How Does Somatic Therapy Address the Root Causes of Burnout?
BBurnout is at an all-time high—and it’s only increasing.
I’m not just making this up. The stats back it up. According to the American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work in America Survey, 77% of people reported experiencing workplace stress in the last month.
If that’s not disturbing enough, certain groups experience burnout at even higher rates—especially those in medical and first responder professions, the LGBTQ2S+ community, and younger generations like Gen Z and Millennials.
What is Burnout?
Burnout is often defined as the loss of meaning in one’s work, coupled with mental, emotional, or physical exhaustion due to long-term, unresolved stress.
Although the official definition focuses on work, burnout can result from chronic stress in any area of life. Especially if you’ve been exposed to repeated mistreatment, trauma, or relentless pressure to achieve.
Signs and Symptoms of Burnout
Burnout doesn’t just show up as exhaustion—it has emotional, physical, mental, and even spiritual impacts. Here’s a short list of common signs:
Emotional exhaustion
Depersonalization – feeling disconnected or indifferent towards work, colleagues, or clients
Reduced personal accomplishment – doubting your work’s worth and experiencing low self-esteem
Other burnout symptoms include:
Perfectionism and overworking to “fix” the problem
Micromanaging or trying to control the uncontrollable
Depression, hopelessness, anxiety, overwhelm
Loss of motivation and meaning
Aches and pains that have “no reason”
Low bandwidth for daily life
Increased use of substances for coping
Fatigue and sleep disruption
The Problem with Mainstream Burnout Advice
If you Google “how to fix burnout,” you’ll see the usual advice: Get more sleep. Take a break. Eat well. Avoid triggers.
Workplaces often push self-care as the answer—implying that burnout is solely your problem to fix.
But when you’re deep in burnout, even self-care can feel impossible. And while rest and hydration help, they don’t address the root cause.
To recover—and prevent burnout from happening again—you need to go deeper:
What underlying beliefs and behaviors are fueling burnout?
How can you shift these patterns in a sustainable way?
This is where somatic therapy comes in.
What is Somatic Therapy?
The word somatic means “of the body.” Somatic therapy is an integrative approach that recognizes the mind-body connection and the body’s natural ability to heal.
Many traditional therapies focus on thoughts and emotions, but stress and trauma live in the body. If they aren’t processed, they can cause chronic tension, dysregulation, and burnout.
Somatic therapy works by helping the nervous system release stored stress and restore balance. It draws on the science of neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire itself—to regulate emotional responses and heal from stress at a deep level.
How Somatic Therapy Helps with Burnout
1. Addressing the Root Cause
Somatic therapy helps uncover and release the deep-seated stress and trauma stored in the body. By working through these patterns, you can restore a sense of safety and break free from the cycle of burnout.
2. Restoring Nervous System Balance
Somatic therapy uses gentle movements, breathwork, and body awareness to help your nervous system regulate stress responses naturally. This improves your ability to manage stress and build resilience.
3. Reconnecting with Your Inner Wisdom
Your body holds onto stress—but it also holds wisdom. Through somatic therapy, you can reconnect with your intuition, values, and sense of purpose. This often leads to greater self-confidence, more meaningful work, and improved energy and well-being.
I now offer six-session therapy packages via Zoom, bi-weekly to allow time for integration between sessions. If you’re ready to heal from burnout once and for all, I’d be honored to support you on your journey.
