Laura Helbling
LCSW; Certified DBT Therapist; Level I Trauma Therapist, Ferentz Institute
Works with men dealing with burnout and harsh self-criticism. Uses DBT, parts work and somatic therapy.
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Stress & Burnout Counseling in Denver
The work still gets done, but you're sleeping badly and short with the people around you. Our licensed therapists offer stress counseling in Denver and online, starting with what's driving it and what to change first.
15-minute consultation. Talk through what's going on, therapist fit, scheduling, and fees before you decide whether to start.
Built around men since 2013. Evening and Saturday appointments available.
HOW IT SHOWS UP
How stress and burnout show up for men
You know you're stressed. If you tend to keep it to yourself, that can help you get through the week, but the stress itself doesn't get dealt with. Here's where it tends to show up.
In your body
Waking at 3 or 4 a.m. with your mind already on work. A tight jaw, a sore back, regular headaches, a stomach that acts up, less interest in sex. You can feel worn out even after a weekend off.
In your mood and focus
Less patience, especially with the people closest to you. Trouble concentrating, and routine work taking longer than it should. For some men, burnout looks less like tiredness and more like not caring: going through the motions and getting sarcastic about things that used to matter.
In how you cope
Working later to stay on top of things, then needing a drink or doom scrolling to zone out. Plans with friends get canceled because you're spent, and weekends go to recovering instead of anything you enjoy.
Many men we see have pushed through for months first.
Any one of these is common. When several last for weeks and your usual ways of recovering stop working, it's worth a closer look.
IF YOU'RE UNSURE
Is this serious enough for therapy?
If you're still showing up and getting your work done, it's reasonable to wonder whether you need help. Being able to push through is a real strength, and it has probably gotten you through harder stretches than this one. It's also part of how you show up for the people and work that count on you.
You're tired of performing.
But that same strength can keep you running on stress for months without noticing what it's costing. You don't need a crisis to start. Starting earlier can mean working on a smaller problem. In stress and burnout counseling, you choose what to work on, and your therapist explains why they recommend an approach before you try it.
Therapy can pay off at work, too. In a UK study of adults with mental health problems, men who saw a psychotherapist went on to earn about 12% more per hour, on average. A 2025 Finnish study of people on sick leave for depression or anxiety found a lasting rise in men's income after psychotherapy. Results vary, and no study can promise yours.
COMMON SOURCES
Where is the pressure coming from?
It's rarely one thing. Usually a couple of these are piling up at once.
Work
Long hours, a demanding boss, a job search that drags on, or a role that keeps growing without more support. Sometimes the demands are the problem, not how you're handling them.
Money
Debt or an uneven income. For some men, the weight comes less from the numbers than from feeling it's all on them.
Relationships
Ongoing conflict with a partner or family, a breakup or divorce, or friendships that have faded because there's no time left over.
Caregiving and health
Looking after someone who depends on you, or dealing with a health problem of your own.
Big changes
A new job or promotion, a move, a new child, retirement. Even changes you wanted take energy to adjust to.
Self-pressure
Standards that once helped you succeed but now leave no room for an off day, often paired with a harsh inner voice.
STRESS VS. BURNOUT
Stress or burnout: what's the difference?
In short bursts, stress does its job. It focuses you and pushes you to act on a deadline or a problem. Once the problem passes, you settle back down. With chronic stress, the pressure doesn't let up long enough to recover, and over time it shows up in how you sleep and how you feel.
When that chronic stress comes from work, it can turn into burnout, though stress from home or health can hit just as hard. The World Health Organization describes burnout by three features: exhaustion, growing distance or cynicism about your job, and feeling less effective at it. It's a work problem, not a medical diagnosis, and it can overlap with depression, anxiety, anger or heavier drinking. Long-term studies also link burnout to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
How depression can look different in menTHE METHODS
How stress and burnout therapy breaks the cycle
Burnout and work stress feed each other; stress wears you down, and research suggests burnout then makes work feel more stressful. Habits that make sense in the moment, like skipping sleep or needing a drink to come down, keep the cycle going. When the demands themselves are unreasonable, part of therapy is sorting out what's yours to change. What's driving it also decides which approach comes first.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Identifies the habits and assumptions that keep pressure high, like treating every email as urgent, and tests specific changes between sessions.
It's one of the most studied approaches for work stress.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
David Sherman
Focuses on what you value and how to act on it while the pressure is still there, instead of waiting for stress to clear first. You might work on protecting time for relationships or making a hard decision.
Research on ACT for workplace stress is growing.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Laura Helbling
Teaches practical skills for high-pressure moments: calming down quickly, getting through a bad day without making it worse, and saying no without a fight.
DBT was built for intense emotions, so research on it for everyday stress is more limited.
Mindfulness-based therapy
Stephen Rodgers, Laura Helbling
Builds the habit of noticing stress early, in your body and your thinking, so you can step back before you snap or shut down.
Mindfulness-based programs have a solid research base for reducing stress.
EMDR
Stephen Rodgers, Megan Hall, Devon Emmanuel, Justin Friel
An option when stress is tied to specific memories, like a work crisis or a hard childhood. Sessions pair recalling the memory with guided eye movements or tapping, and it can become less upsetting.
It's recommended for PTSD in VA/DoD guidelines, and early burnout studies are promising but small.
Workload and habits often point to CBT or ACT; triggered memories, to EMDR.
Book a Stress & Burnout ConsultYOUR THERAPIST
Who you'd be working with
Every clinician at Denver Men's Therapy is independently licensed and has advanced post-graduate training. The practice has focused on men's mental health since 2013. Our clinicians know the problems that are easy to miss, like a short temper, pulling away, harsh self-criticism and burnout that looks like not caring rather than being tired.
Founder Stephen Rodgers, LCSW, wrote this page. He has been practicing since 2007 and is an EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. Meet the full team.
David Sherman
LPC
Advanced ACT training. Works with men who hold it together for everyone else but feel disconnected from themselves.
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Devon Emmanuel
LCSW, LAC
Advanced IFS and EMDR training. Works with men who feel stuck or overwhelmed.
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Megan Hall
LCSW, Certified EMDR Therapist
Certified EMDR therapist who also uses Attachment Focused Therapy. Lists stress management among her specialties.
Book NowTHE PROCESS
How stress counseling in Denver works
The 15-minute consult
On the call, you tell us what's been happening, and we match you with a clinician who fits the problem and your schedule. We go over fees and payment options, including HSA and FSA, on that same call.
The first few sessions
Your therapist asks what's changed and what you've already tried. Together you pick a few specific goals, such as sleeping through the night or being less reactive at home.
You can ask why we recommend anything, or say no.
The ongoing work
Depending on your goals, sessions might cover skills, a hard decision, relationship problems or, with EMDR, a specific memory. You and your therapist check progress against your goals regularly. If something isn't working, you change the approach or switch clinicians. Some men also join our weekly men's group.
Worried about someone who won't slow down?
If you're his partner, a family member or a friend, you may notice the strain before he's ready to talk about it. Pick a calm moment and name one specific thing you've seen, like how little he's sleeping. Ask what would help, then let him decide the next step. Pressure to get help can make people dig in.
Read our guide for loved onesFROM OUR BLOG
More reading on stress and burnout
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions men ask about stress and burnout
You'll measure progress against specific goals you set early on, not a vague sense of feeling better. Those might be hours of sleep, how often you snap at people, or how many evenings you actually switch off. You and your therapist review them regularly. If they aren't moving, you change the approach or switch to a clinician who fits better.
Yes, what you say is confidential, subject to standard legal and safety exceptions. Ask your therapist to walk you through those exceptions, so you know where the lines are. Outside them, we don't share anything with your employer without your written consent.
Therapy can be worth it while you're still performing well, and starting doesn't take a big commitment. The first step is a 15-minute consult, where you can ask about fees and fit. From there, you set the goals, so the time goes to what you care about, like sleep, your temper or how much you're drinking.
You don't need to quit or take time off; therapy for work stress can fit around a full-time job. We have evening and Saturday appointments available. Early work is usually about what you can change in the job you have, like boundaries, workload and recovery time, and being clear about what you can't. If a bigger move comes up, your therapist can help you think it through, and the decision stays yours.
Stress management therapy usually teaches techniques for calming down; counseling here also works on what's creating the stress. You'll still get practical tools, like ways to wind down at night or handle a pressure spike. But you'll also look at the patterns behind it, such as saying yes to everything or rarely switching off. Sessions are in Denver or online anywhere in Colorado.
Yes, people with burnout commonly report poor sleep, headaches, back pain, stomach problems and constant fatigue. Those links come from studies of groups, so they can't tell you what's causing your symptoms. Get physical symptoms checked by your doctor too; therapy can work alongside that.
It depends on the approach, but most sessions focus on one or two specific problems. Early sessions sort out what's driving the stress and set goals. After that, you might work on boundaries at work, a sleep routine or a hard conversation; with EMDR, sessions focus on a specific memory instead. You bring what came up that week, and your therapist helps you adjust the plan.
THE FIRST STEP
Start with a 15-minute consult
You've probably handled this on your own for a while, and that has worked up to a point. If it's costing more than it used to, a 15-minute consult is a practical way to see whether stress counseling is a fit. You can ask how we work, what it costs and who you'd see, then decide.
We offer stress therapy at two Denver offices: Vine Street in City Park West and Mississippi Avenue near Cherry Creek. Evening and Saturday appointments available. Or meet online from anywhere in Colorado.
15-minute consultation. Talk through what's going on, therapist fit, scheduling, and fees before you decide whether to start.
Clinically reviewed by Stephen Rodgers, LCSW, EMDR Certified Therapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. Last clinically reviewed: 2026-10-05.
If you are in immediate danger or experiencing thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you are in physical danger, call 911. This page is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy or medical advice. Reading this page does not establish a therapeutic relationship with Denver Men's Therapy or its clinicians.