Therapy for Anxiety
Specialized therapy for high‑functioning midlife adults in Alexandria, Virginia, Maryland, and DC
From the outside, you look like you have it all together. You’re responsible, competent, and the person others rely on. But inside, it’s a different story.
Life feels heavy. You wake up tired and move through the day in a kind of fog. You’re anxious, overwhelmed, and finding it harder to focus or bounce back. Part of you is starting to wonder: Is this anxiety, burnout, a midlife crisis—or all of the above?
People in your life might describe you as strong and capable. You rarely drop the ball. But you’re not happy, and you’re not sure how much longer you can keep this up.
I specialize in working with high‑functioning midlife adults—often in demanding professional and caregiving roles—who are privately struggling with anxiety, chronic stress, and emotional exhaustion. My role as a therapist is to offer a compassionate, nonjudgmental space where you don’t have to minimize what you’re feeling or protect other people from your truth, and where we can slowly untangle what’s going on underneath the anxiety.
When Anxiety and Burnout Hide Behind “High Functioning”
You look like you have it all together, but inside it’s a different story.
Life feels heavy. You wake up feeling weighed down and drained, never really rested. You’re overwhelmed, in a fog, and finding it harder to focus or bounce back. Part of you is starting to wonder: Is this anxiety, burnout, a midlife crisis—or all of the above?
From the outside, people see you as strong and capable—the one who keeps everything together and never drops the ball. You’re high‑functioning and responsible. But you’re not happy.
Inside, things don’t feel right—emotionally, in your relationships, or in how you feel about yourself. You don’t quite recognize yourself anymore.
The pressure to keep doing it all and keep up appearances never stops.
You sometimes think about what you could take off your plate, but you can’t find an answer. You need your job and the income it brings. The idea of a role with less responsibility might mean a demotion or a pay decrease—which you’d hate. And if you’re a parent or caregiver, you’re not going to step away from those responsibilities.
It can feel like you’re drowning under the weight and worry of all the responsibilities and expectations.
You’ve been stuck like this for so long that it’s hard to remember the last time you actually felt good. In the past, you could usually work through challenges on your own or talk to friends or family. Now, you don’t want to tell anyone. You’re afraid you’ll just worry them, and you feel embarrassed that you can’t just push through.
You tell yourself strong people don’t feel this way. And shouldn’t you just be grateful for all that you have?
So you stay isolated and alone, trapped in a corner you can’t get out of by yourself. It’s getting harder to pretend everything’s fine—and that’s scary. A couple of people have started to notice and suggested you get some help.
Is This You?
You might recognize yourself in some of these:
- You’re a midlife adult in a demanding role—at work, at home, or both.
- You’ve always been the responsible one, but lately everything feels heavier and harder.
- Anxiety is a constant background hum, and rest never feels truly restorative.
- You feel guilty or embarrassed that you can’t “snap out of it” or push through like you used to.
- You’re less patient, more withdrawn, or more on edge with the people you care about.
- You keep telling yourself you should be grateful for what you have, but inside you feel stuck, depleted, or lost.
If this resonates, therapy can give you steady, confidential support as you work through what’s really going on.
The Gifts of Therapy for Anxiety
What if you gave yourself real support and guidance through therapy to decrease your anxiety, feel more grounded, and more comfortable in your own skin?
What if you committed to working in therapy sessions to learn tools and strategies to become more self‑aware and to respond differently to the stressors and demands of your daily life?
In therapy, you could:
- Find relief and release in being able to say all the things you’re worrying about—and have someone who not only listens, but also knows how to help.
- Feel more hopeful knowing you have a place to talk about and process hard things without having to downplay them to protect others’ feelings.
- Get out of the fog you’ve been in and begin to identify the important messages underneath all these feelings.
- Have a space where you don’t need to worry about being judged, and can build the courage to face scary or painful things at your own pace.
- Make sense of the jumble in your head, and learn new, kinder ways to talk to yourself and be in relationship with yourself.
- Get perspective on your patterns, see your issues more clearly, and feel more agency to slowly chip away at them.
- Understand more about how anxiety, depression, trauma, and chronic stress may have impacted your life—and see that they are parts of your experience, not the whole of who you are.
- Start shifting thoughts and feelings so they become more fluid and able to move through you—instead of staying stuck, frozen, or calcified inside.
- Gain confidence in your ability to manage life, see what truly belongs to you, and begin to let go of what’s no longer working.
How I Work with Anxiety and Burnout
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC, I draw from several evidence‑informed approaches to support you:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):To help you notice and shift unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that fuel anxiety and keep you stuck.
Psychodynamic therapy:To explore the deeper roots of your reactions—early experiences, relationships, and long‑standing patterns—so you can understand why you respond the way you do and begin to choose something different.
Mindfulness‑based practices:To help you stay more present, regulate your nervous system, and relate to your thoughts and feelings with more curiosity and less judgment.
Trauma‑informed care:To ensure we work at a pace that feels safe and respectful of any past experiences of trauma, chronic stress, or overwhelm.
Our work is collaborative. We’ll clarify what you most want to change, and I’ll offer structure, support, and clinical guidance as you move toward feeling more grounded, clear, and connected to yourself.
What You Can Expect Over Time
While everyone’s journey is different, many clients begin to:
- Feel more grounded and less overwhelmed by anxiety
- Understand themselves and their patterns with greater clarity
- Develop a kinder, more supportive internal voice
- Set healthier boundaries with work, family, and other responsibilities
- Experience more choice and agency in how they respond to stress
The goal isn’t to become a different person; it’s to help you feel more like yourself again—more steady, clear, and able to move through life with greater ease.
Next Step: You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
If you’re tired of looking “fine” on the outside while quietly struggling with anxiety, burnout, or emotional overwhelm inside, therapy can give you a place to lay it all down and start making real, sustainable changes.
I offer in‑person sessions in Alexandria, VA and online therapy for adults across Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.
You’re invited to schedule a free 15‑minute consultation or call 703‑962‑6022 to see whether we might be a good fit.