What is stress?
This page is about stress. What it is, what it does to us, and how psychological support at Integro Health can help you manage it in a safe, non-judgemental environment in South West WA.
Stress is the body’s response to demand. In short bursts it is useful, it helps us rise to a challenge and then recover. The problem is chronic stress, when the pressure never lets up and the body does not get the chance to return to calm. Over time that can show up as trouble sleeping, tension and headaches, irritability, difficulty concentrating, feeling constantly overwhelmed, or getting sick more often. Ongoing stress is not something to simply tough out. Left unchecked, it wears down both mind and body.
When stress stops letting up
Stress becomes a problem when demands outstrip the resources and recovery you have to meet them, and that state becomes the norm rather than the exception. It might come from work, finances, caring responsibilities, health, or several things stacking up at once. The body stays in a low-grade fight-or-flight state, which is exhausting to maintain and hard to switch off, even when you finally get a moment to rest. Many people who come to us feeling stressed are also living with anxiety, depression, or heading toward burnout.
What we often see in practice is that the stress is pointing at something. It can be a sign that too much is being asked of you, that boundaries have quietly eroded, or that you are carrying more than any one person reasonably can. Understanding what is driving it, rather than just trying to push through, is usually where meaningful change begins.
At Integro Health, we treat the whole person, not just the symptoms. That means looking honestly at what is generating the pressure and how you relate to it, rather than simply teaching you to cope with an unsustainable load.
How we work with you on stress
There is no single correct way through stress. What we do is work alongside you, at a pace that feels manageable, using approaches grounded in psychological evidence and shaped by your individual story.
Understanding your experience
Your first sessions are about building a picture of you, not just the stress, but your history, your relationships, your emotional world, and what you are hoping life might look and feel like. There is no rush here. We ask questions because we genuinely want to understand.
Understanding what is driving the pressure
Together, we look at where the pressure is actually coming from and how you tend to respond to it. What is genuinely on your plate? What are you carrying that is not yours to carry? Where have boundaries slipped? Seeing this clearly is often the first step toward changing it, rather than just enduring it.
Working with the underlying layers
For many people, chronic stress sits on top of perfectionism, difficulty saying no, or long-held beliefs that rest has to be earned. We work on those layers using approaches like CBT, ACT, and schema therapy, tailored to your situation. Treating the roots, not just the surface, is what creates lasting change.
Building new ways of responding
Over time, we help you build a different relationship with the thoughts, feelings, and situations that keep the stress going. This is not about forcing yourself to feel differently. It is about genuine psychological flexibility, so you have more choice in how you respond.
Ongoing support at the right pace
Change rarely happens in a straight line. Sessions are spaced to suit where you are, more frequent during difficult periods, stepped back as you gain ground. We are here for as long as the journey needs us to be, whether that is a few months or considerably longer.
Meet the Team
At Integro Health, you do not just book a clinic. You choose a practitioner who understands you. Our team of experienced psychotherapists brings clinical depth, genuine warmth, and a broad range of specialisations together under one roof. Take a moment to read about each of our practitioners and find the right fit for where you are right now.
Dr Paul King
General Practitioner
MBBS Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery
FRACGP Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Jools Fordyce
Social Worker & Family Therapist
Bachelor (Hons) – Applied Social Science with Diploma in Social Work
Postgraduate Diploma in Family and Relationship Therapy
Brooke Eden
Psychologist
Bachelor of Psychology
Graduate Diploma of Education
Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Nicholas Kerr
Psychologist
Masters of Psychology (Organisational)
Bachelor of Arts
Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Carli King
Office Administrator
As Practice Manager, Carli keeps the daily operations of Integro Health running smoothly, ensuring our clients always receive the highest standard of care.
What you can expect when you reach out
No judgement, ever
However stretched you are, and whatever you feel you should be handling better, you will be met with warmth and genuine care. Not a lecture, and not a checklist.
A whole-person lens
We look at every part of you, your mental, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual wellbeing, because stress rarely lives in just one part of a person’s life.
Evidence-based approaches
We draw on CBT, ACT, and schema therapy depending on what fits you. Not a one-size protocol, but a genuinely tailored response to your situation.
In-clinic and online options
Whether you can get to our Eaton clinic in Bunbury or you need the privacy and convenience of telehealth, we can work with you wherever you are in South West WA and beyond.
What people get wrong about stress
One of the most persistent myths about stress is that it is simply the price of a busy life, and that being stressed means you are working hard enough. Short-term pressure is normal, but chronic stress is not a badge of honour. It is a signal that something is out of balance, and it has real effects on your health, your relationships, and your ability to think clearly.
Another common misconception is that you just need to manage your time better or toughen up. Stress management techniques have their place, but they do not fix a load that is genuinely too heavy. Sometimes the answer is not coping harder, it is changing what you are being asked to carry.
We also see many people in South West WA who have run on adrenaline for years, telling themselves they will slow down once things calm down, before reaching out. Things rarely calm down on their own, and by that point exhaustion has usually set in. One of the first things we do is help you take your own stress seriously, because ignoring it does not make it go away.
Finally, many people assume that support for stress is only for people who cannot cope. In reality, getting help early is what stops stress from tipping into burnout, anxiety, or depression. Individual therapy and counselling, delivered privately one-on-one at our Eaton clinic near Bunbury or by telehealth to locations like Margaret River, gives you the space to step back, understand the pressure, and build a more sustainable way of living.
Is what I am feeling actually a problem with stress?
It is common to wonder whether your stress is normal, or whether it has become something worth attending to. The honest answer is that the label matters less than the impact.
If pressure is disturbing your sleep, leaving you tense or irritable, affecting your health, your relationships or your work, or making it hard to switch off and enjoy anything, even some of the time, then it is worth exploring with a psychotherapist or counsellor. You do not need to be at breaking point to deserve support.
How stress shows up
That said, stress affects people in different ways:
In the body it can show up as tension, headaches, disturbed sleep, stomach trouble, fatigue, or getting sick more easily.
In the mind it can look like racing thoughts, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, or a constant sense of being behind and overwhelmed.
In behaviour and mood it can appear as irritability, withdrawing from people, relying on alcohol or other habits to unwind, or a shorter fuse than usual. Left unaddressed, ongoing stress can tip into anxiety, depression, or burnout.
At Integro Health, we are not primarily focused on which label fits you. What we care about is whether stress is getting in the way of you feeling well, thinking clearly, and living the way you want to. You can read more about what the first session looks like here.
Your questions answered
Yes, in many cases. A Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP provides access to a Medicare rebate for up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year with a registered psychologist. Your GP will assess your eligibility, and your sessions at Integro Health can be structured to make the most of those rebated appointments. It is worth speaking with your GP in Bunbury, Busselton, or wherever you are located to get a referral in place before your first session.
Yes. Chronic stress is one of the most common reasons people seek psychological support, and it responds well to it. We help you understand what is driving the pressure, change what can be changed, and build genuine, sustainable ways of managing the rest, rather than just white-knuckling through.
Yes. Everything you share in sessions is confidential. There are narrow legal exceptions, for example if there is an immediate risk of serious harm to yourself or another person, but outside of those circumstances your privacy is protected. We will explain these boundaries clearly in your first session so there are no surprises.
Yes. We offer telehealth sessions across South West WA and Australia-wide, which means you can access support from anywhere, whether you are in a regional area like Manjimup or Collie, or simply prefer the privacy of attending from home. Telehealth sessions work in the same structured, safe way as in-clinic appointments.
Many people feel some relief quite quickly, often within the first few sessions, simply from having space to step back and make sense of what is happening. Lasting change, particularly where long-standing patterns like perfectionism or difficulty setting boundaries are involved, usually takes a bit longer. We review progress with you and adjust as needed.
That is often true, and we take it seriously. We will not pretend that a genuinely overloaded life is simply a thinking problem. Part of the work can be looking honestly at what needs to change in your circumstances, alongside building ways to protect your wellbeing while you make those changes.
No referral is needed to book a session. If you wish to access Medicare rebates through a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you will need a GP referral first, but you are welcome to contact us directly and we can guide you through that process if needed.
We draw on a range of evidence-based methods depending on what fits you best. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps you recognise and shift the thinking and habits that amplify stress. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you focus your energy on what matters and let go of what you cannot control. Schema therapy is valuable when patterns like perfectionism or self-sacrifice keep the pressure high. We tailor the approach to you, not the other way around.
Medically reviewed by
General Practitioner
The clinical information on this page has been reviewed for accuracy by Dr Paul King, General Practitioner at Integro Health. It is general information, and not a substitute for personal medical or psychological advice.
