Burnout Counselling
For when you’ve kept going long past empty
When Exhaustion Becomes Your Default
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It builds slowly, through months or years of giving more than you have at work, in caregiving, or at home, until exhaustion becomes your default state. You might feel drained no matter how much you rest, disconnected from things you used to enjoy, or like you’re just going through the motions.
Burnout is often hard to see from the inside. You keep going, and because you keep going, it’s easy for you and the people around you to miss how much it’s costing. In counselling, we look at what’s driving the exhaustion, both the pressures around you and the patterns that keep you giving past empty, and work toward a way of living you can actually sustain.
Vista Counselling provides burnout counselling in person at our Langley, BC office and online across BC, for work stress, caregiver fatigue, and the kind of exhaustion that rest doesn’t fix.
Running on empty isn’t a personal failing. It’s a sign something needs to change.
What Is Burnout?
The World Health Organization describes burnout as the result of chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. It isn’t classified as a medical condition. Instead, it’s recognised as an occupational phenomenon with three dimensions:
The WHO keeps the term to work, but the same pattern shows up in caregiving and in parenting, and parental burnout is now studied in its own right. We work with burnout wherever it comes from.
Most people we see with burnout have already tried resting: a holiday, a lighter week, a weekend with the phone off. It helps for a few days, and then the same pattern of saying yes starts up again, which is usually when they start to wonder whether rest is the whole answer.
Burnout often shows up physically as well, in headaches, disrupted sleep, or a general sense of being run down. Those same symptoms can also come from thyroid problems, sleep apnea, anaemia and other medical causes, which counselling won’t address. If exhaustion is the main thing you’re noticing, it’s worth seeing your physician alongside counselling rather than instead of it.
How We Work With Burnout
The first step is getting a clear picture of where the pressure is coming from, what keeps you pushing past empty, and what you’ve already tried. With that understanding, we can focus on the approaches most likely to be useful for you and adjust the work as we learn more about what you need.
Part of the work is understanding where the burnout came from. It often points to deeper patterns: unsustainable expectations, difficulty setting boundaries, or stress that’s been pushed aside for too long. Seeing those patterns clearly makes it easier to change them, rather than recovering for a while and slipping back under the same load. For first responders, those patterns are often shaped by the job itself, and our first responder counselling page speaks to that directly.
Some people choose to add NeurOptimal neurofeedback alongside counselling. A session mostly feels like sitting still and listening to music, with sensors clipped to your scalp and ears. Kevin has offered it since 2009, and many clients find it leaves them feeling more settled, which can make the rest of the work easier.
Who You’ll Work With
Both of our counsellors work with burnout.
Dr. Kevin Klassen, PsyD
Practicing in Langley since 2009, Kevin sees burnout regularly in his practice, including when trauma, anxiety, or relationship strain are part of the picture.
Roshni Vedamanikam, MA, MSW
A Registered Clinical Counsellor since 2003, Roshni counts burnout and boundaries among her core areas of focus. Sessions with Roshni are online.
What to Expect
Come as you are, even if you’re tired. Early sessions focus on understanding what you’re carrying: what it actually looks like, where the pressure is coming from, and what you’ve already tried. Often just mapping it out honestly is the first relief, and you don’t need to arrive with a plan. As we go, the work turns to the patterns underneath, like how you relate to work, rest and responsibility, the boundaries that would help, and what brings meaning and energy back into your life.
Burnout counselling is available in person at our Langley, BC office or via secure video for clients anywhere in British Columbia.
FAQs
How do I know if it’s burnout or depression?
Burnout and depression can look similar and sometimes overlap, but burnout is typically tied to a specific source of chronic stress (often work or caregiving) and tends to improve when that source changes or is addressed. Depression is often broader and can occur without an identifiable external cause. A counsellor can help you work out whether it’s one, the other, or both.
How long does burnout counselling take?
It varies by person. Recovery from burnout is rarely instant, because it usually means changing long-standing patterns, not just resting. But you don’t have to wait until the end to feel a difference, and we’ll check in with you about progress as we go.
Do you offer burnout counselling online?
Yes. We offer secure online counselling for clients across British Columbia who prefer virtual sessions or live outside the Langley area.
Do extended health plans and EAPs cover this?
Many extended health plans and Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) cover registered clinical counselling. Check with your provider for your specific coverage, and feel free to ask us if you have questions about receipts for reimbursement.
What does a session cost?
Sessions are 50 minutes. The fee is $200 per session with Dr. Kevin Klassen and $165 per session with Roshni Vedamanikam. Full details, including our cancellation policy, are on our FAQ page.