For the one who’s exhausted, shut down, and still expected to show up
Burn Out & Functional Freeze Therapy in New York City
You’re doing everything - yet feel nothing
From the outside, it looks like you’re holding it all together. You show up for work, keep the calendar full, maybe even take care of everyone around you. But inside? You feel numb, heavy, and completely drained.
The motivation is gone. The joy is missing. And no matter how much you rest, it never feels like enough. This might be burn out, depression, or functional freeze. It may be all of the above, but either way its your nervous system asking for help. Not because you are lazy, dramatic, or weak, but because you’ve been operating in survival mode for far too long.
Depression and burn out can be quiet. They don’t always look like falling apart- they often look like over-functioning, smiling through through the heaviness, and checking boxes while feeling completely disconnected from inside. You might still be doing “all the right things” but it feels like you are watching your life from the outside (dissociating). This isn’t a lack of willpower - its your body and minds way of signaling that something needs to change.
In our work together, we’ll gently explore whats beneath the exhaustion - whether it’s unresolved trauma, chronic stress, unrealistic expectations you put on yourself, or the weight of always having to hold it all together. Using a blend of approaches and practices, we will work to reconnect with yourself again and begin to feel again, safely and slowly. This isn’t about pushing through as usual - it’s about learning how to soften, restore your energy, and find your way back to yourself.
Sound like you?
You feel emotionally numb, checked out, or like you’re just going through the motions
You can’t remember the last time you felt joy, motivation, or true rest
You beat yourself up for not doing “enough,” even when you’re exhausted
You feel disconnected from your goals, your people, or even your sense of purpose
Here’s what we’ll do together
Depression and burn out therapy can help you come home to yourself - even if you feel completely disconnected right now.
We’ll take a trauma-informed and holistic approach to understanding your depression and/or burn out. That means looking beyond the symptoms and exploring what your body and mind have been carrying for too long. Through relational therapy, somatic work, mindfulness, EMDR, and nervous system regulation, we’ll gently begin to restore your energy, reconnect you with your emotions, and help you rebuild a life that feels nourishing - not just “productive".
Together, we’ll work to untangle the beliefs that tell you rest must be earned, that your worth depends on your output, or that you are falling behind. We’ll create space for self-compassion and redefine success on your terms. You don’t need to force yourself back into a life that no longer fits- you’re allowed to build one that feels sustainable and aligned. You don’t have to earn rest or prove your worth by pushing through. Therapy is where you finally get to soften, slow down, and feel again
At the end of the day, I want you to know:
You are not lazy. You are not failing. You’re human - and you’re exhausted from carrying more than anyone ever saw. You deserve care, connection, and a life that doesn’t just look okay from the outside, but actually feels good on the inside.
What we’ll work on
Imagine a life where…
You feel present, grounded, and emotionally alive- not just going through the motions
You wake up with clarity instead of dread
You stop measuring your value by your output
You have the energy for joy, creativity, and the things that light you up
You stop living in autopilot and start feeling connected to yourself again
It’s okay to ask for support!
Questions?
FAQs
-
This is one of the most common questions I hear- and it makes sense. Burn out and depression can feel similar: exhaustion, disconnection, lack of motivation.
Burn out t is often tied to stress and overwhelm (especially from never ending to dos, little to no boundaries, perfectionism, and high expectations of self),
Depression runs deeper and often longer. Both can impact mood, appetite, sleep, and ability to find joy - but depression often brings a loss of interest in things that used to bring you joy, hopelessness, emptiness, and thoughts of escapism.
In therapy, we’ll work together to understand what’s going on beneath the surface so you can finally feel like yourself again and find joy.
-
If you’re asking this, there is a good chance something deeper is going on. Functional freeze often looks like “going through the motions,” feeling numb or disconnected, and struggling to take action even when you want to. Read more here.
It’s not laziness - its your nervous system trying to protect you. Therapy can help you gently come back online, reconnect with your body, and feel safe enough to move forward again.
-
You’re not alone in this! So many of my clients have internalized the belief that rest has to be earned - or that slowing down means they’re failing. If you grew up needing to be the helper, the achiever, or the one who “kept it all together,” rest can feel unsafe or selfish. In therapy, we’ll explore where that guilt comes from and begin to rewire it- so you can actually rest without the shame spiral.
-
Feeling emotionally numb, checked out, or like you're just going through the motions can be signs of functional freeze - a nervous system response that often develops after chronic stress, trauma, or burnout. It’s not laziness or a lack of motivation; it’s your body trying to protect you by shutting down.
Therapy can help you gently reconnect to your emotional world, process what’s underneath the numbness, and begin to feel safe in your body again.
-
If you’re feeling numb, shut down, or emotionally disconnected, traditional talk therapy might not be enough - especially if what you’re experiencing is tied to chronic stress, trauma, or nervous system dysregulation.
I use a nervous system-informed, trauma-responsive approach that includes somatic therapy, EMDR, and mindful self-compassion. This kind of work goes beyond just talking about what’s wrong - it helps your body feel safe enough to come out of freeze mode, process emotions, and reconnect with joy, energy, and self-trust. We move at your pace, and healing happens from the inside out.
Learn more about holistic, nervous system, and somatic approaches