An 8-Week Confidential Small-Group Circle
Off the Back Burner
For Executive Women Who Carry Everything for Everyone
You're the one who holds it all together.
You're the primary breadwinner, the leader everyone at work runs to, the parent juggling college prep and curfews, the daughter who gets the late-night call about a burned-out lightbulb or a doctor's appointment.
You bring home the bacon, cook the bacon, clean up after the bacon—and then answer one more email before bed.
On paper, you're successful.
In reality, you're exhausted.
And somewhere along the way, you quietly slid onto the back burner.
This 8-week small-group experience is designed to help you step off the back burner—without blowing up your life, abandoning your responsibilities, or pretending you don't care.
What This Is
Off the Back Burner is a confidential, live, small-group circle for up to 10 executive women in midlife.
Who This Is For
This circle is built for a very specific woman. If you recognize yourself here, you're in the right place.
You Might Be
- In your 40s, 50s, or early 60s
- A senior leader, executive, owner, partner, or director with people relying on you
- The primary (or major) breadwinner for your household
- Parenting teens or college-age kids, with all the logistics, drama, and money that entails
- Supporting aging parents who now need practical and emotional help
- The person everyone describes as "the rock," "the dependable one," or "the one who can handle it"
And Emotionally, You're Probably
- Walking the fine line between "I love my life" and "I can't keep doing this"
- Feeling guilty anytime you even think about yourself
- Secretly afraid that if you stop pushing so hard, everything will fall apart
- Wondering, "If I'm not taking care of everyone, who am I?"
"That's... uncomfortably accurate."
If you thought that, this circle was designed with you in mind.
What You'll Get From These 8 Weeks
This isn't about adding more tasks to your plate. It's about creating a space where you can finally put your plate down and look at it.
Drop the Mask
Move past "I've got it all handled" and be honest about what it's actually costing you.
Name the Invisible Labor
Acknowledge what you carry at work and at home—and stop gaslighting yourself about how heavy it is.
Separate Burnout from Meaning
Protect what matters and stop bleeding energy on what doesn't.
Explore Real Boundaries
Discover boundaries that work even when you're the primary breadwinner and "can't just quit."
Talk Openly
Discuss teens, partners, parents, and the emotional load that comes with all of them.
Reconnect with You
Rediscover the "you" that exists beyond your job title and caregiving roles.
Give Anger a Seat
Acknowledge anger and resentment without blowing up your relationships.
Define Non-Negotiables
Create a small set of boundaries that keep you off the back burner in real life.
You won't leave with a color-coded life plan.
You'll leave with something more honest: clarity, language, support, and a small set of doable shifts that respect both your ambition and your humanity.
What Happens Each Week
Each session is 60 minutes, live, and facilitated. Every week has a loose theme, but the conversation is driven by what you bring.
Naming the Load & the Back Burner
Everything I carry that no one sees
We'll start by putting words to what you actually do and hold—for your company, your family, your parents, your finances, your friends. You'll see (quickly) that you're not alone and you're not "too dramatic." The load is real.
Burnout vs. Meaning
I'm exhausted, but I still care
We'll explore where your life still feels meaningful and where it's turned into pure obligation. You'll start to see the warning signs of burnout and where you might be overriding your own limits.
Boundaries at Work (When You're the Breadwinner)
How do I say no when everything depends on me?
We'll talk about unreasonable demands, underperforming staff, and the fear that if you don't say yes, you'll lose your job—and everything it funds. You'll experiment with one small boundary that fits your reality.
Teens, Parents, and the "Sandwich" Squeeze
Everyone needs me, all the time
We'll open up about the emotional and logistical squeeze of simultaneously parenting teens and supporting aging parents—and the resentment, guilt, and love all tangled together in that.
Who Am I Besides Being Useful?
If I'm not performing, who am I?
You'll explore the parts of you that have been shelved in service of being "indispensable." Hobbies, friendships, creativity, body, spirituality—what's been lost, and what might be quietly calling you back?
Anger, Resentment, and the "Good Girl" Rules
I'm furious, but I swallow it
We'll talk openly about anger—at bosses, partners, kids, parents, and systems—and the unspoken rule that you're supposed to smile through it. You'll explore ways to acknowledge anger without setting everything on fire.
Redrawing the Map: Time, Energy, Non-Negotiables
If nothing changes, where am I in 2 years?
You'll identify what you're tolerating that's quietly draining you, and define a small set of non-negotiables that protect your sanity (sleep, movement, therapy, creative time, friendship—whatever you decide).
Integration & What Comes Next
Staying off the back burner
We'll look at what's shifted for you, however subtly, over the 8 weeks. You'll create a brief "Future Me Note" to yourself for the next time everything feels like too much, and decide how you want to stay supported after the circle ends.
Format & Investment
Format
Investment
$960 USD
$120 per session • Full payment before joining
Tuesdays, 7:00–8:00 PM ET
Starting [Start Date] — Ending [End Date]
What This Is Not
To make expectations clear:
Not Therapy
This is a facilitated peer circle for personal and professional growth. It's emotionally deep, but it's not clinical treatment, and I'm not acting as your therapist.
Not a "10-Step System"
You don't need another rigid system to fail at. You need space, witness, language, and a few realistic shifts you can actually live with.
Not a Performance
You don't have to impress anyone here. You don't have to be "on." You don't have to be inspirational.
Not a Networking Club
Will you connect with other powerful women? Almost certainly. But this isn't a place to trade business cards. It's a place to be real.
How It Works
Apply (5–10 minutes)
You'll complete a short, confidential application so we can understand your situation and make sure this circle is a good fit.
Join Your Cohort
If it's a match, you'll confirm your spot with payment and receive all the session dates, links, and group agreements.
Show Up As You Actually Are
No prep. No homework. Just bring yourself, your honest experience, and a willingness to listen and be listened to.
About Your Facilitator
Dr. Andrea Burgio-Murphy
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Andrea Burgio-Murphy has spent more than two decades helping high-functioning adults navigate intense stress, burnout, and life transitions. She's especially attuned to what happens when capable, responsible people spend years carrying everyone else's burdens—until something finally gives.
In her work with women leaders and professionals, Andrea brings a grounded, compassionate, and no-nonsense style. She knows what it's like to be "the strong one" in every room—and what it takes to create spaces where strong women can put that role down for a while.
In this circle, she's not acting as your personal therapist; instead, she's drawing on her clinical training and crisis experience to facilitate a confidential, emotionally safe space where you can be honest, be witnessed, and begin to experiment with new ways of caring for yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
"Is this therapy?"
No. This is not psychotherapy or medical treatment. It's a facilitated small-group experience for personal and professional growth. If you're in individual therapy, this can complement that work, but it doesn't replace it.
"What if I'm introverted or don't like sharing in groups?"
You're welcome here. You will never be forced to share anything you don't want to. Many introverts actually thrive in this format because the group is small, structured, and grounded in respect.
"What if I miss a week?"
Life happens. The group will still meet, and you'll be welcomed back the following week. For confidentiality reasons, sessions are not recorded.
"Will anything I say get back to my company or family?"
Group members agree to strict confidentiality: what's shared in the circle stays in the circle. While no group can legally guarantee absolute secrecy, this is a foundational norm we reinforce every week.
"Can I join if I'm not technically an 'executive,' but my situation fits?"
Possibly. If you're in a senior role with significant responsibility and you resonate strongly with the description, apply and we'll discuss fit together.
"What if I'm already on the edge of burnout?"
Many participants are. This circle can give you language and support, and help you see options you may not be seeing on your own. If you're in acute crisis or dealing with serious mental health concerns, you may also want to be in active treatment with a licensed professional alongside this group.
"This is me, and I don't have anyone I can say this stuff to..."
If that thought crossed your mind, your next step is simple:
Apply for the CircleAS FEATURED IN...
