About burnout
Burnout is exhaustion linked to work: emotional fatigue, distance or cynicism towards the job and a feeling of not being effective. Psychological support focuses on recovery, workload and boundaries, values and, when needed, decisions about the work situation.
Therapist is the everyday word for a professional who offers talking therapy: depending on the country it can be a psychologist, a psychotherapist, a licensed counsellor, a marriage and family therapist or a clinical social worker. Profiles show each therapist’s actual title, training and registration.
Getting mental health care in Cape Verde
Public health system · Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS)
Specialist psychiatric care in the public Serviço Nacional de Saúde is mainly provided at the Trindade unit of the Hospital Universitário Agostinho Neto in Praia, the national reference service, and patients are usually referred there. Health centres have psychologists and social workers, and psychiatrists visit some primary care sites. Mental health in primary care is still limited.
How to check that a professional is licensed
- Ordem dos Psicólogos de Cabo Verde (OPCV). The Ordem dos Psicólogos de Cabo Verde was created by Lei n.º 128/IX/2021 as the professional body for psychologists. Ask a psychologist for their OPCV membership. No public online register was found.
Urgent help in Cape Verde
If your life or someone else's is in danger, call the emergency number now. These services can help at any time:
- 130 · Ambulância
Information reviewed in November 2026 · Sources: scielo.br, afro.who.int, boe.incv.cv
Signs to look out for
Burnout develops gradually under prolonged work pressure. Common signs include exhaustion that rest does not fix, feeling detached, cynical or numb about your job, a sense that nothing you do makes a difference, and difficulty concentrating. You may dread Monday, feel irritable with colleagues or family, get ill more often, or find that weekends and holidays no longer help you recover.
What helps: treatments and professionals
Psychologists, clinical psychologists and occupational psychologists can help with burnout. Cognitive-behavioural approaches, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and stress-management programmes help with recovery, boundaries and values. Support often includes looking at workload, job demands and possible changes at work. A doctor should assess exhaustion and rule out physical causes or depression, and may advise on time off.
When to seek urgent help
Burnout can overlap with depression. If you feel hopeless, cannot function at all, or have thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life, contact your local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department immediately. Seek prompt medical care for physical symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations or fainting.
What you can do in the meantime
Try to protect clear boundaries between work and rest, such as switching off notifications after hours. Prioritise sleep, regular meals and gentle exercise. Talk to someone you trust about how you feel, and, if possible, discuss workload with your manager or occupational health service. Reconnecting with activities and people outside work helps. Avoid relying on alcohol or stimulants to keep going.
What does a therapist do?
A therapist helps you talk through what is worrying you and find practical ways to feel and cope better. In sessions they listen, ask questions, help you notice patterns in your thoughts, emotions and relationships, and agree goals with you. Depending on their training they may use cognitive-behavioural, humanistic, systemic, psychodynamic or other evidence-based approaches, with individuals, couples, families or groups.
When to see a therapist
It makes sense to look for a therapist when stress, anxiety, low mood, grief, relationship problems, a difficult change or the effects of past experiences start to weigh on your daily life, or when you simply want space to understand yourself better. If symptoms are severe, you may need medication or there are signs of a medical cause, involve your doctor or a psychiatrist as well.
How to choose
When choosing, check the licence and training, the approach they use and whether they have experience with what you need. Consider practical aspects too: language, price, location or online sessions and availability. The relationship with the professional matters a great deal; if after a few sessions it does not feel right, it is fine to change.
Frequently asked questions
Does the public health system in Cape Verde cover psychological care?
Specialist psychiatric care in the public Serviço Nacional de Saúde is mainly provided at the Trindade unit of the Hospital Universitário Agostinho Neto in Praia, the national reference service, and patients are usually referred there. Health centres have psychologists and social workers, and psychiatrists visit some primary care sites. Mental health in primary care is still limited.
How do I check that a therapist is licensed in Cape Verde?
Ordem dos Psicólogos de Cabo Verde (OPCV): The Ordem dos Psicólogos de Cabo Verde was created by Lei n.º 128/IX/2021 as the professional body for psychologists. Ask a psychologist for their OPCV membership. No public online register was found.