Burnout therapy · Hermosa Beach · Pasadena · Online in California

Therapy for Burnout in Los Angeles, for When You’re Still Performing on Empty

You're still delivering. The work gets done and nobody at the office would guess. But a weekend off doesn't refill you anymore, small things feel heavy, and the people at home get whatever is left. We help you stop the drain first, then work out why you keep spending more than you have.

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Lisa Chen & Associates Therapy offers therapy for burnout in Los Angeles, in person in Hermosa Beach and Pasadena and online anywhere in California. We work with professionals who are still performing while running on empty, treating the exhaustion first and then the patterns that keep them overextended. Sessions are 50 minutes and start with a free 20-minute consultation.

One-minute self-check

Am I burned out?

Think of your energy as an account: work spends it, and sleep, rest and the people you love put it back. Check what's been true most weeks lately, and the gauge shows how far you've drawn it down. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

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Check the statements that fit. Your result shows here.

This is a reflection tool, not a diagnosis. Only a licensed clinician can assess what's going on.

Want a fuller read? The Burn Line Locator is 13 statements and two minutes, and tells you how far into burnout you are.

Hermosa Beach pier on a hazy afternoon, with open sand in the foreground
Hermosa Beach, a short drive from our office on Pacific Coast Highway.

What burnout is, and what it isn’t

Burnout isn't weakness. It's what happens when you keep spending energy you don't have, for long enough.

The World Health Organization describes burnout as the result of chronic work stress that hasn't been managed, with three signs: exhaustion, growing distance or cynicism about your job, and feeling less effective. It's not a medical diagnosis, and it's not a character flaw. In a Gallup study of nearly 7,500 full-time employees, 23% felt burned out very often or always and another 44% sometimes, and every figure is sourced on our burnout statistics page.

What we see most is selective. Capable people protect their performance at work and quietly overdraw everything else: sleep, health, friends, their partner and kids. From the outside you look fine. The bill tends to land at home first. Burnout also travels with anxiety, perfectionism and a flat mood that can look like depression. Our guide on how to tell burnout from depression walks through the difference.

If you lead a team or a company, our page on executive burnout therapy goes deeper on what's different for leaders.

What does your burnout sound like?

Pick the one that's closest. We'll tell you how we'd start.

When rest stops working, it's usually because more is going out than coming in. We start by finding the two or three places you're losing the most energy and closing them, so sleep and time off can do their job again.

A good place to start: a free consult to find your therapist

How burnout therapy works here

Stop the drain first, then the deeper work, so you're not back here after the next big quarter.

The goal isn't to make you care less about your work. It's to keep what works about how you operate and stop paying for it with your health and your relationships.

  1. 01

    Stop the drain

    Early sessions are practical. We find where your energy is going, close the biggest leaks and use somatic tools to bring your nervous system out of overdrive, so sleep and time off start working again.

  2. 02

    Find what keeps you overspending

    Rest alone rarely fixes burnout, because the pattern that caused it is still running. With psychodynamic therapy and Internal Family Systems, we look at the part of you that can't slow down and what it's afraid will happen if you do. When past experiences feed it, EMDR can help.

  3. 03

    Make it hold

    We build limits you can defend at work, plan for your busy seasons and learn your early warning signs, so the next big push doesn't take you back to empty.

How our approach compares

Most burnout advice stops at rest and better time management. Here's what's different about working with us.

What people often expectHow we work
The focusTake a vacation, manage your time betterRecovery first, then the patterns that keep you overextended
The methodGeneral stress tipsSomatic work, psychodynamic therapy, IFS and EMDR
Your driveTold to slow down or quitWe protect what works about your drive
Your lifeBurnout treated as a work problemWe look at where the cost lands: your health, your partner and your family
The costFound out on the first callPublished below, with superbills for your insurance
Capable people protect their performance at work and quietly overdraw everything else.What we see most in burnout

Therapists who treat burnout

Your free consult matches you with the right person. Associates are trained and supervised by Lisa Chen and Clinical Director Bob Northcutt, both LMFTs.

Where we see clients for burnout

The waiting room at the Lisa Chen & Associates Hermosa Beach office

Hermosa Beach

2615 Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 326. Parking on site and an elevator. Close to Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo and Torrance.

In-person therapy in Hermosa Beach
A tree-lined street with the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance

Pasadena

150 S Los Robles Ave, Suite 850. Monday to Friday, with Chandra Breslow and colleagues. Call (626) 344-0475.

Therapy in Pasadena
A man in a white shirt and glasses on a video session at his laptop

Online, anywhere in California

Secure video sessions from home or the office. Many clients switch to online during heavy weeks, so a packed calendar isn't a reason to skip.

Online therapy in California

Nearby: Manhattan Beach · Redondo Beach · Torrance · Pasadena

Often comes with burnout

The closest overlaps first, and why they travel together.

Executive burnout

If you lead people or a company, the stakes are visible and there is no one to hand it to. This page covers what is different for leaders.

Executive burnout therapy

Anxiety

Running on adrenaline can look like drive until sleep thins and your mind will not switch off. The two often arrive together.

Anxiety therapy

Depression

Burnout usually eases when the pressure lifts. A flat mood that follows you into weekends is worth a closer look.

Depression treatment

Also related: Perfectionism Imposter syndrome High achievers Highly sensitive people Free burnout check

Burnout therapy questions

Still deciding? A free 20-minute call is the easiest way to see if we're a fit.

Book a free consult

How do I know if I'm burned out or just tired?

Tiredness gets better with sleep and a few days off. Burnout doesn't. It shows up as exhaustion that rest doesn't fix, growing distance or cynicism about work you used to care about, and feeling less effective even when your results are fine. If two of those have fit for more than a few weeks, it's worth talking to someone.

What does a therapist for burnout actually do?

A therapist for burnout works on two levels. First, practical recovery: finding where your energy goes, protecting sleep and setting limits you can keep. Second, the patterns underneath, like a part of you that can't say no or doesn't feel safe slowing down. Fixing only the first is why so many people burn out again.

Can burnout go away on its own?

Sometimes, if the pressure ends. A finished project, a new role or a real break can help. But if the pattern that drove it stays the same, burnout usually comes back with the next big push. Rest alone often isn't enough, because the habits that drained you are still running when you get back.

Is it burnout or depression?

Burnout is tied to work and usually eases when the pressure lifts. Depression tends to follow you everywhere, into weekends, vacations and the things you used to enjoy. The two often overlap, and they're treated differently. A therapist can help you sort out which is which, and our guide on burnout versus depression is a good place to start.

Will therapy make me less driven?

No. Most of our clients are capable, ambitious people, and we treat that as a strength. The goal is to keep what works about how you operate while stopping what it costs you in sleep, health and relationships. Most people find they do better work once they're no longer running on empty.

Sessions from $180Free 20-minute consultOut of network, with superbills

Fees, insurance & FAQs →

If you're in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.