How to Choose a Burnout Coach
Burnout can sneak up on even the most capable professionals. One day you’re thriving - the next, you’re running on empty and wondering how to fix it.
Over the past few years, awareness of burnout has grown dramatically - and for good reason. According to Gallup, nearly three in four employees say they experience burnout at least sometimes, and the World Health Organization has now classified it as an “occupational phenomenon.” As conversations about mental health and sustainable work have become more mainstream, the coaching market has evolved to meet this need. There are now hundreds of professionals offering “burnout coaching” as a speciality - from career coaches and wellbeing experts to therapists who’ve moved into the coaching space. That’s encouraging, but it also makes the search for the right burnout coach more complex than ever.
This article will help you cut through the noise, understand what kind of coach you really need, and move forward with confidence.
How to Choose a Burnout Coach - The Groundwork
Before even looking for a burnout coach, try to get a handle on what is causing your burnout.
Is it because you’ve been running at 100 miles an hour and your body can’t keep up? Is it anxiety and stress? Is it that your job is not a good fit anymore?
It will be hard to find the right type of burnout coach without having at least some idea of where the burnout is coming from.
For more information on how to answer this, read “Anxiety & Stress at Work: Don’t Overlook Internal Causes”
Different Types of Burnout Coaches - Finding the Right Fit for You
Once you have a basic idea of why you feel burnt out, you can then figure out the type of burnout coach you need.
The options can seem endless, but there are, essentially, four main types of burnout coach.
1. The Wellbeing and Lifestyle Coach
These coaches focus on the physical and emotional foundations of recovery - rest, nutrition, sleep, movement, and boundaries. Their approach is often holistic, integrating mindfulness, somatic awareness, or habit-based methods to help clients restore energy and balance. This type of coach suits people whose burnout stems from chronic stress, overwork, or neglecting their own wellbeing.
2. The Executive or Performance Coach
Aimed at leaders, entrepreneurs, and high achievers, executive burnout coaches help clients manage performance pressure, perfectionism, and the relentless pace of demanding roles. They often combine business insight with psychological tools to recalibrate productivity, leadership style, and purpose. The focus is less on “slowing down” and more on redefining sustainable success.
3. The Career Transition Coach (FYI - this is my niche)
This type of burnout coach supports midlife professionals who are exhausted, disillusioned, or questioning their current direction. The work often blends recovery from burnout with career clarity - helping clients uncover what’s next, realign values, and design a more fulfilling, sustainable working life. It’s not just about bouncing back; it’s about moving forward with purpose.
At Tim Storrie Coaching, for example, I offer programmes such as “Burnout Buster”, “Career Clarity & Confidence”, and “Career Reset”, which guide clients through these stages - from rebuilding energy and confidence to creating a career that feels like a better fit.
4. The Therapeutic or Trauma-Informed Coach
Some coaches integrate elements of counselling, psychology, or trauma-informed practice. They help clients understand the deeper emotional and relational patterns that lead to burnout - such as people-pleasing, chronic over-responsibility, or unresolved stress responses. These coaches often work at the intersection of mental health and coaching, focusing on healing as much as growth.
5. The Specialist Sector or Mindset Coach
Some burnout coaches focus on a specific profession - for example, healthcare, tech, or education - or specialise in mindset and resilience work. These coaches can be particularly valuable if your burnout is tied to your professional culture or thought patterns.
How to Choose your Budget for a Burnout Coach
Before looking for actual coaches it can be useful to decide how much you want to spend.
A very simple way to decide this is to look for a “5 times Return on Investment (ROI)”.
Then reflect on: “How big a problem is burnout for you?”
So if the burnout is a £10k problem for you, you could decide on a budget of £2k to fix it.
“Qualifiers” and “Differentiators” for a Burnout Coach
With a sense of your needs, budget, and preferred coaching style, you can now look at how to assess specific coaches.
This is the fun part of the whole process - finding a coach that you resonate with!
Thinking about qualifying criteria and then differentiators can really simplify the process.
Qualifiers are about making sure you are working with a credible coach.
Questions to think about are:
Have they been professionally trained?
Are they accredited with an industry body?
Is there clear evidence that they are an expert in their area and know their stuff?
Do you get the sense they are passionate about what they do? And that they are not just in it to make money?
Be wary of pricing extremes. Are the prices very low or very expensive?
Differentiators are about finding the right coach for you.
Do you think you would work well together?
Does their approach resonate with you?
Most coaches will offer a free discovery call for you to assess the fit. My advice is to not overthink this part of the process. If you have followed all the suggested steps it will be hard to make a “wrong” choice - so you can just go with your instinct and gut to make a decision.
Finally, a couple of “red flags” to watch out for.
Step back and take your time if you are feeling “pressured” to sign up, or that there is “only one open space”, or a “can’t miss offer”. No coach that has your best interests at heart would employ these tactics.
Author: Tim Storrie
-------------- About the Author: Tim Storrie
I'm an ICF-accredited career coach with an Oxbridge education, an MBA and a corporate background.
Drawing from my own mid-life experience of burnout and transition to a more fulfilling career - I help men over 40 with symptoms of burnout, and who are feeling lost and frustrated, to find a career that excites them by gaining clarity and confidence.
My coaching approach is both nurturing and challenging, and combines a structured, exercise-based approach with a focus on getting to the underlying heart of the matter.
Would you like to understand how my burnout and career coaching can help you to find a more fulfilling future?
Book a free Discovery Call at: https://www.timstorriecoaching.com/contact-me