Executive burnout & overwhelm
Executive Burnout Hypnotherapy & Coaching
Private coaching by Zoom for founders, executives and leaders who are running on empty. Rebuild focus, recovery and clarity, and change the automatic patterns that keep you overextended.
Book my free consultation20 minutes · No cost · No obligation
Work directly with Robert BarnettCertified Hypnotherapist · C.Ht., PMP, MBA
Free 20-minute consultation
No cost · No obligation · By phone
Burnout is more than a bad week. The World Health Organization describes it as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, with three parts: feeling drained of energy, growing mental distance or cynicism about your job, and a drop in your sense of effectiveness. For many executives and founders it arrives quietly, while everything still looks fine from the outside. You keep performing, but it costs more every month. Robert Barnett, C.Ht., PMP, MBA, is an executive hypnotherapist and performance coach with 35+ years of hypnosis experience and a corporate background in strategy and leadership. He helps leaders rebuild focus, recovery and clarity by working on the automatic patterns behind overextension, alongside practical planning. This page is part of our executive coaching work.
Common signs
Sound familiar?
Executives and founders who:
Tired even after you rest
Time off helps for a few days, then the exhaustion returns as soon as the pace picks back up.
Always on, unable to switch off
Even in quiet moments your mind keeps working through the list, the inbox and tomorrow.
Shorter fuse, more cynicism
Less patience with people and decisions, and a growing mental distance from work you once cared about.
Decisions feel heavier
Choices that used to be easy now take more energy, and you second-guess or put them off.
Overworking to compensate
You cover the gaps yourself, struggle to delegate or say no, and the load keeps growing.
Dread and flat motivation
Sunday-night dread, or a sense that nothing energizes you the way it once did.
Why rest alone often is not enough
The pattern behind the exhaustion
A vacation can restore energy, but the habits that drained you are waiting when you return: the inability to say no, the perfectionism, the always-on stress response, the guilt about resting. In Robert's experience, these run as automatic patterns below conscious awareness, which is why knowing you should slow down rarely changes what you do.
Traditional coaching and time management work at the level of conscious thinking. They are valuable, and we use them. But they do not reach the automatic reactions that decide whether the plan survives a busy week. That is the layer where hypnosis, CBT and NLP techniques can help.
The approach
Rebuild how you recover and operate
The work is shaped around your role, your pressures and your goals, and usually follows three steps:
Map what is draining you
We identify where your energy goes, what you cannot put down, and which habits and beliefs keep you overextended.
Change the automatic response
Hypnosis, CBT and NLP techniques work on stress reactions, perfectionism, difficulty switching off and difficulty saying no, so that new responses become the default.
Build a sustainable rhythm
Using Robert's PMP and business background, we put practical structure around the change: boundaries, delegation, priorities and recovery you can keep.
Hypnosis is a state of focused attention, and it is one tool among several. It is not mind control, and you stay in charge throughout. In Robert's experience, combining hypnosis with CBT, NLP and practical coaching gets results more quickly than any one alone.
Executive coaching with hypnosis is not medical or mental health treatment. Burnout can overlap with conditions that need professional care. Progress is individual; results vary.
What to expect
What a session is actually like
There is no swinging watch and no stage show. Sessions are one-on-one by Zoom, from a comfortable place where you will not be interrupted. We talk first about what is happening and what you want to change. Then you are guided into a relaxed, focused state in which you stay aware and in control, and we work on the specific patterns you chose.
You do not need to believe in hypnosis for it to be worth trying, and many analytical, skeptical leaders start out unsure. Between sessions you may have simple tools and exercises. You leave each session with something specific to apply.
Fit
Is this right for you?
Who this approach tends to help.
You may be a good fit if
- You are high-functioning but depleted, and rest has not fixed it
- You know what you should change and cannot seem to do it
- You want practical strategy and subconscious change together
- You are open to trying a different approach
This coaching isn't medical or mental health treatment. If you're dealing with a medical condition or severe distress, please also see a doctor or licensed professional.
Programs
How we work together
Most executives start with the 5+2 Executive Performance Program, and program length and any add-on consulting are tailored after your free consultation.
The 5+2 Executive Performance Program
- 5 private Zoom sessions across 12 weeks, with guidance and support between sessions
- 2 weeks of follow-up support by email or text check-ins
- Custom goals, subconscious work and performance planning
Ideal for burnout recovery and focused change around leadership, focus and communication. See all programs or program details.
Related coaching
Explore more
Burnout often overlaps with other challenges. These pages cover related areas.
Executive coaching & hypnosis
The full executive program: decisions, follow-through, leadership presence and more.
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Learn more →Seminars & team workshops
Group seminars and workshops for teams and organizations.
Learn more →Flying anxiety
Fear of flying or avoiding air travel? Retrain the fear response.
Learn more →Not sure where to start?
Describe what is happening on a free consultation, and we will talk through the right approach.
Book a free consultation →Free consultation
Book your free 20-minute consultation
We start with a short phone call about what is happening and what you want to change, what you want to change, and whether this is a fit. No cost, no obligation. Sessions are then held one-on-one by Zoom.
Consultations by phone. Sessions by Zoom, worldwide. Based in Trumbull, CT.
Reset your reserves.
Lead without
running on empty.
Recovery is not just time off. It is changing the patterns that keep you overextended, so the rest you take actually lasts.
- Switch off without guilt
- Say no and delegate with confidence
- Regain energy, focus and enjoyment of the work
In their words
What clients say
High Performance Hypnotherapy has 65+ five-star reviews on Google. The first three below are quoted as posted on Google; the last is from an earlier executive client. Individual experiences vary and results are not guaranteed.
“I am a huge skeptic and did not think that hypnotherapy would work for me, but I was wrong. Robert is an amazing coach and his cognitive behavioral and hypnosis techniques have had a profoundly positive impact on my life. I am achieving new heights in my career as a result of leaving old beliefs in the past.”
Professional client, Google review, 5 stars
“In just a few sessions, I feel more aware and excited about the situations that previously caused me tension and stress. It’s incredibly empowering.”
Coaching client, Google review, 5 stars
“His sessions have been incredibly effective in helping me work through my anxiety. Robert’s calm and supportive approach made me feel at ease, and his techniques have genuinely made a difference in my daily life.”
Coaching client, Google review, 5 stars
“Robert’s method unlocked a level of mental clarity I hadn’t had in 10 years. I’m making better decisions, working less, and my team feels the difference.”
COO, healthcare services
More client stories are on our client reviews page.
Meet your mental coach
About Robert Barnett
Robert Barnett is a certified hypnotherapist (C.Ht.) with a PMP and an MBA, and a certified sales coach. With 35+ years of hypnosis experience and a corporate background in strategy, leadership and performance optimization, he brings together performance psychology and real-world leadership expertise. He has worked with entrepreneurs, executives and competitive athletes to eliminate mental friction and turn insight into action. He does not just tell you what to do. He helps you remove what has been stopping you from doing it. He also brings a personal view of the problem: performance anxiety that began with a childhood solo and grew through years of competitive sports taught him how pressure works from the inside. Learn more about Robert.
HMI · Diploma in Hypnotherapy
Sports Performance TrainingQuestions executives ask
Executive burnout & hypnosis FAQ
What is executive burnout?
The World Health Organization describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It involves exhaustion, growing detachment or cynicism about your job, and reduced effectiveness. It is not a medical diagnosis on its own and can overlap with other conditions.
Can hypnosis help with burnout?
Hypnosis can help work on the automatic patterns that often sit behind burnout, such as difficulty switching off, perfectionism, difficulty saying no and stress reactions. It is used alongside CBT and NLP techniques and practical planning. It is not a medical treatment, and no one can promise a specific result.
Isn't burnout fixed by taking time off?
Time off can restore energy, but if the habits and beliefs that drove the overextension remain, the exhaustion often returns when the pace does. The work here targets those patterns so that recovery lasts.
How is this different from regular executive coaching?
Traditional coaching tends to work at the level of conscious thinking, with advice, planning and accountability. We include that, and add subconscious work through hypnosis, CBT and NLP techniques on the automatic reactions that decide whether the plan survives a busy week.
What happens in a session?
Sessions are one-on-one by Zoom. We talk about what is happening and what you want to change, then you are guided into a relaxed, focused state in which you stay aware and in control, and we work on the specific patterns you chose. You leave with something specific to apply.
I am a skeptic. Will it work for me?
Many analytical leaders start out skeptical. You do not need to believe in hypnosis for it to be worth trying, and you can ask questions in the free consultation. Results vary, and no one can promise a specific outcome.
Will I lose control or be made to do something?
No. Hypnosis is a state of focused attention, and you remain aware and in control throughout. It is not mind control.
Is this therapy, and does it replace medical care?
No. This is executive performance coaching that uses hypnosis. It is not therapy or medical treatment and does not replace either. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, severe anxiety or a medical condition, please speak with your doctor or a licensed professional.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on your goals and how much you apply between sessions. Most executives start with the 5+2 Executive Performance Program, which is 5 private Zoom sessions across 12 weeks plus 2 weeks of follow-up support. Program length and any add-on consulting are tailored after your free consultation.
Can I keep working while we do this?
Yes. Sessions are held by Zoom and fit around a leader's schedule and travel. The work is designed to help you operate more sustainably while you keep doing your job.
Is it confidential?
Sessions are private and one-on-one. Client details are kept private, and any stories or reviews published on this site are shared in anonymized form or as posted publicly by the client.
How do online sessions work?
Sessions are held privately, one-on-one by Zoom, from a quiet place where you can sit comfortably and speak without interruption. Robert's practice is based in Trumbull, CT, and most clients work with him remotely, anywhere in the world.
What happens in the free consultation?
It is a 20-minute phone call about what is happening, what you want to change and whether this approach fits. There is no obligation. If you decide to work together, sessions are held one-on-one by Zoom.
Who is Robert Barnett?
Robert Barnett, C.Ht., PMP, MBA, is a certified hypnotherapist and executive performance coach who has practiced hypnosis for more than 35 years. He founded High Performance Hypnotherapy in Trumbull, CT, in 2019 and works one-on-one by Zoom with executives, business owners and athletes worldwide.
Free consultation
Ready to stop running on empty?
Call (203) 816-0015 or request your free 20-minute phone consultation. You can also contact us here or see our executive coaching overview.
Book my free consultation