Burnout, Identity Loss & Caregiver Overwhelm
When you’ve been holding everything — and there’s no space left for you.
Burnout isn’t just about being tired.
It’s about being emotionally overextended for too long without enough support.
Many caregivers, parents, and women come to therapy saying:
- “I don’t feel like myself anymore.”
- “I should be able to handle this.”
- “I’m exhausted, but I can’t stop.”
- “Everyone needs me and I’m disappearing.”
This isn’t a personal failure.
It’s what happens when your needs have been placed last for too long.
Burnout Is a Nervous System Issue — Not a Motivation Problem
If rest hasn’t helped…
If time off doesn’t feel restorative…
If you feel numb, irritable, or constantly overwhelmed…
That’s because burnout lives in the nervous system, not your willpower.
Burnout and caregiver overwhelm can show up as:
- Chronic exhaustion or brain fog
- Emotional numbness or irritability
- Feeling disconnected from yourself or others
- Guilt for wanting space
- Loss of joy or creativity
- Difficulty resting or slowing down
- Feeling trapped by responsibility
These are signals — not shortcomings.
When Caregiving Becomes Your Entire Identity
Many parents and caregivers lose themselves slowly.
You may have:
- Learned to put your needs aside to keep others regulated
- Become “the strong one” others rely on
- Defined your worth by how much you give
- Forgotten what you enjoy, want, or need
Over time, this can lead to a quiet grief... the grief of not knowing who you are anymore.
This space is for gently exploring who you are beyond survival.
A Compassionate, Trauma-Informed Space to Rebuild Capacity
My approach to burnout and identity loss is not about adding more to your plate.
It’s about:
- Understanding what your nervous system has been carrying
- Releasing shame around exhaustion and resentment
- Reconnecting with your needs without guilt
- Creating space for rest that actually restores
- Rebuilding a sense of self... slowly and safely
We don’t rush.
We don’t force change.
We listen to what your system needs first.
This Support May Be Right for You If You:
- Are a parent or caregiver feeling emotionally depleted
- Feel like you’ve lost yourself in responsibility
- Struggle with guilt when prioritizing your own needs
- Feel numb, overwhelmed, or constantly “on”
- Are supporting others while quietly falling apart
- Want support that is gentle, validating, and non-judgmental
Many parents and trauma survivors arrive here... even if they don’t call it burnout.
Taking the Next Step
You don’t need to disappear in order to care for others.
You don’t have to wait until you’re completely depleted to ask for help.
And you don’t have to know exactly what you need.
If something in you feels tired, that’s enough to begin.
Support doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
It means you’re listening.