Stress, Overwhelm & Burnout

When everyone needs something from you, it can be hard to hear what you need. You do not have to earn rest by reaching your breaking point.

Here are a few places to start — for parents, teachers, veterans, teens, and anyone running on empty. I offer telehealth-only counseling for kids, teens, and adults physically located in Oklahoma or Texas.

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You may recognize yourself here

Stress

Your shoulders stay tense. Your thoughts keep circling the next thing. Even after the day ends, it is hard to switch off.

Overwhelm

Everything feels urgent at once. Choosing where to start takes more energy than you have, and small tasks feel enormous.

Burnout

You have been giving more than you can keep giving. You may feel exhausted, disconnected, or less like yourself — especially around work or caregiving.

These experiences can overlap. They are not a diagnosis, and you do not have to pick the right label before asking for help.

One small step is enough for today

Notice your surroundings. Feel your feet on the floor and name a few things you can see.
Make the next task smaller. One message, one dish, or one minute can be a starting point.
Ask what can wait, what can be shared, and what does not have to be yours.
Choose a little rest, gentle movement, or time with someone who feels safe — not another standard to meet.

A coping skill cannot fix an impossible workload or a lack of support. We can make room for those realities, too. If an exercise makes you feel worse, stop and choose something else.

Handouts for a hard week

Pick one that fits today. These are the same worksheets in Handouts & Books; downloads stay in the protected client library. Use the handouts password Kyla gave you there, or ask at your next session.

Start with what matters

Values & Goals

Choose your top five values, rate how you are living them, and plan one specific four-week goal with a first step and a way to track it. Drawn from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Steven Hayes).

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Starting Therapy

Describe what brings you to therapy, name up to three goals, and share your strengths, support, hopes and what you need from your therapist.

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Progress Check

Revisit your starting goals, rate your progress, compare then and now, and say what is working, what is not and what you want to focus on next.

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Staying Well Plan

Record what you have gained, the skills and habits you will keep using, early warning signs, and when to reach back out for support.

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When everything feels too much

5-4-3-2-1 Grounding

A five-senses exercise to bring you back to the present when you feel anxious or overwhelmed.

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Calming Techniques

Try long exhales, muscle relaxation, warmth, rhythm, soothing sound and connection, then choose two daily practices for your calming routine. Includes attribution to Edmund Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation.

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My Coping Menu

Choose skills by the time you have — quick (1 to 5 minutes), medium (10 to 30), longer (an hour or more) — with room for your own ideas, what does not help even when it feels good at first, your top three in the order you will try them, and the people you can reach out to.

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A little room to refill

My Self-Care Menu

Small ways to refill, planned before you run on empty — quick appetizers, longer mains and bigger treats, so on a hard day you pick from a list instead of trying to think of something.

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My Movement Menu

Ways to move stress through your body that fit your energy, time and body today. Any movement counts, and gentle counts too.

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My Connection Menu

Small, safe ways to reach toward people before you need them, at your own pace and with people who feel safe.

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Limits and a kinder inner voice

Boundaries & “I” Statements

Notice when you need a boundary and build a clear, respectful statement of what you feel and need, with a plan for responding to pushback.

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Self-Compassion

Explore Kristin Neff's three parts of self-compassion, compare what you tell yourself with what you would tell a friend, and practise a self-compassion break.

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More support, without more homework

Five Therapy Tips That Actually Help Between Sessions
Grounding, sleep, self-compassion, and smaller next steps.
Understanding anxiety
When worry keeps taking up space, a little understanding can help.
Handouts & Books
More worksheets, plus reading for kids, teens, and grown-ups.
Community resources
Practical help and mental-health support in Oklahoma and Texas.

These resources are for learning and support, not a substitute for therapy or urgent care. In crisis, call 988, text 988, or chat with the 988 Lifeline. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

You do not have to carry it alone

After 22 years in Oklahoma schools, I know how easy it is to keep showing up for everyone else while running out of room for yourself. Whether you are an educator, a parent, or simply tired of holding everything together, we can start with what you need — not another list of things you should do.

Sessions are 100% online, from home, across Oklahoma and Texas.

Book a free consult