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By Chad Luke, PhD, LPC

Interest has been growing in using neuroscience to deepen our understanding of well-being, particularly in the context of burnout. Burnout arises when the demands of a job consistently outweigh available resources. The result is emotional, physical and cognitive exhaustion that leads to disengagement and reduced effectiveness at work.

The Three Faces of Burnout

Christina Maslach, developer of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, described three factors associated with burnout: emotional exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment and depersonalization. Emotional exhaustion occurs when individuals feel so drained by their work that they have little to give to others. A reduced sense of accomplishment arises when counselors feel their work lacks meaning or significance. Depersonalization involves distancing oneself emotionally from clients, which can lead to treating them impersonally and viewing them more as problems to be solved than as whole individuals.

What’s concerning are situations where counselors feel detached from themselves. Depersonalization represents a loss of empathy, often accompanied by a defensive or negative attitude toward clients. When this process turns inward, it can manifest as self-criticism and disconnection from one’s feelings and identity. This realization underscores how burnout impacts not just our relationships with others but also how we see ourselves.

The Nervous System’s Role in Well-Being

To address self-depersonalization, we must consider the functioning of our nervous system. Recognizing what energizes us — and what drains our energy — can help in managing stress. This awareness allows us to identify the physical, emotional and relational signs of exhaustion early and adjust our actions accordingly.

In my work, I’ve developed the Inheritance Model of Well-Being, or Well-Being 2.0, to help counselors better understand their nervous system and how it shapes their experiences of burnout. The sections below describe sample questions.

There are five critical dimensions of inherited inputs (information received by the nervous system from the environment and body) that shape how our nervous system responds to stress:

• Sociocultural influences: This dimension examines how cultural context influences self-care and well-being. It helps us consider if we are just surviving or actively thriving. You might ask: “Has my sociocultural inheritance oriented my nervous system to prioritize decisions to survive or thrive?”
• Biological/genetic factors: This dimension asks us to reflect on if we are reacting defensively to stress or if we are fostering a more nurturing, balanced approach to well-being. This involves recognizing how biological predispositions shape responses. You might ask: “Has my biological inheritance oriented my nervous system to prioritize decisions to defend and contend or mend and tend?”
• Early relationships: Do we prioritize protecting ourselves or focus on building meaningful connections with others? You might ask: “Has my early relationship inheritance oriented my nervous system to prioritize decisions to protect or connect?”
• Environmental factors: How do we interpret the world around us? Do we allow our experiences to distort perceptions, or do we support growth through positive interpretations? You might ask: “Has my early environment inheritance oriented my nervous system to prioritize decisions to distort or support my experiences in my environment?”
• Early life experiences: How do we deal with past challenges—do we become stuck, or do we bounce back with resilience? You might ask: “Has my early experiences inheritance oriented my nervous system to prioritize decisions to ground or rebound from current experiences?”

In turn, these inherited inputs shape five outputs, or manifestations of the previous five inputs, that influence well-being. In other words, what is the extent to which my ways of thinking, feeling, behaving, relating and experiencing the world are echoes of the preceding five dimensions of inherited inputs?

• Thinking: Are our thoughts shaped by reflective practices, or are we letting external influences dominate our minds? You might ask: “Has my nervous system developed to prioritize mindfulness (the observation and release of unproductive thoughts) or “mind-full-ness,” wherein I hold and cycle through unproductive thoughts? Then ask, “Who does my thinking for me?”
• Feeling: Do we approach our emotions with curiosity and trust, or do we view them with suspicion? Furthermore, do we consider emotion as a source of wisdom for our lives, or have we been convinced that feelings are mere reflections of thinking patterns and are therefore reliable? You might ask: “Has my nervous system developed to prioritize permission or suspicion of my feelings?” Then ask, “Who decides whether my feelings are valid and help me access truth?”
• Behaving: Are we taking constructive action or are we withdrawing and avoiding challenges? You might ask: “Has my nervous system developed to prioritize decisions to act or retract — or accept and commit?” Then ask, “Who is steering my life and behavior?”
• Relating: Are interactions based on genuine connection, or do we treat others as potential threats? You might ask: “Has my nervous system developed to prioritize the friend or foe framework?” In other words, do others represent a threat to me, or am I open to connection? Then ask, “Am I relating with the person in front of me or with someone else?”
• Experiencing: Do we see ourselves as whole and integrated, or are we neglecting aspects of who we are? You might ask: “Has my nervous system developed to prioritize ‘holism’ or ‘hole-ism’?” Holism is accepting oneself as complete, while hole-ism is disenfranchising parts of yourself. Then ask, “What information am I drawing from to decide what parts of me are tolerable and intolerable?”

Prioritizing Well-Being in Counseling Practice

In counseling, as with our own development, we must first focus on the most immediate output dimension that requires attention. From there, we can explore how inherited input dimensions — whether they come from past experiences, relationships or biology — have shaped those outputs. By addressing both input and output dimensions, counselors can better manage their own well-being and more effectively support clients.

Understanding how the nervous system plays a role in well-being enables counselors to work more holistically, balancing both personal and professional demands. The Inheritance Model of Well-Being offers a structured framework to navigate these complex interactions, which provides a path toward greater resilience and clarity.