Stress and Burnout Care in West Ashley, Charleston
Counseling and a careful evaluation when stress has stopped easing, in person or from home by secure video.
Stress, Anxiety and Burnout
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes stress as a physical or mental response to something outside you, such as a heavy workload or an illness. It can be a one-time event or something that keeps coming back. NIMH explains that stress usually fades once the situation is resolved, and that some stress can even help you get things done.
Anxiety, in NIMH's description, comes from within: a lasting sense of dread or unease that sticks around and interferes with daily life, even when nothing is threatening you right now.
Burnout is a word many people use for long-running work stress. It is not a diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR, the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual, so part of an evaluation is sorting out whether stress, an anxiety disorder, depression or a mix of these is behind how you feel.
When Work Is the Source
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, describes job stress as the harmful physical and emotional reactions that can follow when a job's demands do not match a worker's abilities, resources or needs. NIOSH notes that job stress can lead to poor health and even injury.
Counseling cannot change your workplace, and we do not give legal or HR advice. It can help you see your patterns more clearly, plan conversations, set limits that are realistic and protect the parts of life that keep you steady.
Signs We Ask About
NIMH lists signs that stress and anxiety can share: constant worry, a sense of unease, tension, headaches or body aches, high blood pressure and lost sleep. NIMH adds that long-lasting stress may affect sleep and the immune, digestive, heart and reproductive systems, and may raise the risk of an anxiety disorder or depression.
We also ask whether you have pulled back from people or activities you used to enjoy, whether your mood has stayed low most days, and how the stress affects your relationships and work.
When to Reach Out
NIMH suggests getting professional help when stress or anxiety interferes with everyday life, leads you to avoid things, seems to be present all the time, or simply will not go away. You do not need to wait for a breaking point. An evaluation can help you find out what is going on and what may help.
What Care Can Look Like
NIMH names talk therapy and medication as the two main treatments for anxiety and notes that many people benefit from both. Our licensed counselors offer individual counseling using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and behavioral activation. When a provider finds an anxiety disorder or depression, the plan may also include medication when indicated, decided jointly with you, with regular follow-up.
NIMH also suggests everyday steps that can ease stress: keeping a journal, practicing relaxation or mindfulness, regular exercise and meals, a steady sleep routine, going easy on caffeine, questioning unhelpful thoughts and leaning on people who help you cope well. These help alongside care but do not replace it when stress has become something more.
Starting Care by Video
A busy schedule is often part of the problem. Secure video visits let adults anywhere in South Carolina meet with a provider from home or a private room at work, and you can also see us in person at our West Ashley office.
If You Are in Crisis
If stress ever comes with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any hour. If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Hope Behavioral Medicine is not an emergency service.
Getting Care in the Charleston Area
Charleston County has about one mental health provider for every 214 residents, compared with one for every 437 across South Carolina. Our office is on Gardner Road in West Ashley, and we also see adults anywhere in South Carolina by secure video, so you do not have to wait for a local opening or take time off to drive.
We accept Medicare, most major commercial plans, and all South Carolina Medicaid managed care plans except Select Health (First Choice). New patients are often able to be scheduled within a week of requesting an appointment.
Sources
The facts on this page come from: National Institute of Mental Health, I'm So Stressed Out! Fact Sheet (NIH Pub. 20-MH-8125); National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (CDC), Stress and Work; CMS National Provider Identification file, 2024, via County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 2025.
Common Symptoms
Treatment Options
Frequently Asked Questions
Burnout is a common word for long-running work stress, but it is not a DSM-5-TR diagnosis. An evaluation can sort out whether stress, anxiety, depression or a mix is behind how you feel.
NIMH describes stress as a response to something outside you that usually fades once the situation is resolved, while anxiety is a lasting sense of dread that sticks around even without a current threat.
NIMH suggests reaching out when stress interferes with everyday life, leads you to avoid things, seems always present or will not go away.
Counseling cannot change your workplace, but it can help you see patterns, plan conversations and set realistic limits. We do not give legal or HR advice.
Yes. We see adults anywhere in South Carolina by secure video, and in person at our West Ashley office.