Work stress: psychological support in Florence

Work stress is a physiological response to demands that we perceive as exceeding our available resources. It becomes a problem when it stops being occasional and becomes chronic, starting to affect sleep, mood, physical health, and relationships outside the office.

How it manifests

• tiredness that isn't relieved by rest or on weekends
• irritability and impatience toward colleagues or clients
• decreased motivation and difficulty concentrating
• thoughts about work invading free time
• physical symptoms: muscle tension, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, insomnia

The article Work stress: symptoms and solutions goes into detail about the signs and management strategies.

When stress becomes burnout

There's an important difference between acute stress and burnout. Stress resolves when the workload that caused it ends; burnout builds up over time, over months or years, and is characterized by exhaustion, cynical detachment from one's work, and a feeling of no longer being effective. The World Health Organization recognizes it as an occupational phenomenon in the ICD-11.

If you recognize yourself in this description, the in-depth look at burnout: what it is, symptoms and how to overcome it clarifies where the line is.

Who is most exposed

Not only those with great responsibility. Healthcare, education, and caregiving professions are particularly exposed, and in general jobs with heavy emotional demands, high pace, and little recognition. Those who combine work with family caregiving responsibilities can also experience a similar form of exhaustion.

What happens in a therapy path

Therapeutic work isn't just about "coping better." It helps recognize early warning signs, understand which personal and organizational dynamics fuel exhaustion, and rebuild a more sustainable relationship between one's energy, values, and the demands of the professional environment. In practice, I use Gestalt psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral techniques, Autogenic Training for managing physiological activation, and, where work has left traumatic experiences,EMDR.

Where I practice

I see clients in my office in Florence, at Via Tommaso Campanella 5, in the Campo di Marte – Coverciano area, reachable by bus lines 10, 17, 20, 31, 32. For those with rigid work schedules, online sessions.

Contact me for an initial exploratory consultation, with no obligation.

This page is for informational purposes and does not replace a personalized clinical assessment.