What is workplace stress?
This page is about workplace stress. What causes it, how it affects you, and how psychological support at Integro Health can help in a safe, non-judgemental environment in South West WA.
Workplace stress is the strain that builds when the demands of your job outweigh your capacity to manage them, or when the work environment itself is a source of ongoing pressure. It can come from heavy workloads, long hours, unclear expectations, conflict with colleagues or managers, job insecurity, bullying, or the emotional weight of certain kinds of work. Some pressure at work is normal and even motivating. Workplace stress becomes a problem when it is sustained, when you cannot switch off from it, and when it starts to affect your health, your mood, and your life outside work.
How work stress takes its toll
When work stress is ongoing, the body and mind stay in a state of pressure that they were only designed to handle in short bursts. Over time this affects sleep, concentration, mood, and physical health, and it rarely stays neatly at work, spilling into home life, relationships, and time that is meant to be for rest. What can make workplace stress especially hard is a sense of being trapped, needing the job, but finding it is costing you dearly. Workplace stress commonly sits alongside anxiety, general stress, and can build toward burnout.
What we often see in practice is that people blame themselves for not coping better, when the real issue is a genuinely difficult or unhealthy work situation. Understanding what is yours to change and what is not, without self-blame, is usually where things start to improve.
At Integro Health, we help you manage the impact of workplace stress, think clearly about your options, and protect your wellbeing, whether you stay, change roles, or simply need support to get through a difficult period.
How we work with you on workplace stress
There is no single right answer to a stressful work situation, but you do not have to navigate it alone. 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 work 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 your work situation clearly
Together, we look honestly at what is happening at work and how it is affecting you. What is genuinely within your control? What is not? Where have boundaries slipped? Seeing the situation clearly, without self-blame, is the foundation for deciding what to do about it.
Working with the underlying layers
For many people, work stress is amplified by perfectionism, difficulty saying no, or a sense that their worth depends on their performance. We work with those patterns too, using approaches like CBT and ACT, so you are better protected wherever you work.
Building new ways of responding
Over time, we help you build practical strategies for managing pressure, setting boundaries, communicating clearly, and protecting your wellbeing, so work takes a smaller toll and you have more left for the rest of your life.
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
Whatever is happening at your work, and however you feel you should be handling it, 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 workplace stress rarely stays neatly at work.
Evidence-based approaches
We draw on CBT, ACT, and practical, solution-focused approaches 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 workplace stress
One of the most persistent myths about workplace stress is that struggling with it means you are not cut out for the job. Very often the reality is a genuinely excessive workload, an unhealthy culture, or a difficult manager, not a shortfall in you. Naming the situation honestly, rather than turning it inward, is an important first step.
Another common misconception is that you should just be grateful to have a job and put up with whatever comes with it. Being grateful for work and being seriously affected by how that work is treating you are not mutually exclusive. Your wellbeing matters, whatever the job market looks like.
We also see many people in South West WA who endure difficult work situations for years, hoping things will improve on their own, before reaching out. Support does not have to mean dramatic decisions. Sometimes it is about coping better in the meantime, and sometimes it is about seeing your options more clearly.
Finally, many people assume nothing can help unless the job itself changes. In fact, a great deal can shift in how you manage and relate to the pressure. 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 support and clarity whatever you decide about the job itself.
Is my work stress worth getting support for?
It is common to wonder whether your work stress is just part of the job, or something worth seeking help for. The honest answer is that if it is affecting your life beyond work, it is worth addressing.
If pressure at work is disturbing your sleep, affecting your mood or health, spilling into your relationships, or making you dread each day, even some of the time, then it is worth exploring with a psychotherapist. You do not need to be at breaking point, or to have decided anything about your job, to deserve support.
How workplace stress shows up
Workplace stress can show up in several ways:
Difficulty switching off, where work follows you home in your thoughts, your sleep, and your mood, and time off does not feel restorative.
Physical and emotional strain, such as tension, fatigue, irritability, dread on Sunday nights, or a shorter fuse with the people around you.
Interpersonal difficulty, including conflict, feeling undervalued or unsafe, or the particular strain of bullying or a difficult manager. Sustained, this can lead toward burnout and anxiety.
At Integro Health, we are not here to tell you what to do about your job. What we care about is helping you protect your wellbeing so you can feel well, think clearly, and live 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. Many people we work with need to stay in a difficult job for now, and a lot can still change in how you cope with and relate to the pressure. We help you protect your wellbeing, manage the strain, and think clearly about the longer term, without any pressure to make decisions before you are ready.
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.
Not unless you want it to. Sessions with us are your private, confidential space, separate from your workplace. We are not reporting to your employer. If you are going through a formal process, such as a workers compensation or capacity matter, that is handled separately, and we can talk through how any of that fits with your support.
This is one of the most useful things to explore together. Often it is a mix, a genuinely difficult situation meeting patterns like perfectionism or difficulty with boundaries. Untangling what is the situation and what is your response, without blame, helps you see clearly what can change and where to focus.
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 tailor the approach to you and keep it practical. CBT helps you manage the thoughts and habits that intensify work stress. ACT helps you protect your energy for what matters and act in line with your values under pressure. Where deeper patterns like perfectionism are involved, we may draw on schema therapy. We tailor the approach to you.
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.
