog, or indecision. -
Physical signs
Low energy, fatigue, changes in sleep or appetite, or a sense of heaviness in the body- like you know you should move, but just can't make yourself get up or out of the house.
For some people, depression shows up less as sadness and more as irritability, frustration, or a very low tolerance for stress, especially for those who grew up in environments where emotions were minimized or “buck it up” was the norm.
High Functioning Depression
Many of the adults I work with are still going to work, parenting, managing responsibilities, and showing up for others. From the outside, things may look “fine.”
Internally, high-functioning depression often looks like:
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Going through the motions without feeling connected
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Difficulty looking forward to things or feeling excited
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Feeling emotionally distant from others
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A sense of emptiness or “what’s the point?”
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Constant effort just to maintain baseline functioning
Because responsibilities are still being met, this kind of depression is often overlooked, even by the person experiencing it.
Burnout: When the Nervous System is Depleted
Burnout shares many features with depression, which is why the two are often confused or intertwined.
Burnout is less about mood and more about capacity.
It often develops after:
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Chronic stress or prolonged overextension
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High emotional labor or caregiving demands
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Long periods of functioning in survival mode
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Little opportunity for rest, recovery, or alignment
From a nervous system perspective, burnout often reflects depletion: a system that has been in chronic activation and eventually drops into shutdown or freeze.
Burnout can include:
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Emotional numbness or detachment
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Exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest
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Cynicism or irritability
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Reduced motivation or creativity
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Feeling disconnected from meaning or purpose
Depression and burnout can look similar on the surface, but the underlying drivers matter.
Part of my work is helping you clarify:
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What patterns are rooted in nervous system depletion
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What reflects emotional processing or unresolved grief
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Where misalignment or values conflict is contributing
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How long-standing beliefs or internal parts may be involved
This clarity helps us target the right interventions, not just manage symptoms.
Depression & Burnout: Similar,
but Not the Same
How I Approach Depression & Burnout Therapy
I take a thorough, integrative approach that begins with understanding your full context, not just a checklist of symptoms.
A Thoughtful, In-Depth Intake
Our work starts with a comprehensive intake that functions more like a mini-assessment. I review questionnaires and measures ahead of time so we can focus our sessions on what’s most relevant to you.
Together, we map:
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Emotional, physical, and cognitive patterns
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Nervous system states (activation, shutdown, freeze)
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Internal dynamics (self-criticism, pressure, protective parts)
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Environmental and relational stressors
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Areas of misalignment or energy drain
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What would bring the most immediate relief
From there, we create a clear plan for what to focus on first.
Treatment: Restoring Capacity & Then Creating Change
Depression and burnout are not fixed by effort alone. Often, meaningful change requires restoring nervous system capacity before deeper emotional or cognitive work can take hold.
My approach may include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
To identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns, reduce avoidance, and address behaviors that reinforce hopelessness or withdrawal.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
To help you reconnect with values, build flexibility, and move toward meaning even when motivation feels low.
Internal Family Systems–Informed Parts Work (IFS-informed)
To understand internal parts such as the inner critic, overfunctioner, protector, or shutdown part — and reduce internal conflict rather than fighting yourself.
Somatic & Nervous System–Informed Approaches
Including polyvagal-informed strategies to support regulation, gently bring a system out of freeze or collapse, and rebuild a sense of safety and vitality in the body.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills
Particularly distress tolerance and emotion regulation skills, when emotions feel overwhelming or shutdown is prominent.
Emotionally Focused Interventions (EFT-informed)
To explore emotional needs, attachment patterns, and relational dynamics that contribute to disconnection or hopelessness.
Throughout therapy, we integrate skills + insight, adjusting pace and focus based on your capacity week to week while staying oriented toward your larger goals.
A Final Note
Depression and burnout are not signs that you’re broken or weak. They are signals, often from a nervous system that has been under too much strain for too long, or from a life that has drifted out of alignment with your values and needs.
Therapy can help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface, restore capacity, and begin building a way of living that feels more connected, meaningful, and sustainable.
If you’d like to explore whether working together feels like a good fit, I invite you to schedule a free consultation or reach out with questions.