Therapy for Burnout Recovery: What to Expect in Your First Sessions

ACT, CBT, and Whole-Person Support for High-Achieving Adults in Denver, CO

Burnout doesn’t show up overnight—and healing from it takes more than a weekend off or a few productivity hacks.

If you’re a high-achieving professional who feels chronically tired, overwhelmed, emotionally depleted, or disconnected from the parts of life you used to enjoy, therapy for burnout can offer a structured, compassionate, and evidence-based path forward.

In this blog, you’ll learn what to expect from your first therapy sessions for burnout recovery, how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and a biopsychosocial (or process-based) approach support long-term change, and why therapy that addresses your whole self—not just your work life—is essential.

Why Therapy for Burnout?

Burnout is more than workplace stress—it’s a whole-person experience of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a diminished sense of effectiveness. Originally researched by Christina Maslach, burnout arises when the demands placed on us chronically exceed our internal and external resources. (Maslach & Leiter, 2016)

While burnout is often associated with work, it also shows up in caregiving, relationships, parenting, and perfectionism-driven living. If you’re in Denver, CO, or anywhere in Colorado and are seeking therapy to help you reset, recover, and reconnect with your life, you’re in the right place.

What Happens in the First Sessions?

Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all, but most burnout recovery work through my online Colorado therapy practice begins with the following structure:

1. The Intake Session: Mapping the Landscape

In our first session, we’ll begin with a collaborative intake process. This involves gathering information about your:

• Current symptoms (emotional, cognitive, physical)

• Work and personal life context

• Coping strategies (both helpful and unhelpful)

• Medical and psychological history

• Support systems and stressors

Rather than just identifying “what’s wrong,” we’ll begin to explore what matters most to you. What you’ve lost touch with, what you’re longing for, and what healing might look like.

🧠 Example:

A client named Emily shares that while she’s successful on paper, she feels like a shell of her former self. Together, we start to identify how her values of creativity and connection have been drowned out by chronic overwork and self-criticism.

2. A Biopsychosocial (or Process-Based) Lens

As a psychologist grounded in the biopsychosocial model, I don’t just look at your thoughts or behaviors in isolation. Instead, we’ll explore:

• Biological factors: sleep, nutrition, nervous system regulation, medical conditions

• Psychological factors: beliefs, thought patterns, emotional regulation, trauma history

• Social/environmental factors: workload, relationships, culture, systemic pressures

• Spiritual/values-based factors: sense of purpose, identity, and meaning

This integrative lens allows us to co-create a therapy plan that supports you as a whole person—not just a “stressed worker” or “burned-out parent.”

The Role of ACT in Burnout Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a powerful, research-backed approach to recovering from burnout. It helps you build psychological flexibility—the ability to stay present with difficult thoughts and emotions while choosing actions aligned with your values.

In ACT-informed sessions, you can expect to:

• Explore where you may be fused with self-critical or fear-based thoughts

• Learn skills to defuse from painful internal experiences

• Practice being present, even when discomfort arises

• Clarify your core values—what you truly care about, beyond roles and achievement

• Commit to small, sustainable actions in alignment with those values

🌱 Therapist Tip:

You don’t have to feel “motivated” or “ready” to take action. In ACT, we begin now, even in the presence of uncertainty or fear.

🧠 Example:

Derek, a 38-year-old attorney, feels paralyzed by thoughts like, “I can’t let anyone down.” In ACT sessions, he learns to notice these thoughts without letting them dictate every decision—creating space for more balanced choices.

How CBT Supports Burnout Recovery

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on the link between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Burnout often includes patterns of:

• Perfectionism (“I must always be the best or I’ve failed”)

• Catastrophic thinking (“If I take a break, everything will fall apart”)

• Should statements (“I should be able to handle this without help”)

CBT sessions will help you:

• Identify and reframe unhelpful beliefs

• Challenge inner narratives that feed shame, guilt, or self-doubt

• Build practical coping strategies to reduce emotional reactivity

• Strengthen boundaries, assertiveness, and self-talk

🧠 Example:

Priya, a nonprofit director, realizes she equates rest with laziness. In CBT, she begins challenging this core belief and experiments with “structured rest” as a courageous act of self-respect.

Addressing the Body and Nervous System

Burnout isn’t just a mindset—it’s a physiological state. Many high-achievers spend years in sympathetic (fight-or-flight) dominance, leading to:

• Digestive issues

• Muscle tension and pain

• Sleep disturbances

• Hormonal imbalances

• Emotional numbing or irritability

In our sessions, we may incorporate:

• Breathwork and grounding techniques

• Sleep hygiene and recovery practices

• Education around nutrition for mental health (e.g., blood sugar regulation, anti-inflammatory foods)

• Movement that supports rather than depletes (e.g., walking, stretching, yoga)

You won’t be handed a wellness checklist. We’ll explore small, realistic shifts that support your nervous system’s capacity to rest, connect, and heal.

What You'll Walk Away With After the First Few Sessions

Burnout therapy doesn’t offer a quick fix—but you’ll begin to experience clarity, calm, and direction within the first few sessions. You can expect:

• Language to describe your experience without shame

• A deeper understanding of how burnout developed for you

• Tools for coping with stress, overwhelm, and emotional reactivity

• A values-based roadmap to begin rebuilding a life that feels more sustainable and meaningful

• The support of a therapist who understands the pressures of high-functioning, high-responsibility living

Is Therapy for Burnout Right for You?

If you’ve been asking yourself…

• “Why am I always tired—even when I sleep?”

• “How did I become so detached from the person I used to be?”

• “What if I can’t keep doing this?”

…you’re not alone. And you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.

Therapy can be a place to pause, reflect, and begin again—with clarity and compassion.

Online Therapy for Burnout in Denver, CO

As a burnout therapist in Denver, CO, I work with professionals, caregivers, entrepreneurs, and high-functioning adults who are ready to address the real cost of burnout—and create a more fulfilling way forward.

Using ACT, CBT, and integrative whole-person tools, we’ll work together to help you:

• Reclaim your time and energy

• Quiet your inner critic

• Identify what truly matters

• Build a work and life rhythm that honors your wellbeing

Ready to Begin? Get the Support You Need Through Burnout Treatment in Denver, CO

If you're curious about how therapy can support your burnout recovery, your first step is simple: reach out.

📩 Get whole-person support for burnout. Contact me today to schedule a consultation.

📍 Learn therapist-approved strategies for navigating burnout and stress. Meet with me through my online therapy practice located in Colorado.

🌐 Work toward peace and recovery with an experienced online burnout therapist who understands what you're facing.

You don’t have to choose between success and sanity. You can have both.

Online Therapy in Colorado: Other Services I Provide

If burnout has been leaving you feeling mentally scattered, emotionally drained, and unsure how to move forward, burnout therapy in Denver, CO, can help you find your footing again. In our work together, we’ll focus on restoring balance, rebuilding your energy, and giving you the tools to handle challenges with greater resilience.

While burnout and stress recovery are central to my Denver-based online therapy practice, I also provide care for a range of mental health needs. This includes therapy for anxiety disorders, trauma recovery support, and guidance for navigating significant life transitions such as career changes or personal milestones. I also work with clients facing relationship challenges, offering both compassionate one-on-one therapy and in-depth psychological assessments tailored to your goals.

I encourage you to explore my website for more about my approach, read practical tips on my mental health blog, and connect with me when you’re ready to start your own path toward lasting well-being.

About the Author

Dr. Jennifer Olson-Madden is a licensed psychologist and expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and mindfulness, dedicated to helping clients achieve purposeful and successful outcomes through inspired and committed action. With over 15 years of licensure in Denver, CO, and more than two decades of experience in mental health, she specializes in treating burnout, perfectionism, chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. She not only practices these modalities professionally but also integrates their principles into her own life daily.