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Treating EMDR, trauma, anxiety, and burnout through holistic therapy

Therapy for Burnout

Anywhere in New York and California

For high-achieving women tired of running on empty.

Are you tired of putting everyone's needs before your own?

You’re juggling so many roles--mom, partner, daughter, caregiver, friend, boss, colleague, house manager, and more. You are trying your best, but feel like you are failing everyone and everything.

You see other women who are managing it all with ease. You wonder, “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I do it all?” You try to focus on your work, but then see the piles of laundry in the hamper and dishes in the sink. Any time you try sit down to get things done, someone is pestering you for something. Your child wants a snack. Your mom needs a ride to the doctor. Your boss needs that report. Your partner wants sex. And since you are the "yes girl," you comply with every request.

Your own care has gone out the window because the to-do list is never-ending. Planning something fun feels like too much effort when you are running on empty. If you do take time for yourself, you feel guilty or think "I'm lazy." You stop calling friends, and they stop calling you after you turned them down too many times. You start to feel cynical and irritable. You are snapping at everyone, and then feel bad for losing your temper.

You are drained. Even if you sleep, you wake up cranky and tired, dreading to face the day. You are constantly sick with some cold or bug that you just can’t shake. You have headaches and maybe TMJ from clenching your jaw all day. Maybe you even feel nauseous or dizzy. You look in the mirror and see baggy eyes that are glazed-over. You wonder, “Who is this person? Where did I go?”

There is a reality where you thrive and not just survive

It is possible to rediscover yourself. You wake up and actually feel refreshed...maybe for the first time in years. Gone are the headaches and constant illnesses. You are healthy and energized. There is a flutter of anticipation in your stomach because you are excited for the day.

You realize, yes, there will always be chores and requests. AND you know those to-dos can wait until after you take that break. You do not feel guilty for carving out time for yourself. You know you cannot give from an empty cup. You are better at prioritizing what's important to you and letting go of the rest. You can identify your needs and ask for them. Setting boundaries and saying no come easily to you now...and you never apologize for it.

You are connected to those you love and you have not abandoned yourself. In fact, you are more present, and your friends and family have noticed. You make time for a new hobby, bubble baths, and other things that bring you joy. Every single day, you pause to appreciate the small moments, like your child's giggle, a beautiful flower, or a yummy treat. You are thinking, “I’m kicking a*s at life.” You have a clear sense of your body's intuition. You are finally living a full, abundant life as YOU.

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Therapy for burnout for high-achieving women

You have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first...

You’ve probably heard it hundreds of times, but it’s true. You can’t show up for anyone else, unless your oxygen is flowing.

Putting yourself and your needs first isn’t selfish, it’s essential.

When you give yourself space to breathe, you have more to give. It's that simple.

Dr. Emily Altunay, therapist for burnout, shows you what thriving looks like

Holistic, trauma-informed therapy for burnout

Women who experience burnout usually learned somewhere along the way that her oxygen had to go to everyone else first. As a child, perhaps you only received praise and attention when you gave to others. You had to be perfect to avoid being rejected or abandoned. You had to be productive to avoid being called lazy. Love was not unconditional...Love was based on your performance.

It's time to learn to love yourself unconditionally.

For immediate relief, I will first give you concrete tools to create balance in your life. Then, we will gently explore the root of your burnout so you never end up here again. Using holistic, evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches, I will help you heal the childhood wounds, traumas, and anxious patterns that led to your burning out. Clearing out the emotional baggage and turning your body's alarm system off will also help you to feel lighter and more energized. You will be able to listen to your body's needs and intuition. You will pour love and compassion into yourself unapologetically.

You will finally have a clear sense of harmony in your life.

What to expect

1

Identify your treatment goals and take a thorough assessment of your background to determine the patterns that made you burnout.

2

Begin setting boundaries, carving time for yourself, and learning how to relax now, so you feel immediate relief.

3

Heal the root of the negative patterns that led to your burnout through trauma-informed approaches, such as EMDR.

4

Learn to drop into your body, listen to your intuition, and identify your authentic values and build a life of thriving.

Therapy for burnout approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This approach recognizes that our thoughts and behaviors impact how we feel. You will learn cognitive reframing strategies that challenge negative beliefs around self-care. You will also make concrete changes to your behaviors that ensure you are carving out time for yourself. These behavioral changes might look like:

1. Nervous System Regulation: You will learn strategies to relax the body, including breathing exercises, visualizations, tension release, and more. In some cases, you may be connected to a heart monitor for biofeedback in real time as you relax the body. These approaches are meant to be practiced for a few minutes throughout the day to ensure you are filling your cup regularly. Daily relaxation breaks go much farther than one long massage or manicure per month!

2. Effective Communication: You will identify what you need and learn how to communicate these needs to others effectively. You will learn to say no and set boundaries. Though it's HARD, you can communicate in an Honest, Appropriate, Respectful, and Direct way. You can attract healthy relationships when you learn to love yourself and assert your needs.

3. Systems Development: I’ll help you take stock of your life and how you manage things. Together, we will develop systems that help serve and support you. You will learn to work smarter, not harder. For example, planner and task-list systems so you stay on track. Mail-sorting systems so you never miss a bill. Household organization systems so you never lose your keys.

Mindfulness and Self-Compassion: This approach teaches you to drop into your body and listen. You will gain a clearer sense of your intuition and spirituality. You will be better able to identify what it is that you need, and how to meet those needs for yourself. You will learn to be kind and compassionate to yourself. Research shows that when people have more self-compassion, they are more compassionate to others. This finding is likely because there is more to give when your cup is overflowing.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (values work): After learning to be more mindful and listen to your body's needs and intuition, this approach teaches you how to identify your authentic values. Not the values ascribed to you by society, culture, or your family. Rather, you get to decide what is most important to you. You will then learn how to embody your values daily through committed action.

Internal Family Systems (Self-leadership): This approach takes the stance that all humans are innately calm, compassionate, connected, present, playful, and confident (the true Self). However, through childhood wounds, traumas, and other life experiences, parts of us learn to be on high alert because you need protecting. However, these parts are burning out you. Through this work, you will learn to unburden those protector parts, unleash the true Self, and lead with calm, compassion and confidence.

If your burnout is rooted in trauma, childhood wounds, and anxious patterns, we may integrate EMDR and breathwork, or exposure therapy into your treatment plan.