Question 1

What therapy specialties does Ruth Weinberg offer in Denver?

Accepted Answer

Ruth Weinberg specializes in burnout, overfunctioning, navigating relationships and narcissistic abuse, grief and loss, trauma, and support for therapists and caregivers. She works with adults, teens, and children and offers both in-person sessions in Denver and virtual sessions across Colorado and South Carolina.

Question 2

Do I need to know which specialty applies to me before booking with Ruth Weinberg?

Accepted Answer

No. You don't need to arrive with a label or a clear sense of what category your struggles fall into. Therapy begins by exploring what's happening in your life right now, where you feel stuck, and what you want to be different. Ruth will meet you where you are and help figure out the path forward together.

Question 3

Does Ruth Weinberg offer telehealth therapy in Colorado and South Carolina?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Ruth offers virtual therapy sessions by video or phone for clients located in Colorado and South Carolina. In-person sessions are available at her office in Denver, CO.

Question 4

How much does therapy cost with Ruth Weinberg?

Accepted Answer

Ruth's fee is $175 per 60-minute session. She also offers a free 30-minute consultation by phone, video, or in person to see if you're a good fit, discuss your goals, and address any questions about her practice or the therapy process. No commitment is required.

Question 5

Does Ruth Weinberg take insurance?

Accepted Answer

Ruth does not bill insurance directly, but she is an out-of-network provider. If you wish to use insurance, you pay at the time of each session and Ruth provides a superbill — an itemized receipt — that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. She also accepts Crime Victim's Compensation. Contact Ruth at ruth@ruthweinberg.com or 720.432.1163 for questions about this process.

Question 6

Does Ruth Weinberg offer a sliding scale fee?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Ruth offers a sliding fee scale for clients experiencing financial difficulties. If you need a discounted rate, let her know and she will work out something that feels manageable for you.

Question 7

Am I in a relationship with a narcissist?

Accepted Answer

Signs of a narcissistic relationship include being with someone who is critical, lacks empathy, and consistently makes things about themselves. They may leave you questioning yourself, react with anger or defensiveness when you offer honest feedback, expect special treatment while dismissing your needs, and build you up only to later criticize or belittle you. That said, not all difficult or one-sided relationships involve narcissism — there are many reasons a relationship can feel unsatisfying, including communication challenges, attachment styles, and cultural expectations. Therapy can help you sort through what's actually happening.

Question 8

What does being in a relationship with a narcissist feel like?

Accepted Answer

Many people in narcissistic relationships feel frustrated, helpless, or hopeless after trying to communicate their hurt, only to find things don't improve. You may be left feeling manipulated and wondering 'Am I overreacting? Am I the problem?' You might find yourself constantly walking on eggshells, spending significant time worrying about how the other person will react, or covering for their behavior. These experiences have a real impact on your sense of self, your mental health, and your ability to trust your own perception.

Question 9

Is my parent, boss, partner, or friend a narcissist, or am I overreacting?

Accepted Answer

Not every difficult relationship involves narcissism, and not every person who behaves selfishly or hurtfully is a narcissist. The distinction matters because it affects how you approach the situation. Strategies that work in most relationships — expressing hurt, sharing feelings, offering constructive feedback — are often ineffective and even counterproductive when narcissistic dynamics are present. Therapy can help you identify what's happening, trust your own perceptions again, and figure out what tools and approach will actually help.

Question 10

Why is it so hard to leave, or even recognize, a narcissistic relationship?

Accepted Answer

Narcissistic relationships are often difficult to recognize because they can involve being built up and torn down, which creates confusion. Leaving is complicated by several factors: fear of retaliation (being given the silent treatment, bad-mouthed to others, or raged at), feeling responsible for the other person, or a codependent caregiving role that may have developed over time as a way to survive. Well-meaning advice from others about forgiveness and open communication can feel unhelpful or even harmful in these dynamics. Therapy provides a space to untangle what's happening and figure out a path forward that is safe and right for you.

Question 11

Can therapy help with overfunctioning?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Overfunctioning — doing more than your share, anticipating others' needs before your own, feeling like everything will fall apart if you stop — is a pattern therapy can directly address. In sessions, Ruth explores practical strategies for shifting from a life of overcommitment to one where delegation, support, and rest are possible. If there are deeper patterns or beliefs driving the overfunctioning, those get examined and renegotiated too, creating more space for a different way of being.

Question 12

What does therapy for an overfunctioning person actually work on?

Accepted Answer

Therapy for overfunctioning focuses on identifying the beliefs and patterns driving it, learning to set limits without feeling guilty, rebuilding a sense of self-worth that isn't tied to what you do for others, and giving yourself permission and space to rest. The goal is to move from exhaustion and resentment toward a more sustainable and fulfilling way of living.

Question 13

What if I'm afraid that slowing down will make everything fall apart?

Accepted Answer

That fear is one of the most common experiences overfunctioning people carry — and it's exactly the kind of belief that therapy helps you examine. The work isn't about abandoning your responsibilities; it's about gently exploring where that belief came from, whether it's still accurate, and what it would look like to let others show up for you. When you allow yourself to be helped, you're not weak. You're finally letting others do their part.

Question 14

Can therapy treat burnout, or do I just need rest?

Accepted Answer

Rest matters, but burnout often runs deeper than fatigue. In therapy, Ruth doesn't just treat the symptoms like exhaustion and lack of focus — she gets curious about what got you here and what you actually want your life to look and feel like. Burnout can be the body's signal that the way you've been living isn't working. Therapy is how you figure out what will.

Question 15

What does Ruth Weinberg mean when she says burnout is a 'crisis of identity'?

Accepted Answer

When you've defined yourself by your productivity, your role, or your usefulness to others, and you can no longer sustain that, it raises difficult questions: Who am I if I'm not performing? What do I actually want? Is this sustainable? Do I even want it to be? This is what makes burnout more than just tiredness — it challenges the story you've been telling yourself about who you are. Therapy is a place to work through those questions honestly.

Question 16

How long does burnout therapy take with Ruth Weinberg?

Accepted Answer

There is no fixed timeline. The length of therapy depends on what you're working through, how long the burnout has been building, and what changes you're working toward. Ruth works collaboratively with you to assess progress as you go. The free 30-minute consultation is a good place to start that conversation.

Question 17

What types of grief and loss does Ruth Weinberg treat?

Accepted Answer

Ruth works with grief in all its forms: the loss of a person, a relationship, a dream, a version of yourself, or a life you thought you'd have. She also works with some of the most complex grief — losing someone who also hurt you, and navigating both truths at once. Grief that others haven't validated, complicated guilt, and overwhelming feelings are all part of what therapy can hold.

Question 18

Is there a right way to grieve, and will therapy put a timeline on my healing?

Accepted Answer

No. Grief is not a problem to solve — it's a relationship that evolves. There is no right way to grieve and no timeline you are expected to meet. Therapy creates space for the full range of feelings, at your pace, without rushing you through it. The goal isn't to remove the pain but to change your relationship to it.

Question 19

Should therapists and mental health professionals see their own therapist?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Having someone witness, contain, and guide your experience is different from knowing how it works theoretically or practicing strategies on your own. Ruth has been in her own therapeutic work for many years — not because she can't figure things out, but because being a therapy client makes her a healthier, more present therapist. The same is true for other helpers. The training doesn't make the need go away.

Question 20

What does Ruth Weinberg focus on when working with therapists and caregivers in Denver?

Accepted Answer

Ruth works with therapists, social workers, nurses, and caregivers on compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and the loneliness that can come from always being the one others rely on. She helps clients acknowledge and validate their own experience, develop healthy outlets for difficult feelings, and create space to not be okay — and a path back to themselves.

Question 21

Is it okay for a therapist or caregiver to need support themselves?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. There is often a quiet pressure in helping professions to have the answers and manage things independently. Many helpers shame themselves for needing support. But helpers need help too — and they often benefit most from someone who understands exactly how hard it is to ask for it. Seeking therapy is not a contradiction of your role. It's often what makes it sustainable.

Are you experiencing burnout?

Regain your energy and fulfillment in work and relationships

Emotional Burnout

Are ongoing stressors like relationship difficulties, financial strain, health concerns, caregiving, parenting, lack of support, or a combination of these taking a toll?

Do you feel mentally, emotionally, or physically drained?

Are you noticing that you are more irritable than usual?

Is it hard to find the motivation to do anything?

Do you experience a sense of emptiness or feeling lost?

Emotional burnout can lead us to withdraw from life and relationships, feel irritable, hopeless, and anxious. It can also lead to physical symptoms such as fatigue and headaches.

Burnout at Work

Do you find that where you used to feel successful, driven, and competent, you are now feeling exhausted, behind, and defeated? At times, burnout can lead to difficulty focusing, self-doubt, and feelings of worthlessness.

There are a number of reasons why we experience burnout at work including:

A toxic work culture, a difficult boss, long hours, the expectation that you are always available, perfectionism, lack of support, being chronically undervalued

The demands of work can make it easy to overlook the signals our mind and body are sending, and to keep pushing despite the cost to our well-being. A healthy work-life balance can feel out of reach.

Burnout at this level isn't just about work, it's about identity. When you've defined yourself by your productivity and your role and suddenly, you can't sustain either, it raises serious and difficult questions.

Questions like:

Who am I if I'm not performing?

What do I actually want?

Is this sustainable?

Do I even want it to be?

In therapy, we don't just treat the symptoms like exhaustion and focus. We get curious about what got you here and what you actually want your life to look and feel like.

"Burnout is the body's way of saying, ‘The way you've been living isn't working.’ Therapy is how we figure out what will."

-Ruth

What we work on together:

Understanding the deeper patterns driving what is wearing you down.

Rebuilding your relationship with rest and limits.

Reconnecting to what actually matters to you, not what you 'should' want.

Creating a sustainable way of being in your work and life.

Frequently Asked Questions

You don’t have to go through burnout by yourself, I can help.

Ruth Weinberg, LPC