CONDITIONS WE TREAT
Burnout, grief, and life stress
Sometimes nothing is wrong in a diagnostic sense, and still you are running on empty. Burnout, loss, and big life changes can wear down even the most capable people.
Our virtual intensive outpatient program gives adults in California a place to stop, sort through it, and rebuild, without stepping away from the responsibilities that got you here.
IN SHORT
Burnout, grief, and when an IOP helps
Burnout is exhaustion, distance from your work and feeling less effective after long stress that was never resolved. Grief is the response to loss, and it becomes prolonged grief disorder when it stays intense and disabling for a year or more. An intensive outpatient program (IOP) fits when either one is affecting your health, sleep, work or relationships.
At Kin, adults in California work through it in groups by video, with an evening track from 5 to 8 PM Pacific for people who are still working or caregiving.
WHAT WE HELP WITH
Burnout, grief, and life stress we help with
Professional burnout
Exhaustion, cynicism or distance from your work, and feeling less effective, after long periods of stress that never let up. The World Health Organization describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition, and it often overlaps with anxiety and depression.
Caregiver stress
The strain of caring for a child, a partner, or an aging parent while trying to hold everything else together.
Grief and loss
The death of someone close, a pregnancy or infant loss, the end of a marriage, or the loss of a role or a future you expected.
Prolonged grief
Grief that stays intense and disabling long after a loss, with constant longing, difficulty accepting the death, and feeling that part of you died too. It became a formal diagnosis in 2022.
Life transitions
Divorce, a move, a new job or no job, retirement, becoming a parent, or children leaving home.
Adjustment difficulties
Stress, low mood, or anxiety after a change that feels out of proportion or lasts longer than expected.
SIGNS
Signs it may be time for more support
How it can feel
Running on empty, even after rest
Dreading work or feeling numb about it
Waves of grief that make it hard to function
Feeling lost after a change you did not choose, or one you did
How it can show up
Getting sick more often, headaches, or trouble sleeping
Irritability with people you care about
Pulling back from friends and things you used to enjoy
Relying on habits that numb the stress
LEVEL OF CARE
Is IOP right for burnout or grief?
A good fit when
Exhaustion or dread is affecting your health, sleep or ability to do your job
Grief has stayed intense for months and keeps you from daily life
You are caring for a child, partner or parent and need support that fits around it
A divorce, move or job loss has left you stuck, and weekly therapy has not been enough
Start with a higher level of care when
You have thoughts of suicide with a plan or intent, including after a loss (call or text 988, or call 911)
You cannot eat, sleep or care for yourself for days at a time
Weekly therapy may be enough when you are grieving or stressed but still managing daily life. Grief that is painful but slowly easing is a normal part of loss, not a disorder. See how IOP and PHP compare.
What we are
Virtual, across California. Groups and individual sessions by video, from wherever you can close a door.
An office in Fountain Valley. 8780 Warner Ave, Ste 11, for in person EMDR and for anyone who would rather be in the room.
One team, not a referral chain. Your therapist and your prescriber work together on the same plan.
HOW WE TREAT IT
How we help with burnout, grief, and life stress
ROOM TO PROCESS
Processing groups and individual therapy to sort through what happened and what it means for you. How the program works
SKILLS FOR THE LOAD YOU CARRY
Boundaries, stress and nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and ACT skills for living with what you cannot change.
EVENING CARE FOR WORKING ADULTS
The 5 PM to 8 PM Pacific track fits around a full workday, Monday through Friday. Verify your insurance
GROUPS AND PROGRESS
Groups for burnout and grief, and progress
Groups you may join
Processing Grief and Loss (psychodynamic): making room for the loss and what it meant to you.
Stress and the Nervous System (psychoeducation): what chronic stress does to the body, sleep and mood.
Boundaries at Work and Home (DBT): saying no and holding limits without guilt.
Values After a Life Change (ACT): deciding what matters now when the old plan no longer fits.
Mindful Rest and Recovery (mindfulness): practices for rest that actually restores.
How we track progress
There is no standard clinical score for burnout, and grief is not something to score away. Because burnout and grief often come with depression and anxiety, we use the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 at intake and every two weeks, and your therapist uses the scores when updating your treatment plan.
RELATED CONDITIONS
What often comes with burnout and grief
Often comes with
Depression: burnout and grief can turn into depression that does not lift.
Anxiety: constant pressure and trouble switching off.
Traumatic grief: after a sudden or violent loss.
Pregnancy loss and caregiving strain: grief and stress that often go unseen.
Burnout in men: often shows up as irritability and working nonstop.
Key facts
The World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome from chronic workplace stress that has not been managed well, with three parts: exhaustion, mental distance or cynicism about work, and reduced effectiveness. It is not classified as a medical condition.
An estimated 4% to 15% of bereaved adults develop prolonged grief disorder. For adults, the loss must be at least a year ago.
Sources: World Health Organization, Burn out an occupational phenomenon (ICD-11); American Psychiatric Association, Prolonged Grief Disorder.
QUESTIONS
Common questions
Is burnout serious enough for an intensive program?
It can be, especially when it is affecting your health, sleep, relationships, or ability to work. We talk through the right level of care on the first call.
How long does grief last?
There is no set timeline. Grief that stays intense and disabling for a long time, or that keeps you from living your life, is worth getting support for.
Can I keep working?
Most people do. That is what the evening track is for.
Burnout is not a diagnosis. Can I still join?
Yes. Many people with burnout also have depression or anxiety, and our team assesses that at intake so your care fits what you are dealing with.
When does grief become prolonged grief disorder?
For adults, when at least a year has passed since the death and intense longing or preoccupation shows up nearly every day and gets in the way of daily life.
Can I do the program while caring for someone?
Yes. You choose the morning or evening track, join from home, and attend three to five days a week.
Is treatment covered by insurance?
Most major PPO and HMO plans are accepted, including Cigna, Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and United. Call 949.706.8610 or send us a message and we will verify your benefits before you commit to anything.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. Our program is not an emergency service.
Clinically reviewed by Angelina DeSanto, LCSW, Clinical Director. Medically reviewed by Dr. Joe DeSanto, MD, Medical Director. Last updated October 2026.
Source: World Health Organization, burnout as an occupational phenomenon, ICD-11 (2019).
Other conditions we treat: Depression and mood disorders · Anxiety and panic · Trauma and PTSD · ADHD and OCD · Personality disorders · Women's mental health · Men's mental health · Relationships and codependency
Where we serve: Orange County · Los Angeles · Inland Empire · San Diego · Bay Area · Sacramento · Central Valley · Ventura and Santa Barbara · North State · all 58 counties
WHO YOU WOULD WORK WITH
A small team you will actually get to know
Kin Wellness is run by its clinicians. The people below are the people in your groups, and the full team is on the Team page.
Cofounder and Clinical Director, LCSW #80761, Ph.D Candidate
Paola Mercado Demeza, AMFT
Cofounder and Lead Clinical Therapist, Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #15190. Supervised by Angelina DeSanto, LCSW, Ph.D Candidate
Dr. Joe DeSanto, MD
Angelina DeSanto, LCSW
Medical DirectorLET US HELP
Tell us how to reach you
Tell us how to reach you and someone from our team will call you back. The first conversation is short and confidential: what has been going on, what your questions are, whether this is the right level of care for you, and what it would cost with your insurance. There is no obligation to enroll, and if it is a fit you can start right away.
Prefer to call?
949.706.8610
Office hours Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 8 PM Pacific. In person care at 8780 Warner Ave, Ste 11, Fountain Valley CA 92708.