Reviewed by: Pavel Kornilov, MD, psychiatrist · updated 6 Nov 2026
Key facts
- ICD-10 code
- Z73.0
- Who treats you
- a psychotherapist; a psychiatrist when symptoms are pronounced
- Format
- video sessions at a convenient time, including early mornings and evenings
- Duration
- 50-minute sessions; a course usually includes 6–8 or more meetings
- Confidentiality
- your employer won’t find out about your visit; medical confidentiality applies
- When it’s urgent
- thoughts of death or a complete inability to work or eat — call 103, 112 or 150
- Outcome
- restored energy, healthy boundaries at work and prevention of repeat burnout
What you should know
People with burnout usually write to us late in the evening. You send a WhatsApp message straight from the office, where you’ve stayed late yet again, and admit honestly that the job you once loved now brings only irritation and emptiness. The administrator offers a time you won’t have to carve out of your lunch break — for example, early in the morning before the workday starts. The session takes place over video, so you don’t have to sit in traffic on Raiymbek Avenue to see a specialist.
Burnout rarely arrives suddenly. At first you run on coffee and promises to rest after the project; then come insomnia, cynicism, headaches and the feeling that you can never keep up. A Psychiatry Online doctor helps you understand where you are right now: is this still overwork that will pass once your routine changes, or is it already depression or an anxiety disorder that needs treatment? That determines exactly what you’ll be offered and how long recovery will take.
Signs of Emotional Burnout
- constant fatigue that doesn’t go away after weekends or even a vacation
- work triggers irritation, cynicism or complete indifference
- you feel you’re doing a lot but getting fewer and fewer results
- it’s hard to concentrate; you forget simple things and get tasks mixed up
- on Sunday evenings you feel heavy dread about the week ahead
- headaches, sleep problems and colds have become more frequent
- you’re pulling away from coworkers, friends and family and don’t want to talk to anyone
If at least two points apply and the state lasts longer than two weeks, it is worth seeing a specialist. Phone consultation is free. If life is at risk, call 112 or 103.
Why Burnout Develops
Burnout develops when demands exceed your resources for a long time and you have little control over the situation. Task overload, blurred boundaries between work and personal life, lack of recognition, unfairness and conflicting values all play a part. People in helping professions, managers and entrepreneurs are especially vulnerable, as are those who are used to taking responsibility for everything and find it hard to ask for help.
Almaty’s urban environment adds to the strain. A workday in a business center on Al-Farabi Avenue, then an hour’s drive home to the Nauryzbay district, then evening messages in work chats — and in the end there’s almost no time left to recover. Add sleep deprivation, alcohol as a way to unwind and a lack of exercise, and the body runs at full stretch for months while its reserves quietly run out.
How an Online Appointment for Burnout Works
At the first session, the specialist asks in detail about your job, schedule, sleep, physical health and how long you’ve felt exhausted. They may suggest a burnout, depression and anxiety questionnaire to gauge how deep the problem goes. You can join from home, from your car or from a meeting room — what matters is that coworkers can’t hear you. At the end, you discuss a plan: what to change this very week and what the course of work will look like.
Physical causes of fatigue — thyroid problems, anemia, the aftereffects of infections — can’t be ruled out online. If the doctor suspects them, they’ll refer you for lab tests and an in-person visit with a general practitioner. Severe depression with an inability to work or take care of yourself, or thoughts of death, calls for an in-person examination by a psychiatrist, and if a life is in danger, call 103 or 112. Sick leave is issued in accordance with the rules of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
How we help
Assessment and Differential Diagnosis
The first step is to distinguish burnout from depression, anxiety disorders and physical health problems. This is not a formality: with depression, advice about routine alone isn’t enough — full treatment is needed. The specialist uses a clinical interview and standardized questionnaires and brings in a psychiatrist when necessary, so you get the right level of care.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT helps you see the beliefs that keep you in overload mode: “I have to do everything myself,” “If I say no, I’ll be fired.” You learn to test these thoughts, set priorities and say “no” without guilt. Video sessions fit easily into a work schedule, with no time lost crossing the city.
Restoring Your Routine
Sleep, movement, nutrition and breaks during the day are the foundation without which therapy moves slowly. Together with you, the specialist looks at your real schedule, including trips around the city, and finds where you can reclaim at least an hour for yourself. Sometimes that’s a hybrid schedule; sometimes it’s turning off work notifications after 8 p.m.
Medication Support
If burnout is accompanied by depression, severe anxiety or insomnia, a Psychiatry Online psychiatrist may suggest medications from the relevant classes. They are selected individually, taking into account your work and whether you drive, and are always monitored at follow-up visits. Decisions about treatment are always made together with you.
Myths and facts
MythBurnout is just tiredness — you need a vacation
FactA vacation helps in the early stages. If you come back and a week later feel empty and irritated again, the problem runs deeper: conditions and habits need to change, and sometimes depression or anxiety needs treatment.
MythOnly weak people burn out
FactIn fact, it’s usually responsible, engaged and demanding-of-themselves professionals who burn out. Burnout is a consequence of chronic overload, not personal weakness, and it can be overcome.
MythTo recover, you’ll have to quit your job
FactSometimes a job change really is necessary, but more often internal changes help: boundaries, redistributing the workload, restoring your routine and therapy. Career decisions are best made once some of your energy has returned.
How an online appointment works
- Message or callWrite on WhatsApp or call — our coordinator replies within minutes, day or night. You don't have to give your surname.
- Doctor and timeWe match you with a psychiatrist, addiction specialist or psychotherapist and agree on a time — often the same day.
- Video consultationA secure 50–60 minute video call: the doctor takes a detailed history and uses standardised scales if needed.
- Treatment planYou receive a clear summary, recommendations and a plan: what we do online and what needs an in-person visit or home call.
- Follow-upOnline follow-up sessions, messenger contact with your doctor, and treatment adjustments until you get a stable result.
Prices in Almaty
| Online psychiatrist consultation (50–60 min) | 15 000 ₸ |
| Follow-up online consultation | 12 000 ₸ |
| One month of online psychiatric care | 60 000 ₸ |
The final cost is agreed before treatment starts. Prices are in tenge and do not constitute a public offer.
Where to get help
You can book in Almaty online or at one of two branches: 129 Kurmangazy St., office 8, Almaty, 110 Bogenbay batyra St., office 15, Almaty. Our coordinator replies on WhatsApp within minutes at any time, and a doctor usually connects by video the same day; home visits are available too — all city districts and nearby settlements.
Confidential and private
An online appointment in Almaty is first of all about privacy: no clinic visit, no waiting room. A private room and headphones are enough. Data is stored in a secure system with restricted access and does not enter any state registry without legal grounds.
Questions and answers
How is burnout different from depression?
Burnout is primarily tied to work: outside of it, people usually feel better. With depression, low mood and loss of interest spread across your whole life. The two often overlap, so a consultation with a specialist — not self-diagnosis with online tests — is what helps tell them apart.
Can I go through therapy without leaving my job?
Yes, that’s exactly what the online format is for. Sessions can be scheduled early in the morning, during your lunch break or in the evening. If your condition is severe and you can’t work, the doctor will discuss the possibility of temporary disability leave under the rules of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
How many sessions will I need?
For moderate burnout, six to ten sessions are usually enough. If depression or an anxiety disorder has developed, treatment takes longer. The plan is reviewed every few sessions so you can see your progress and understand where you’re heading.
Will my employer find out that I saw a psychotherapist?
No. Information about your consultations is protected by medical confidentiality under the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System.” Documents are issued only to you. If you need a certificate, you decide whether to give it to your employer.
Will pills help with burnout?
Burnout itself is treated by changing conditions and with psychotherapy. Medication may be needed if depression, severe anxiety or insomnia has developed. Only a psychiatrist prescribes it, after assessing your condition — not on the advice of friends.
I live in Konaev and work in Almaty — is online care convenient for me?
Very. You don’t have to add yet another trip to see a specialist to an already long commute. You can have a session from home or from your car in a parking lot, as long as it’s quiet and the connection is stable. The key things are headphones and a place where no one can overhear you.
Where can I be seen in Almaty?
Online — from anywhere in the city or region. In person — at two branches: 129 Kurmangazy St., office 8, Almaty and 110 Bogenbay batyra St., office 15, Almaty. Both are open 24/7; home visits cover all city districts and nearby settlements.
Sources and methodology
This page was prepared by the Psychiatry Online medical editorial team based on:
- International Classification of Diseases ICD-10 and ICD-11, World Health Organization
- Clinical diagnosis and treatment protocols of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan
- Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System”
- NICE (UK) and APA (US) guidelines on the treatment of mental disorders
- WHO recommendations on telemedicine and digital health
This information is for reference only and does not replace a consultation with a specialist. Editorial policy
