Burnout: getting support from a psychologist in Lyon

By Richard Samier, psychologist (RPPS n° 10109835404) · Updated 10 October 2026

How it sets in

We talk about burnout, or professional exhaustion, when work has ended up draining your reserves. It usually shows in three ways:

• Exhaustion that rest no longer fixes. Neither weekends nor holidays are enough to recharge.
• Distancing from work. Cynicism, irritability, loss of interest in what used to matter.
• The feeling of no longer being up to it. What you used to do without thinking now takes a huge effort.

Often there is also damaged sleep, trouble concentrating, rumination, a body that gives out. And, almost always, the same sentence: "I'm fine, but...".

It is not a lack of willpower; often it is the opposite. People who burn out are frequently those who gave a lot, in an environment that asked too much.

When to seek help

You don't need to wait until you are signed off work to seek help. A few signs are worth paying attention to:

• the Sunday-evening knot in your stomach has become an every-evening one;
• you can no longer switch off, even outside work;
• you sleep badly, or wake up already tired;
• you no longer recognise yourself in the way you work or react;
• the people close to you are worried about you.

If you are already on sick leave, psychological support comes alongside the care provided by your doctor. Your doctor remains your point of contact for everything medical: sick leave, treatment, return to work.

In case of acute distress or suicidal thoughts, don't wait for an appointment: call 3114 (the French national suicide prevention line, 24/7), 15 or 112.

How I work on burnout

My framework is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). In practice, we move forward in several stages, at your pace:

• Understand. We trace what led to the exhaustion: the workload, the context, but also your own rules ("I must always be available", "I'm not allowed to disappoint").
• Recover. Sleep, rhythm, gradually returning to what restores you. As long as the reserves are empty, we don't push.
• Loosen. Through cognitive restructuring, we examine the thoughts and demands that keep the overwork going, to regain some room.
• Set boundaries. Saying no, delegating, disconnecting: we practise it concretely, situation by situation.
• Prepare what comes next. Returning to work, changing role or direction: we clarify what matters to you and identify the warning signs for the future.

Bore-out, loss of meaning: when it isn't "too much"

Exhaustion doesn't always come from overload. Bore-out (the boredom and under-use that wear you down) or loss of meaning (no longer seeing what your work is for) produce a similar kind of distress.

I work on them in the same way: starting from what you are actually living through, to understand what is at play and find levers to feel better.

Frequently asked questions

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