33 Topics Burnt-Out Women Bring to Coaching (And Why You Don't Have to Have It All Figured Out)

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in May 2023 and updated in December 2025 to reflect my specialisation in burnout recovery coaching for high-achieving women.

If you're burnt out and considering coaching, you might be wondering: "What exactly would I even talk about?"

Here's the truth: You don't need to have it all figured out before you book a session.

My clients are high-achieving women in their 30s and 40s who look successful on the outside but feel exhausted and empty on the inside. They come to coaching because something needs to change – but they're often not sure exactly what.

That's completely normal. In fact, not knowing what you need is often a sign that you need coaching.

Below are 33 topics that burnt-out, high-achieving women commonly bring to our sessions. You might see yourself in several of these - or you might bring something entirely different.

The point isn't to have the "right" topic. The point is to start the conversation.

Here are 33 topics you could explore in coaching:

1. Recovering from burnout without quitting your job

2. Understanding why you're so exhausted despite "doing everything right"

3. Reclaiming your energy when you're running on empty

4. Breaking the cycle of pushing through and crashing

5. Setting boundaries without feeling guilty or selfish

6. Stopping people-pleasing patterns that drain you

7. Learning to say no without over-explaining or apologising

8. Dealing with pushback when you start setting boundaries

9. Figuring out what you actually want (beneath all the "shoulds")

10. Making decisions with confidence instead of overthinking

11. Overcoming analysis paralysis and decision fatigue

12. Trusting yourself when everyone else has an opinion

13. Reconnecting with who you are after years of performing

14. Overcoming the feeling that you're living someone else's life

15. Building a life that fits YOU, not what everyone expects

16. Finding yourself again after becoming "just" a mum/wife/employee

17. Creating sustainable success without burning out

18. Navigating career transitions or job changes

19. Dealing with feeling stuck or unfulfilled at work

20. Building a work-life balance that actually works

21. Improving communication with your partner or family

22. Managing relationships when you're too drained to show up

23. Setting boundaries with difficult people (mothers, in-laws, colleagues)

24. Finding time for relationships when you're exhausted

25. Overcoming perfectionism and the need to do everything "right"

26. Challenging limiting beliefs about what you're capable of

27. Dealing with imposter syndrome and self-doubt

28. Letting go of guilt for wanting more (or less) than you have

29. Managing major life changes (divorce, job loss, empty nest, etc.)

30. Adjusting to becoming a parent or navigating parenting teens

31. Dealing with midlife questions of "Is this all there is?"

32. Rebuilding your life after burnout or a major setback

33. Building self-worth that isn't tied to achievement or productivity

You Don't Need to Pick Just One

Here's what actually happens in coaching: you might come in thinking you need help with one thing (like setting boundaries at work), and discover the real issue is something else entirely (like believing your worth depends on being needed).

That's the power of coaching. We don't just tackle the surface problem – we get to the root of what's keeping you stuck.

What Makes Burnout Recovery Coaching Different

Unlike general life coaching, burnout recovery coaching specifically addresses:

• Why you're exhausted despite "having it all"

• How to reclaim your energy without quitting everything

• Setting boundaries when you've spent your life being "the good girl"

• Building a life based on YOUR values, not inherited expectations

• Recovering from performing in your own life for so long

If you're a high-achieving woman in your 30s or 40s who looks successful but feels burnt out, this is exactly what we'll work on together.

Not Sure Where to Start?

That's what the free clarity call is for.

In 50 minutes, we'll talk honestly about what's really going on, identify what's draining you (it's often not what you think), and explore whether The Reclaim Programme is right for you.

No pressure. No sales pitch. Just clarity.

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