Burnout: A Trauma Informed, Systems-Aware Perspective

Burnout is not a personal failure. As a counsellor, I support individuals experiencing burnout, emotional exhaustion, chronic stress, and caregiver burnout not because they are weak or lacking resilience, but because they have been carrying too much for too long without adequate support. Burnout is a nervous system response to prolonged stress, overwhelm, and pressure, where rest no longer feels restorative and people begin to feel disconnected from themselves, their work, and their relationships. Many clients share that they are still functioning, but no longer feel like themselves, an experience that is deeply distressing and often misunderstood.

Burnout does not happen in isolation. It is shaped by systemic factors such as workplace stress, high emotional labour, caregiving responsibilities, healthcare burnout, and inequitable systems that prioritize productivity over wellbeing. Caregivers, healthcare and helping professionals, parents, immigrants, and racialized communities are disproportionately impacted, often experiencing compassion fatigue, moral injury, and chronic nervous system dysregulation. In these contexts, self-care alone is not enough. Healing burnout requires a trauma-informed approach that addresses boundaries, nervous system regulation, ethical distress, and the impact of unsustainable systems, while reducing shame and self-blame.

Burnout counselling focuses on sustainability rather than perfection. Therapy can support professionals and caregivers in recovering from burnout by strengthening boundaries, reducing overwhelm, restoring capacity, and reconnecting with meaning and balance. Most importantly, burnout is not a sign that something is wrong with you—it is a signal that something around you needs to change. Support, rest, and healing are not luxuries; they are essential for long-term wellbeing.