Call on (02) 4926 4198
Stress Management Therapy
Signs of Chronic Stress and Burnout
Short bursts of stress are a normal part of life and can even help you rise to a challenge. Chronic stress is different. It is the pressure that keeps building with no real let-up, until your body and mind start to feel the strain even on quieter days.
Left unchecked, ongoing stress can tip into burnout, a state of deep physical and emotional exhaustion that often follows long periods of demand at work or home. People come to us when they notice signs such as:
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- Exhaustion: feeling drained, flat or unable to recharge no matter how much you rest
- Trouble switching off: a racing mind, disrupted sleep, or never quite feeling off the clock
- Reduced focus: difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, or struggling to make decisions
- Physical signs: headaches, muscle tension, an unsettled stomach or frequent minor illness
- Mood changes: irritability, cynicism, low motivation, or a growing sense of detachment from work and people
You do not need to have reached breaking point to reach out. If stress is getting in the way of how you want to live and work, that is reason enough to talk to a psychologist.
Evidence-Based Approaches to Stress and Burnout
Our clinical psychologists use approaches with strong research support for stress, matched to what you are working on rather than delivered off the shelf. In your first sessions your psychologist will talk through which approach fits your situation and why.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
a structured approach that helps you notice and shift the thinking and behaviour patterns that keep stress running high
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
building a different relationship with anxious thoughts and feelings so they hold you back less, while you move towards what matters to you
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
an approach used where anxiety is linked to trauma or distressing past experiences
Therapy is collaborative. Your psychologist will explain the reasoning behind each step, and you decide together how to pace the work so it feels manageable.
Practical Strategies You Can Put to Use
Alongside understanding what is driving the stress, therapy gives you concrete tools to use between sessions and long after therapy ends. Which strategies your psychologist introduces will depend on what is happening for you, and may include:
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- Recognising your early warning signs so you can act before stress builds up
- Setting realistic limits and boundaries around work, devices and commitments
- Simple techniques to calm the body, such as paced breathing and grounding
- Reworking unhelpful thinking patterns that add pressure to an already full plate
- Rebuilding rest, movement and the activities that help you recover
The aim is not to remove every source of pressure, which is rarely possible, but to change how it affects you so daily demands feel more manageable.
What Working With a Psychologist Looks Like
The first session is mostly about getting to know each other. Your psychologist will ask about what has brought you in, some background, and what you would like to be different. There is no pressure to cover everything at once.
From there, you and your psychologist agree on a plan and a rough rhythm of sessions, then review how it is tracking as you go. How many sessions you have is decided together rather than set in advance, and depends on what you are working on. Sessions usually run for around 50 minutes.
Knowing When to Seek Support
It can be hard to tell the difference between a demanding patch that will pass and stress that has settled in for the long haul. As a general guide, it is worth talking to a psychologist when stress has lasted for weeks, is affecting your sleep, mood, relationships or work, or when the usual ways you unwind no longer seem to help.
Therapy is planned support, not an emergency service. If you are in crisis, having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or worried about your immediate safety, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24-hour support, or call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department if you or someone else is in danger.
Stress Support for Adolescents and Adults
We provide stress and burnout support for adults and for adolescents from age 10, drawing on individual therapy tailored to each person. For younger clients we keep parents and carers appropriately involved while giving the young person a space of their own, and we will let you know which of our clinical psychologists currently see this age group.
Fees and Rebates
You do not need a referral to book individual therapy with us. If you would like to claim a Medicare rebate, ask your GP about a Mental Health Treatment Plan, which sets out a number of rebated sessions each calendar year.
Rebates may also be available through private health insurance, depending on your level of cover. Please note you cannot claim a Medicare rebate and a private health rebate for the same session. Self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants may be able to use their funding for therapy, and full-fee appointments are also available.
Fees vary by appointment type and length, so contact us for the current schedule and to check what rebate might apply to you.
Visiting Our Newcastle Rooms
Our consulting rooms are at Level 5, Suite 2, 57 Hunter Street, Newcastle NSW 2300, in the Newcastle CBD, a short walk from the light rail and close to bus routes through the city, and only a few minutes from Newcastle beach. We also offer telehealth appointments, so you can attend from home, from work or from anywhere across the country.
Appointments are available during business hours, with some evening and Saturday sessions for people who cannot step away during the working day. Contact us to check current availability.
Related Support at Esteem Psychology
Depression often sits alongside other concerns, and support does not have to be limited to one-to-one sessions. You may also be interested in:
Individual Therapy
for depression, stress, burnout, grief, trauma and adjustment to change
Group Treatment Programs
that run alongside individual therapy when a group is available
Clinical Supervision
for psychologists, provisional psychologists and clinical registrars
You can see the full range on our What We Do page.
Booking Your First Session
Many people prefer to book without having to call, so you can choose a time that suits you through our online booking system at any hour. If you would rather talk first, send us a booking enquiry or call the practice on (02) 4926 4198 and we will come back to you with the next available appointments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can new clients book an appointment online?
Do I need a referral to see a psychologist for stress?
No. You can book directly with Esteem Psychology without a referral. If you would like to claim a Medicare rebate, you will need a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP first, which sets out a number of rebated sessions each calendar year.
What is the difference between stress and burnout?
Stress is the body’s response to demand and usually eases once the pressure lifts. Burnout tends to follow long periods of unrelenting stress and shows up as deep exhaustion, detachment, and a sense that you have little left to give. A psychologist can help you understand where you sit and what might help.
What kind of therapy do you use for stress and burnout?
Our clinical psychologists draw on evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and, where stress is linked to trauma, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). Your psychologist will match the approach to your situation and explain the reasoning as you go.
Do you offer telehealth for stress management?
Yes. Stress management therapy can be held by secure video or telephone, which suits people who work long hours, travel for work, or live outside the Newcastle CBD. Telehealth sessions attract the same Medicare rebates as in-person sessions when you have a valid Mental Health Treatment Plan.
How many sessions will I need?
That depends on what you are working on and what you want from therapy, and it is something you and your psychologist decide together rather than something set in advance. Your psychologist will suggest a plan after the first session or two and review it with you as you go.
Can therapy help with work-related stress?
Work is one of the most common reasons people come to see us about stress. Your psychologist will work with you to understand the pressures you are facing and build practical strategies for managing them, including boundaries, workload and the way stress affects you outside work.
In the spirit of reconciliation Esteem Psychology acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
© Esteem Psychology