Services
Online Anxiety Therapy in California
About You
Constantly worried about making a mistake, disappointing someone, or accidentally saying something “wrong?” Or maybe you find yourself overthinking conversations, checking for any small thing you might have missed. This can look like replaying situations in your head, triple or even quadruple-checking emails or texts before sending them, or re-reading messages after you’ve already sent them if someone doesn’t respond quickly enough.
These experiences are extremely common among high-achieving professionals who struggle with anxiety and perfectionism (or perfectionism-based anxiety). If this sounds like you, please know you’re not alone.
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health experiences worldwide. Many high performers experience it in ways that are subtle on the outside but exhausting internally.
If any of this resonates, you’re in the right place.
Who This Type of Therapy Is Especially Helpful For
High-achieving professionals often experience anxiety differently. It may show up as:
Overthinking or over-preparing
Difficulty resting without guilt
Feeling responsible for everything
Struggling to ask for help
Appearing calm, while internally managing constant tension
Tying self-worth to performance or productivity
You don’t need to be “falling apart” to benefit from therapy. You only need to notice that something isn’t working the way it used to.
If you recognize even one of these patterns, you’re exactly the kind of client I help.
Understanding the Roots of Anxiety
Anxiety, in and of itself, is a natural nervous system response in the body’s fight-or-flight mode. It arises when the body senses a threat to one’s safety. For example, if you’re crossing a busy street with oncoming traffic, your body naturally increases its stress response (cortisol levels) to help you stay alert and avoid harm. This is a normal survival response.
Sometimes, however, a person’s nervous system may become “stuck” in this survival mechanism. This can happen when the body hasn’t had an opportunity to return to a state of calm, such as when someone is in a constant environment with ongoing emotional or physical threats. This occurs quite often in environments we don’t have much control over, especially in early life.
For example, many high-achievers are raised in environments where there are expectations not just for achievements and accomplishments, but for overachievement. That means doing more than is even necessary or asked for. Sometimes things don’t feel enough, and you have to keep “perfecting” them. This is often done in an effort to protect oneself from painful emotional experiences such as shame, rejection, abandonment, and criticism.
When the nervous system becomes used to—or has heightened sensitivity to—these experiences, it can become stuck in survival mode. Feeling like you’re never doing enough is one way this can show up.
The good news is that therapy with a qualified mental health professional who understands anxiety and the body can help. Therapy can re-teach the body how to get out of hyperarousal mode and feel safe again. In other words, it can help the nervous system become “unstuck” from survival mode.
When Therapy May Be Beneficial
Signs and symptoms that suggest therapy may be helpful include:
Constant worry or rumination about mistakes or what others think
Difficulty concentrating or completing tasks due to anxious thoughts
Intrusive “what if” scenarios that replay repeatedly
Physical symptoms such as racing heart, shallow breathing, muscle tension, or trouble sleeping
Avoidance of situations that trigger anxiety
Perfectionism that interferes with daily functioning
Emotional exhaustion or irritability caused by persistent anxiety
Feeling stuck in worry or stress, unable to relax even in safe environments
Bottom line: If anxiety is now interfering with your daily functioning—at work, school, in relationships, or personal life—reaching out to a mental health professional may be beneficial.
Therapy doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment. Even beginning with a consultation can offer clarity and relief.
How Therapy Helps
There are different types of therapy that can support someone in managing and reducing anxious symptoms.
Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
This trauma-informed approach helps the body learn to become “unstuck.” It supports healing from early or recent experiences that contribute to anxiety by addressing their effects on the nervous system. Through bilateral stimulation, EMDR helps the nervous system return to balance and calm.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps clients recognize and evaluate thoughts and behaviors that contribute to anxiety. For example, you might think, “I’m a failure because I forgot to turn in an assignment.” CBT helps examine these thoughts, evaluate their accuracy, and find more balanced, healthy perspectives, often decreasing anxiety.
Mindfulness-Based Approaches
These approaches help you notice thoughts and feelings without labeling or judging them. This can be powerful, especially when anxious thoughts lead to additional anxiety or shame about having those feelings.
My Approach
My therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, and attuned to the pressures high-achievers carry. Many of my clients share that therapy becomes the one place where they don’t have to hold everything together. My goal is to create a space where you can slow down, feel supported, and build internal safety without feeling overwhelmed or judged. I also help clients fear less of “losing control,” so they can experience ease without feeling like everything will fall apart if they let go even a little.
Many high-achieving professionals experience anxiety alongside perfectionism, and I specialize in supporting clients navigating both. If perfectionism is a primary concern, I also offer targeted strategies and a dedicated approach, which you can learn more about here.
What to Expect in Therapy Sessions
In our work together, therapy may include EMDR, mindfulness, and CBT. When attended consistently, therapy for anxiety among high-achieving professionals can support meaningful changes, including:
Increased confidence and self-assurance (rather than depending on external validation)
Greater comfort with assertive communication and healthy boundary-setting
Improved emotional regulation, helping you feel safer, more grounded, and more connected to yourself
More flexibility in your expectations of yourself, easing the grip of a harsh inner critic
More resilience when facing stress or uncertainty
A felt sense of calm and clarity in everyday decisions
Working with a therapist who not only understands anxiety, but also understands the expectations and standards high-achieving professionals face, can be especially beneficial. Anxiety is common, but it can show up differently in high-achievers due to their unique responsibilities and internal pressures. Meeting with a therapist who specializes in high-achievement and perfectionism-related anxiety can create a more tailored and effective therapeutic experience.
We’ll move at a pace that feels safe, steady, and manageable — with clear steps so you know what to expect along the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does having anxiety mean there’s something wrong with me?
This is a very common misunderstanding. Anxiety often feels uncomfortable, leading to elevated cortisol levels, increased heart rate, shallow breathing, panic, and other physical sensations. These experiences are normal and natural—even when they feel uncomfortable.
Why see a therapist for anxiety if it’s a normal body response?
Therapy is beneficial—not mandatory—when anxiety symptoms start becoming less helpful than they were originally. For example, anxiety might initially improve alertness but later make it harder to focus. Mental health professionals are trained to understand how anxiety works in the body and can help bring more calm into your daily life.
Moving Away From Anxiety Can Be Peaceful
Anxiety can ease when you begin letting go of the pressure to always do more or be more. You deserve a space where you don’t have to carry everything alone — therapy can be that space.
I offer a complimentary phone consultation so you can ask questions, get a feel for my approach, and see whether therapy feels like a good fit.
To schedule an appointment to begin therapy for anxiety at Jessica V Therapy online, please fill out the contact form to schedule a complimentary phone consultation.