Psychological counselling for burnout · Bucharest and online
Burnout: prevention and recovery
Sometimes the body says “no” before the mind does. Together we can listen to what it is trying to say.
Burnout does not happen overnight. It sets in gradually, most often in people who give a lot, carry a lot and cannot allow themselves to give way. Ordinary tiredness passes with rest; exhaustion does not. You come back from holiday as empty as you were when you left.
I work with burnout at two moments: before it sets in, when the signs are still subtle and something can still change, and after, when exhaustion has already arrived and the way back takes time, patience and wisdom.
Prevention
The early signs
Sleep that no longer rests you, irritability, cynicism about what used to matter, the feeling that you are running on autopilot. These signs are easy to ignore, because you are still functioning. The body and your mood often announce what the mind still refuses to acknowledge. This is precisely the time to work on it, before the stop comes through a collapse.
What work means, beyond work
Many people work enormously hard without burning out. The useful question is not how much you work, but what meaning work carries for you: self-worth, an unmourned loss, an old role, that of the rescuer or of the one who never disappoints. Becoming aware of these hidden meanings is the most effective form of prevention. Burnout: when rest no longer helps →
Limits
Saying no, delegating, leaving something unfinished. For some people these are not organisational techniques, but gestures that feel, inside, like a betrayal. That is why time-management advice is not enough. For someone who learnt early on that they are valued for what they do, saying no can awaken an old fear: that without effort, they will no longer be loved.
Recovery
After exhaustion
Sick leave, the sudden stop, the question “who am I without work?”. The period after burnout often brings guilt, shame and the fear that you will never be as you were before. Recovery does not mean going back to what was, but finding a different balance. The collapse can also be a message: something in you refused to carry on like this.
Returning to work
Going back to the same place, the same team, the same demands, or deciding not to go back. Both can be prepared for, so that the same path is not travelled again.
Reorientation
Sometimes burnout is the moment when a career loses its meaning and the question opens up: what else? A change of direction in life can be a good thing. Today’s world changes very quickly and asks us to adapt not only on the surface, but down to the deep layers of our identity. These changes are also an opportunity to renew our lives. Making the transition through burnout is not desirable, but nor does it have to be lived as a tragedy, especially once the worst has passed: the crisis may even be the beginning of an inner reorganisation.
If you recognise yourself here, write to me →
Who it is for
- Those who feel they are nearing their limit — and want to stop before their body does it for them
- Those going through burnout or coming out of it — on sick leave, before returning to work or after
- Managers and professionals with heavy responsibilities — for whom giving way does not seem an option
What my experience is made of
I am a clinical psychologist licensed in Romania and a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in training. Before psychology, I spent two decades in leadership positions at companies such as Google and Vodafone, and I founded a strategic consulting company. I know the pace and pressure of a demanding career from the inside.
How it works
- Write to me using the form below or by email. A few lines are enough; there is no need to explain everything.
- I reply within 1–2 working days and we arrange the time of the first meeting together.
- The first meeting, 45 minutes long, at the practice or online, is devoted to understanding the situation. Only then do we decide together whether and how to continue.
The framework
Counselling is neither psychotherapy nor coaching; it offers you a setting in which to understand what is happening to you. Sessions last 45 minutes and take place at the practice or online. We set the pace together. Fee: 250 lei / session.
If what you are looking for has more to do with your growth as a leader or with achieving concrete goals and projects, we can work together within the paradigm of systemic coaching.
First meeting
Write me a few lines about what brings you. There is no need to explain everything.
Or write to me directly at radutudorache@protonmail.com.
Psychological counselling does not replace a medical or psychiatric consultation. Some states of exhaustion also have physical causes; a medical consultation alongside counselling is helpful.