Common Reasons People Seek Therapy
People come to therapy for many reasons. You don’t need a specific diagnosis to benefit from this work — the process is about understanding what’s getting in the way of the life you want and building strategies that genuinely support lasting change.
Below are some common concerns I help clients with:
Anxiety & Chronic Worry
Anxiety can show up as persistent worry, overthinking, or feeling on edge even when life “looks fine.” Many people with anxiety are highly capable and responsible, but feel exhausted by their own minds. I regularly work with people experiencing panic attacks, chronic worry, obsessive or intrusive thoughts, compulsive behaviors, and specific fears or phobias. Using evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, we help you notice patterns that fuel anxiety, build tools for calm and clarity, and develop ways to respond with more flexibility and confidence. Over time, this work can help anxiety take up less space in your life.
Depression & Low Mood
Feeling weighed down, flat, or like nothing quite sparks you can make everyday life harder than it should be. Therapy helps you notice the patterns that keep low mood in place and supports you in rebuilding energy, interest, and a sense of what matters. Together we focus on shifting unhelpful thinking and habits while strengthening skills that support resilience and a more engaged life.
This work supports people experiencing situational or recurrent depression, as well as a low-grade, persistent sense of low mood. In therapy, we work actively to identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns—especially repetitive, ruminative loops—while making changes that increase engagement, structure, and a sense of meaning. The focus is on building durable skills that strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to future depressive episodes.
Trauma & Chronic Stress
After overwhelming or stressful experiences, your body and mind may stay in survival mode long after the danger has passed. These responses are understandable adaptations, not signs of weakness or failure. Therapy offers a structured, supportive way to reduce avoidance, process difficult experiences, and build a greater sense of safety, agency, and emotional steadiness.
I work with trauma- and stress-related concerns using evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). CPT focuses on how traumatic experiences can shape beliefs about safety, trust, responsibility, and control, and how these patterns may continue to affect thoughts, emotions, and behavior long after the event has passed. Treatment is collaborative and paced with care, with an emphasis on reducing avoidance, building emotional regulation skills, and helping you regain a sense of stability, agency, and confidence in your daily life.
Life Transitions & Identity Questions
Life transitions—such as career changes, shifts in relationships, becoming a parent, health changes, or questioning long-held roles or beliefs—can bring uncertainty, grief, and self-doubt. Even changes that are chosen or positive can disrupt a sense of stability or identity. In therapy, we work to make sense of these transitions, clarify your values, and identify what feels meaningful and sustainable moving forward. I use evidence-based, insight-oriented and skills-based approaches to help clients navigate uncertainty, build confidence in decision-making, and move through change with greater clarity, flexibility, and self-trust.
Perfectionism, Burnout & Self-Criticism
High standards can feel like a strength, yet also create relentless internal pressure and chronic stress. In therapy, we work to understand the role perfectionism plays in your life, and develop more flexible, sustainable ways of responding to stress and expectations. Using evidence-based cognitive and mindfulness-informed approaches, therapy helps clients reduce unhelpful thinking patterns, build self-compassion, and create ways of working and living that support both effectiveness and well-being—without relying on constant self-pressure.
Emotional Regulation & Mood Shifts
Intense or rapidly shifting emotions can be exhausting and get in the way of healthy relationships and daily functioning. You may notice emotions escalate quickly, linger longer than you’d like, or lead to behaviors you later regret—especially in the context of close relationships. These patterns are often deeply ingrained and can be exhausting to live with, but they are not a personal failing.
In therapy, we focus on understanding emotional patterns, increasing awareness of triggers, and developing practical skills to help you respond more thoughtfully, rather than react impulsively. Drawing from evidence-based, skills-focused and mindfulness-informed approaches, therapy helps build greater emotional stability, improve distress tolerance, and create emotional balance, which helping you build a more steady and satisfying relationship with yourself and others.
Insomnia and Sleep Problems
Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early can take a real toll on mood, focus, and overall well-being. Sleep problems are often intertwined with stress, anxiety, depression, or life transitions—and over time, worries about sleep itself can make the problem worse. Therapy can help address both the underlying factors and the patterns that keep insomnia going, using practical, evidence-based strategies tailored to your needs.
Relationship Concerns
Whether conflicts feel repetitive, communication feels stuck, or connection feels distant, relationship struggles can affect your overall well-being. In couples therapy, we focus on understanding relational patterns, improving communication, and rebuilding trust, compassion, and emotional connection. Drawing from the Gottman Method and evidence-based, communication-focused approaches, therapy is collaborative, with an emphasis on strengthening understanding, empathy, and resilience within the relationship.
If you don’t see your specific concern listed here, that doesn’t mean therapy wouldn’t be helpful. Feel free to reach out to discuss what you’re experiencing.