Therapy for anxiety & perfectionism in Hickory, NC
You know how to get things done. You just don't know how to stop carrying it all.
Your calendar is full, but your tank is empty.
It feels like you have to be “on” all the time, even when you’re exhausted. Because you’re known as the “responsible one,” the “it girl,” or the “boss,” the pressure to do everything right doesn’t ever let up. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve accomplished, you feel behind in life because you move the bar once you reach it. The level of excellence you’ve striven for has always been rewarded—so why would you want to slow down?
You're starting to realize this isn't just anxiety. It's the exhausting cycle of constantly trying to earn relief, rest, or a sense that you've finally done enough. And when you finally lie down at night, the mental noise of what’s still to-do and what’s not done makes it hard to get any sleep. You’re starting to feel like living this way is no longer sustainable—but you’ve been doing it for so long you’re not even sure what living differently would look like.
You probably…
Tie your sense of worth to how well you perform—and feel a rush of shame when you fall short, even if no one else notices.
Hold yourself (and sometimes others) to all-or-nothing standards that leave little room for mistakes or grace.
Procrastinate on important tasks because if you can’t do it perfectly, starting feels pointless.
Use rules, routines, and structure to keep life from unraveling—and feel unsettled when things don’t go according to plan.
Find yourself snapping at your partner or kids when the pressure builds, then feeling guilty afterward.
Struggle to let something go until it’s fully resolved, even when it’s costing you sleep, energy, or peace.
how i can help
Let’s figure out how anxiety and perfectionism have helped you get this far—and what will help you grow even further.
You may have already read the books, learned the coping skills, practiced the breathing exercises, and gained plenty of insight into your patterns. Yet somehow, you still find yourself stuck in the same cycle. Those can help—but if we don’t get a clear thumbprint on what’s driving the cycle you’re stuck in, you end up managing surface-level symptoms instead of healing the source. In our work, we focus on three questions: Why are these patterns showing up, what is the root of the issue, and how do we approach this in a way that fits your real life?
When we’re addressing anxiety, “why” could include hormones, iron deficiency, the way your brain is wired, childhood wounds, or years of being rewarded for being the responsible one. Instead of diagnosing you with something and checking off a list of what “should” work, we look at the full picture of what shaped you and go from there. This is experiential work, meaning we don’t just talk about your patterns, I help you notice what’s happening inside you in real time so you can choose to respond differently.
Each session starts with asking you: What are your best hopes for our time today? You’re always in the driver’s seat, which means we go at your pace and collaborate—with me as your navigator and mirror, helping you see how you got here and how to get where you want to go.
TOGETHER WE’LL WORK ON
Learning to notice what would normally bait you into an anxiety spiral (without letting it hook you).
You’ll begin recognizing when anxiety is pulling you into overthinking or worst-case rehearsing—and pause before it takes over, noticing the urge without automatically reacting. Anxiety may still visit, but it won’t dominate your day.
As you gain confidence taking charge of your own choices, they’ll start to reflect your core values more and more. With practice, it will get easier to respond intentionally in high-stress situations instead of reacting from a place of overwhelm. Over time, you’ll feel less concerned with looking composed and more focused on being honest about what you actually need.
Responding from your values instead of your anxiety.
Healing the root of your anxiety and perfectionism so you can make changes that stick.
We’ll address the full picture of what’s driving your anxiety, the blueprint you learned to live from in childhood, and heal that inner child who’s still waiting to hear she’s enough. Then, the changes you make won’t be relying on willpower alone—they’ll be aligned with every part of you and last for the long run.
Living in a way that lets you be present with the people you love.
You’ll finally be able to get a good night’s rest because your mind isn’t running through unfinished tasks the second your head hits the pillow. You can enjoy time with your family without your thoughts being preoccupied by something you did or said at work. Instead of living in a state of constant urgency, you’ll get to experience moments of simply being.
WHAT IF YOU WERE ALREADY ENOUGH?
You don’t have to earn your place in your own life.
faqs
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Many of my clients come in with strong awareness and a long list of tools. Instead of adding more, we slow down and get a clear picture of what’s driving the cycle in the first place. When we address the drivers, the tools you already know how to use start working more effectively.
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That’s important information, and I have a lot of experience (including personally) working with these factors. We take into account sleep, hormones, chronic illness, nutrition, and how your brain works as part of the full picture of your life. Anxiety rarely exists in isolation, and I don’t treat it that way.
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When I talk about perfectionism, I’m not just referring to having high standards. I’m talking about the internal pressure that says your worth, safety, or belonging depends on getting things “right.” It often shows up as all-or-nothing thinking, procrastination fueled by fear of not doing something perfectly, difficulty delegating, and feeling a rush of shame when you fall short of your own expectations.
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Knowing what to do and being able to do it are not always the same thing. Many people already understand their patterns intellectually, yet still find themselves stuck in them. Therapy helps us understand the emotional, relational, and nervous system factors that make change feel difficult so you can move beyond insight into lasting change.
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I take an integrative approach, which means I pull from several evidence-based therapies depending on what fits you best. We may use “parts work” to understand the different sides of you that feel driven or overwhelmed, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you relate differently to anxious thoughts, and attachment-focused work to explore how early relationships shaped your standards and self-expectations. We also pay attention to your nervous system and your body, so you can actually feel better in your day-to-day life.
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Through parts work, we’ll get curious about the part of you that sets the bar impossibly high and the part that shuts down when it feels overwhelmed. Instead of trying to silence them, we’ll work to understand what they’re protecting. This understanding allows the part to feel heard and puts you back in the driver’s seat of the decision-making process.
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You might start to notice anxious thoughts without getting completely absorbed by them. You may feel less pressure around making the “right” decisions, feel like you can rest without having to “earn” it first, and begin responding intentionally in alignment with your values. We’ll celebrate every micro-win together along the way, so you can notice your progress in real time.
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As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I have extensive training in trauma-informed therapies, Internal Family Systems (also known as IFS or “parts work”), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Brainspotting, and integrative mental health. My approach is biopsychosocial, which means I consider not just your thoughts and behaviors, but also your nervous system, hormones, sleep, chronic health concerns, and the developmental experiences that shaped your blueprint for coping.
I’ve also pursued additional training in women’s mental health, functional nutrition for mental health, polyvagal theory, and complex trauma—because anxiety and perfectionism rarely exist in isolation. And personally, I know what it’s like to wrestle with over-functioning and pushing through. I bring both professional expertise and lived understanding to our work, so we can move beyond surface-level symptom management and create real, lasting change.
Ready to get started?