Stress Management Online | Nervous System Regulation Through Telehealth

How do I know if I need professional help for stress?

Stress is normal, but professional support helps when stress is consistently impacting your ability to function. Signs include persistent feelings of being overwhelmed, difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite, physical symptoms like headaches or muscle tension, and difficulty concentrating or managing daily tasks.

If stress is affecting your relationships, work performance, or ability to enjoy things you normally would, that's a signal therapy can help. Early intervention often prevents stress from developing into burnout or depression. You can learn more about these conditions on our motivation and burnout page and depression information page. You don't need to wait until things feel crisis-level to reach out.

How long does stress management therapy typically last?

This depends on your stress type, what's driving it, and which approaches we use. Rather than following a one-size-fits-all protocol, I assess your specific situation and draw on multiple evidence-based therapies.

For situational stress or mild overwhelm, you might notice shifts within 4 to 8 sessions using CBT and mindfulness techniques. Moderate stress typically needs 8 to 12 sessions for meaningful change, particularly when we're addressing underlying patterns through sensorimotor psychotherapy and nervous system regulation. Chronic or complex stress often benefits from longer-term support of 12 to 16+ sessions to build lasting resilience.

What makes my approach different is that I work with your nervous system directly, not just your thoughts. Stress lives in your body as tension, hypervigilance, and dysregulation. Sensorimotor psychotherapy combined with DBT distress tolerance skills and vagus nerve strategies helps your nervous system learn to regulate, which creates lasting change.

We'll discuss realistic timelines in your first session and keep checking how you're progressing so we can adjust if needed.

Can stress management techniques be learned online?

Absolutely. Online therapy for stress management is highly effective. Whilst many techniques can be found online, working with a registered psychologist through telehealth offers personalised instruction tailored to your specific stress patterns, professional accountability, and someone monitoring your progress.

Online sessions also give you flexibility, you can learn and practise stress management from your own space, which is often where stress shows up. Between sessions, you can practise techniques in real-life situations and bring feedback back to refine what's working for you.

What's the difference between stress and burnout?

Stress is your body's response to demands. It usually improves once the stressor changes or you get rest. Burnout is prolonged stress that has exhausted your mental and physical resources. Even when you rest, you don't recover. You feel numb, cynical, ineffective.

Stress often feels urgent and demanding. Burnout feels empty and hopeless. If you're experiencing persistent exhaustion that doesn't improve with time off, cynicism about things that mattered to you, or a sense of ineffectiveness, you may be burned out rather than just stressed.

Both respond to therapy, but they need different approaches. Learn more on our Motivation and Burnout page.

What therapies work best for stress management?

I draw on multiple evidence-based approaches depending on what's actually driving your stress.

CBT helps identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns and beliefs that fuel stress. Mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches help you observe stress without fighting it, which often reduces its grip. Sensorimotor psychotherapy works directly with your nervous system through body awareness and vagus nerve techniques. DBT distress tolerance skills teach you how to tolerate difficult moments without letting them escalate. ACT helps you reconnect with your values and respond to stress from there rather than from fear.

Rather than using one approach for everyone, I assess your situation and combine these techniques based on what you need. Most people benefit from a combination tailored to their specific stress patterns.

Do I need a diagnosis from my GP first?

No. You can book directly with me for an initial appointment. In your first session, we will explore your stress and what's causing it. If appropriate, we can coordinate with your GP.

You don't need a medical diagnosis to access psychology services. However, if you want Medicare rebates, your GP will need to create a Mental Health Care Plan, which is straightforward. Learn more on our Medicare page.