From Burnout to Purpose: How IFS Can Help You Find Your Calling

Have you ever sat at your desk, staring blankly at your screen, wondering, "How did I end up here?" Maybe you went into your field with hopes and dreams, only to find yourself years later dreading Monday mornings, feeling drained, anxious, and unfulfilled.

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Burnout, fear, stuckness are actually messengers. They’re parts of you trying to get your attention.

As a therapist who is passionate about helping individuals navigate career transitions, workplace burnout, and feeling stuck, I know this deeply. Not just professionally, but personally.

Before I became a therapist, I spent years in a career that, on paper, seemed like the “right” path. But inside, I felt anxious, disconnected, and lost. I kept trying to make it work, telling myself I should be grateful. But the truth was, I dreaded going to work and I felt a growing sense of emptiness. Eventually, I reached a breaking point. And that breaking point became a breakthrough.

With time, support, and a lot of inner work, I began to listen to the parts of me that were scared, the parts that believed I wasn’t allowed to change, and the parts that longed for more.

I took the leap. I pursued a career in therapy, something that once felt impossibly out of reach. Today, I wake up feeling energized. What I do doesn’t feel like a job, it feels like living in alignment with my purpose and who I am at my core. 

Making a career change can be terrifying. Our inner thoughts often sound like: What if I fail? What will people think?

Through the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS), we understand that these voices are not you. They’re parts of you. And each part has a purpose. Most often trying to protect you from shame, rejection, or failure.

In IFS, we don’t try to silence or fight these parts. We get curious about them. We build relationships with them. And in doing so, we unlock access to our Self. Our Self is that calm, clear, compassionate inner leader who knows what’s right for us.

In my therapy practice, I use IFS to help clients explore:

• Why they feel stuck at work

• How to differentiate between fear and intuition

• What parts are trying to protect them from perceived failure or risk

• What parts feel burnt out, exhausted, or unseen

• What dreams or desires are being suppressed and why

  
  

This work isn’t about reckless decisions or overnight change. It’s about gently unburdening yourself from the roles, expectations, and inner pressures that are no longer serving you.

If you’re feeling stuck, burnt out, or scared to take the next step in your career it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It means something inside of you is ready for a shift. You deserve to feel connected to your purpose. You deserve to wake up and feel that your work is meaningful and not just tolerable.

I know the fear. I’ve been there. And I also know the freedom and joy that’s possible on the other side.

If you’re interested in exploring IFS therapy for career change, burnout, or workplace anxiety, please reach out. I would be honored to support you! Schedule a free consultation here.