When the pace stops feeling sustainable
In tech, a busy week can quietly become a way of life. There is another launch, another urgent message, or another round of uncertainty about your team. You may be an engineer, product professional, founder, or leader who is used to handling pressure. Lately, though, you might feel flat, irritable, or unable to switch off. Even time away from work may not feel restful when your mind keeps returning to what you have not finished.
Burnout can involve exhaustion, distance from work, and a sense that your efforts no longer mean much. Those feelings can overlap with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, or health concerns, so we do not assume one explanation fits everything. Therapy gives us room to understand what is happening in your life. When other care is needed, we can discuss that too. You do not have to wait until you can no longer function before seeking support.
Looking beyond productivity tips
You may already know how to organize your calendar or turn off notifications. The harder question is why slowing down feels risky. Perhaps being dependable has become central to how you see yourself. Perhaps layoffs, financial obligations, or a competitive workplace make rest feel unsafe. We take those realities seriously rather than treating exhaustion as a failure to manage your time.
My primary approach is Internal Family Systems, often called IFS. We get curious about the part that pushes you to keep going, the part that fears being left behind, and the part that feels depleted. Instead of fighting those reactions, we explore what each is trying to protect. This can help you notice the difference between a choice you want to make and a habit driven by fear or self-criticism.
Boundaries, connection, and life outside work
Together, we can explore what sustainable limits might look like in your actual role. That may include preparing for a conversation about workload, noticing when you agree automatically, or making room for sleep and relationships. Nonviolent Communication offers a way to express needs and make requests without blame. CBT tools can help you examine thoughts such as needing to be available all the time to remain valuable.
Work stress rarely stays at work. A partner may feel distant from you, friendships may have slipped away, or you may feel too drained to enjoy the things you once cared about. Relational and attachment work helps us understand these patterns. Humanistic and existential perspectives make space for the larger questions: what success means to you, what you want your time to hold, and who you are beyond your job title.
Virtual support across California
I work with tech professionals and high-achievers in the Bay Area and offer secure video sessions for clients located throughout California. Therapy is not workplace coaching, and it does not promise to solve an unhealthy company culture. It is a place to speak honestly, understand your responses, and consider choices with more support. We discuss confidentiality and its limits before beginning.
You might be staying in your role, facing a layoff, considering a career change, or simply unsure what needs to shift. We choose goals together rather than assuming you should quit or push harder. A free 15-minute consultation gives you room to describe what is happening and ask about working together. Email to arrange a time; you do not need to arrive with a plan for fixing everything.
Your worth does not have to rise and fall with your output.