Helping you feel calmer, clearer, and more in control
Anxiety, Perfectionism & Hypervigilance Therapy in New York City
You’re always on - until you crash
Anxiety & Hypervigilance makes it feel like Your brain doesn’t stop. You’re constantly scanning, planning, and preparing for what’s next - yet still feel behind or like you are not doing enough.
You might look like you’ve got it all together, but inside, your nervous system is in overdrive. You’re constantly overwhelmed and over-thinking. Even rest feels hard to enjoy because your mind won’t slow down. If you’ve ever been told you’re “too sensitive,” “too emotional,” or just need to “relax,” - it’s not because something is wrong with you and please know you are certainly not alone in these challenges!
High-functioning anxiety and emotional overwhelm are often rooted in relational trauma, perfectionism, and a nervous system that’s been stuck in survival mode and being “on” for a very long time.
Anxiety isn’t just in your mind - it shows up in your body.
It can look like:
Tension or tightness in your chest
Nausea
A racing heart and panic
Trouble sleeping
Feeling like you’re “on edge” all the time
Appetite shifts
You hold hold it together all day, only to spiral at night. Or maybe you’ve gotten so used to feeling anxious that it’s hard to imagine what calm even feels like. You likely struggle to make decisions, constantly ask other people for reassurance, and struggle to trust yourself. You may jump to the worst case, have a looming sense of dread or doom, and replay conversations over and over.
This isn’t just about “coping” with anxiety - it’s about healing the root of it.
Together, we’ll work on:
Building internal safety
Strengthening your mind-body connection
Creating space to actually feel grounded - not just pretending to be
To learn more about the difference between anxiety & hypervigilance and what high functioning perfectionism looks like…keep scrolling below.
Anxiety doesn't always just look like panic attacks
It can look like a mind that never shuts off. Constantly scanning for what could go wrong. Holding yourself to impossibly high standards. Feeling "on edge" even when nothing is technically wrong.
For many of my clients, anxiety shows up as perfectionism, hypervigilance, and a nervous system that never fully feels safe - not as a disorder, but as a survival strategy that made sense once and now keeps them stuck.
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You look like you have it all together - but inside, your nervous system is running on overdrive.
You're productive, reliable, and always prepared, but underneath that you're exhausted, overthinking every interaction, and struggling to actually rest or enjoy the present moment.
You might not even realize this is anxiety because you're still functioning - still showing up, still performing.
But the constant mental noise, the dread, the inability to slow down - that's not just "being type A." That's your nervous system stuck in survival mode and asking for internal safety.
Together, we'llslow down the spiral, identify what's driving the overdrive, and help your nervous system learn that it's safe to rest - without losing your edge or your ambition.
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Hypervigilance means your nervous system is constantly scanning - reading rooms, monitoring tones of voice, anticipating conflict, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
It's exhausting because you're always on guard even when you're technically safe.
This often develops in relational environments where you had to stay alert to survive - emotionally unpredictable caregivers, conflict-heavy homes, or relationships where you never quite knew where you stood.
Healing hypervigilance means teaching your nervous system that it's finally safe to soften.
Together, we'll work to regulate your nervous system, process the relational experiences that put it on high alert, and help you feel genuinely safe - in your body, in relationships, and in the world.
Learn more about hypervigilance and anxiety in relationships here.
Download my hypervigilance freebie guide for more on this and tools to regulate
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Perfectionism often looks like having it all together - being responsible, reliable, always pushing through. But underneath the success and high standards is usually a deep fear of failure, criticism, or not being enough.
You might:
Struggle to rest or slow down without feeling guilty
Overwork or over-give to feel worthy or in control
Avoid trying new things unless you know you’ll succeed
Beat yourself up for small mistakes
Feel like no matter how much you achieve, it’s never quite enough
Perfectionism is often rooted in early experiences where love, attention, or safety felt tied to performance or what you achieved.
Maybe you were praised for being the “easy one” or the high achiever. Maybe mistakes weren’t tolerated, emotions weren’t safe, or you were expected to hold it all together for everyone else.
Over time, this can lead to internalizing the belief that your worth depends on doing more, being better, never messing up.
Many perfectionists also experience high-functioning anxiety - that constant hum of tension, pressure, or urgency. You’re always bracing for something to go wrong or trying to stay three steps ahead, because slowing down feels unsafe.
This can be:
A nervous system stuck in a chronic stress response
An inner critic that keeps you in survival mode
A learned way of staying safe, accepted, or in control
Healing perfectionism isn’t about lowering your standards - it’s about softening the pressure, reconnecting with your humanity, and allowing yourself to be fully seen without the mask of constant achievement.
To learn more about perfectionism read here
To learn more about high functioning anxiety read here
To learn more about healing a harsh inner critic with mindfulness & self compassion, read here
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In our work together, we'll slow down and get curious about where these patterns started - not to stay stuck in the past, but to understand why your nervous system learned to work so hard.
I take a relational, attachment-focused approach and integrate multiple evidence-based modalities depending on what you need.
Together, we'll build an approach that feels right for you, moving at a pace that feels safe and supportive. You don't have to white-knuckle your way through anxiety anymore.
Talk therapy integrating mindfulness and self-compassion tools to help you develop a kinder, more grounded relationship with yourself
Somatic and nervous system work to help your body learn that it's safe to soften and slow down
Parts work/IFS to get curious about the inner critic, the perfectionist, and the part of you that's been working so hard to keep it all together
EMDR to process and reprocess the experiences that put your nervous system on high alert in the first place
All of this is held within a warm, relational, attachment-focused lens - because healing happens in the context of a safe, consistent relationship.
Signs Of Anxiety:
You live in your head, constantly overthinking, over-preparing, or jumping to the worst case
You feel overwhelmed by daily tasks, decisions, or social interactions and sometimes shut down and avoid them completely
You struggle to relax and rest - even when everything’s “fine” - you may be waiting for the other shoe to drop
You’re emotionally reactive, hyper-vigilant, or feel like you’re “too much” for others
Here’s what we’ll do together:
As an anxiety therapist, I want to help you feel calm, grounded, and more in control
We’'ll take a holistic approach to anxiety - looking at your thoughts, your body, your past experiences, your environment, and your nervous system as an integrated whole. That means we wont just manage symptoms - we’ll work with the root causes and look at all aspects of your life. This isn’t about pushing through or just thinking positively. It’s about creating lasting change from the inside out. We’ll explore the root of your anxiety with curiosity and compassion, not judgement.
Using trauma-informed nervous system care, ACT skills, somatic exercises, mindfulness and acceptance skills, relational safety, and/or EMDR we’ll help your body learn that it’s safe to soften, slow down, and learn how to stay present. You’ll develop tools to manage overwhelm, regulate your emotions, and rebuild trust in your ability to navigate life without constant tension. You don’t have to carry it all or pretend you’re fine anymore. This will be your space to feel supported, grounded, and genuinely at ease.
At the end of the day, I want you to know:
You don’t have to live in fight or flight forever. There is another way to be in the world - one where being grounded isn’t just a concept, but a felt experience. You deserve to feel safe, supported, and at home in your mind and body.
What we’ll work on
Imagine a life where…
You wake up without dread, and go to sleep without spiraling
You feel grounded, even when things don’t go as planned
You stop second-guessing yourself and start trusting your decisions
You create space for rest, joy, and presence - without guilt
You stop overanalyzing every interaction and start feeling more secure in your relationships
You let go of the need for control and become present
Let’s Work On This Together!
Questions?
FAQs
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If you’re the one who looks “put together” on the outside but feels constantly overwhelmed, restless, or panicked underneath - you might be experiencing high-functioning anxiety.
Common signs include:
Overthinking, second-guessing, or obsessing over how others perceive you
Difficulty relaxing or turning your brain “off,” even when things are going well
Chronic people-pleasing, perfectionism, or fear of disappointing others
Feeling like your mind is always racing or your body is always tense
Many of the clients I work with feel exhausted from trying to “keep it all together” - even if no one around them would guess they’re struggling. Anxiety therapy helps you understand the roots of your anxiety, unlearn survival patterns, and finally feel more grounded.
For more signs on what anxiety is and how to heal: read my blog here
For more on what high functioning anxiety and perfectionism is, read more here
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In addition to general talk therapy, evidence-based approaches like mindfulness and acceptance skills, somatic mind-body connecting, EMDR, and looking at your core belief system are highly effective for anxiety because they don’t just focus on managing thoughts - they also address how anxiety lives in the body.
I take a trauma-informed, holistic approach that helps you feel safe, grounded, and more in control long-term. When I say holistic, I mean the whole self. We will look at your symptoms, behaviors, physical sensations, support system, daily routines, environment, nutrition, and even spirituality if you are open to it. I will also incorporate elements of CBT like challenging your thought patterns, but only once we’ve established the mind-body connection and you are able to regulate your emotions.
I will also teach you mindfulness strategies to learn how to stay in the present and accept the moment as is.
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It might be! Many people experience chronic anxiety as a result of unresolved trauma, childhood neglect, or attachment wounds. If your anxiety feels intense, hard to explain, or rooted in deeper fears of failure or abandonment, trauma informed therapy can help address the real cause- not just the symptoms.
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Yes. Therapy can help slow down the constant racing thoughts, reduce all the noice and rumination, and feel more present. We’ll work together to calm your nervous system, quiet your inner critic, and develop tools that bring your mind and body into balance
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Stress is a natural response to a specific situation - like a deadline, a big life change, or a busy season. It usually fades once the situation passes.
Anxiety, on the other hand, tends to linger. It can show up even when nothing’s wrong, and it often feels out of proportion to what’s happening. It’s the overthinking, the spiraling, the constant “what ifs,” and the sense that something bad is about to happen - even if you can’t name what.
Some signs you might be dealing with anxiety (not just stress):
Racing thoughts or trouble focusing
Difficulty sleeping or relaxing
Physical symptoms like tension, nausea, or a tight chest
Avoiding things that feel overwhelming
A sense that you're always "on" or can’t ever fully rest
In anxiety therapy, we look at the root of your anxiety - including past experiences, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and nervous system patterns - and help you feel more calm, present, and in control again.
If you are interested in reading more about the differences between stress, overwhelm, and anxiety and approaches to manage each - read my blog here.
To learn the difference of high functioning anxiety and an anxiety disorder ready my blog here