When Strength Turns into Exhaustion: A Gestalt Seminar on Burnout

Do you find yourself feeling increasingly tired—even when everything in your life seems “fine”? Is it becoming harder to say no, difficult to slow down, or nearly impossible to allow yourself to be less than perfect?

Burnout rarely strikes those who don’t care. On the contrary, it frequently targets the most responsible, sensitive, and dedicated individuals. Perfectionism, the urge to help everyone, and carrying an over-abundance of responsibility—the very traits that once made you strong—can eventually become the primary source of your exhaustion.

We invite you to a 6-hour experiential Gestalt therapy seminar  where, through the powerful method of “monodrama” (internal role-play and chair work), we will safely explore:

 – Where your personal burnout pattern lies

 – How to recognize the thin line between dedication and losing yoursel

 – How to restore contact with your true, authentic needs

This is an experiential, warm, and safe space—completely free of pressure or judgment—allowing everyone to process at their own unique pace.

Core Goal: Through deep experiential work (moving beyond mere theory), to help participants recognize their specific burnout “script” (perfectionism, savior syndrome, poor boundaries) and actively reconnect with their personal needs using monodrama techniques.

– Welcome & Safe Space: Introduction, group expectations, and establishing confidentiality guidelines (~20 min).

– Gestalt Psychoeducation: Understanding burnout through a Gestalt lens as a disruption in the “contact cycle”—where a person loses touch with their own feelings because they are entirely consumed by “must,” “should,” and the demands of others.

– Monodrama Exercise 1: “Voicing the Present State.”** Participants will be guided to physically or verbally embody their current relationship with work/life, giving a literal “voice” to their exhaustion. Followed by sharing in pairs.

– The 7 Burnout Profiles:** A brief look into the typical risk personalities (The Perfectionist, Type A, The Savior/People-Pleaser, The Neurotic, The Idealist/Empath, The Low Self-Esteem Compensator, and The Over-Responsible).

 – Monodrama Exercise 2: “The Strength That Became a Cage.”** Participants choose their dominant trait (e.g., extreme responsibility) and externalize it. Through brief monodrama staging, they will set up a dialogue between this “Protective Strength” and their “Exhausted Self.”

– Gestalt Reflections:** *How does this trait serve you? At what exact point does it begin to deplete you?*

– Pietų pertrauka / Lunch Break (12:15–13:15)**

The Contact Boundary:** Exploring the psychological line where we lose ourselves for the sake of keeping others happy.

Monodrama Exercise 3: “The Empty Chair.”** A classic Gestalt monodrama technique. Participants will bring an internal conflict to life by setting up a dialogue with a figure they find difficult to set boundaries with (a boss, a demanding client, a family member). By shifting between chairs and roles, participants practice reclaiming their boundary and saying an authentic “NO.”

Group Reflection:** Processing the insights gained from the empty chair encounters.

 – Monodrama Exercise 4: “Stepping into Abundance.”** Participants step into the role of the integrated, cared-for version of themselves to speak aloud what they most urgently need right now (rest, recognition, space, or silence).

 – Actionable Integration:** In small groups, participants commit to one micro-step—a single, realistic, and highly concrete boundary action for the upcoming week.

 – Closing Circle:** A grounding ritual where each participant voices the internal shift they are taking home with them.