About
WorkBalance was created by Dr Annette Valentine Eriksen (PhD), a clinical counsellor, career coach and writer who has spent nearly two decades helping people build working lives that do not cost them their wellbeing.
I am an internationally accredited clinical counsellor (PACFA registered), career coach, autistic careers practitioner, researcher and educator. For over eight years I have run my own online practice, supporting people through career transitions, burnout recovery, workplace stress and the question of what comes next.
Alongside my practice, I mentor and assess counselling graduates at the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors, and I was appointed by the Australian Government to the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council's Economic Inclusion working group. I hold a PhD, a Master in Counselling and Psychotherapy, a Master in Arts and Guidance, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Career Guidance.
I was born and raised in Denmark and have lived and worked across Europe, Asia and Australia. Each place has shaped how I understand life, work and identity. My own experiences, including navigating chronic health challenges and neurodivergence, have profoundly influenced how I approach career and life transitions. I know what it is like to ask "Am I on the right path?" and "How do I reconcile my wellbeing with my ambition?" That curiosity and lived insight drive everything I do.
Burnout does not just go away on its own, and the longer you push through, the more it affects your health, happiness and career. Again and again in my counselling room I met people who were outwardly holding it all together while inwardly running on empty, and who only realised how far things had gone when they were already exhausted.
I wanted a gentle, everyday way to notice the signs earlier. WorkBalance grew out of that wish: a two-minute daily check-in that tracks your energy, stress and workload, turns them into a simple Sustainability Score, and offers breathing, meditation and EFT exercises matched to how you actually feel that day. Not another productivity tool that pushes you to do more, but one that helps you stay well enough to keep going.
I believe every single person can change their life and career. It just looks different for everybody. WorkBalance is my way of putting that belief in your pocket.
WorkBalance is part of the aimlief family of resources for people who feel stuck in life. On the aimlief blog you will find hundreds of articles on burnout recovery, journaling therapy, planning and organising your life, and knowing and understanding yourself.
Your first check-in takes two minutes. Membership is $9 per month and you can cancel any time.