Therapy for High-Achievers Struggling with Social Anxiety, Low Self-Esteem, and Emotional Sensitivity in Atlanta, Georgia
Silence the inner critic, find inner peace,
Anxiety and emotional sensitivity don’t have to get in the way of you living your life to the fullest.
Does it feel like you constantly struggle with:
- Rarely feeling confident enough to put yourself out there or do what you want due to the fear of how you’ll be perceived or even fear of risking failure?
- Finding yourself worrying about being ‘too much,’ ‘too sensitive,’ or just not enough?
- Do you often find yourself feeling like you’re tiptoeing to avoid inconveniencing others, not upsetting anyone, and fearing you may be coming across as bothersome?
- Do you have a limited social circle because you can’t muster the confidence and assertiveness to put yourself out there and allow yourself to trust others?
- Are you constantly getting lost in your thoughts, replaying past interactions and possible missteps, stuck wondering about the impression you leave on others, or getting stuck in loops of what you should have done?
You may notice that you have strong people-pleasing behaviors that you find yourself needing to be useful or contribute in some way so that others not only want you around but want to keep you around.
You avoid putting yourself out there due to the fear of risking embarrassment, humiliation, or being seen as inadequate or incompetent. Due to these avoidant behaviors, you have poor boundaries, fear turning anyone down, and feel the need to always be there more for others than yourself, because you instinctually put everyone’s needs and wants above your own. You’re tired of hearing people call you “shy” or call you an introvert when honestly if you’ve had the courage, you would be more of an extrovert/ambivert. You’re burned out of being trapped inside of your head overthinking and overanalyzing everything.
You deserve to feel seen, heard, and accepted.
When you feel overwhelmed with “thought spirals,” overthinking, and stress it’s difficult to see anything beyond the “what if” and “should haves.” It’s exhausting to not really be who you are because you’ve never been able to give yourself the chance to discover that as you’ve spent more time being a chameleon and keeping your head down. You want to get rid of the internal expectation that just being aware of someone else’s pain or struggles obligates you to be the one to fix it. You see others be themselves so effortlessly, yet you question everything you do and say. You want to be the real you without the fear of failure, embarrassment, and rejection guiding your every move.
As a “recovered” sensitive-overachieving woman of color, I intimately understand your struggles, and as a trained therapist, I have the skills to create an empowering place for you to heal and gain confidence. We’ll dig into the root cause of your anxiety and fears to address it at its source rather than just the superficial and temporary. You’ll learn new ways to feel more connected and closer to others without needing constant reassurance that people do like you and enjoy your company. You’ll learn coping skills and problem-solving skills to not only how to respond, but also how to lean in and handle situations that may create anxiety or fear. You’ll learn effective strategies for managing and regulating emotions to deal with overwhelming feelings and anxiety. You’ll gain acceptance that sensitivity is not a weakness, but rather a unique trait with its own set of strengths. Collaboratively we’ll identify your strengths and values to build resilience and a positive mindset and separate your voice from the voices of others who have led you to believe how you should think, act, think, and do based on their fears and ideals.
Self-Esteem & Emotional Sensitivity Therapy can help you:
- Let go of “inherited shame” or guilt.
- Get increased self-esteem and boost confidence.
- Develop a more compassionate and forgiving sense of self.
- Move from ‘emotional caretaking’ to genuine compassion.
- Build resilience and adaptability by increasing emotional regulation skills.
- Learn to like yourself by being more of the person you want to be.
- Ability to be open and be present for new experiences due to an increase in self-awareness.
You do not have to deny yourself a life that is fulfilling for the sake of being liked by everyone. Stop trying to fix what’s not broken. What if instead, you drew on your strengths and values to show yourself more self-love and care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! As someone who also identifies as an HSP myself I can personally relate to the experiences and difficulties.
This form of counseling can help an HSP with:
- Emotional Regulation: HSPs often experience intense emotions. Therapy can help teach effective strategies for managing and regulating emotions. This includes developing coping skills and mindfulness to deal with overwhelming feelings and anxiety.
- Self-Acceptance: Therapy can assist HSPs in accepting and embracing their sensitivity as a natural part of who they are. It can help you recognize that sensitivity is not a weakness but rather a strength.
- Setting Boundaries: HSPs may struggle with setting and maintaining healthy boundaries due to their empathy and desire to please others. Therapy can assist with establishing boundaries that protect your emotional well-being while still maintaining healthy relationships.
- Stress Management: HSPs are more susceptible to stress and overstimulation. Therapy can provide techniques and strategies for managing stress, including relaxation exercises, mindfulness, and stress-reduction techniques.
- Communication Skills: Highly sensitive people may find it challenging to express their needs and emotions in relationships and friendships. Therapy can improve their communication skills, helping you articulate your feelings and needs more effectively.
- Building Resilience: Therapy can assist HSPs in developing resilience and adaptability to manage life’s challenges more effectively. This includes developing problem-solving skills and a positive solution-focused mindset.
- Self-Understanding: Therapy offers a safe space for self-reflection and exploration. HSPs can gain a deeper understanding of their own thought patterns, triggers, trauma, and past experiences that may contribute to their sensitivity.
- Relationships: Highly sensitive individuals may face unique challenges in their relationships. Therapy can help navigate these challenges, improve relationship dynamics, and build healthier connections with others.
- Goal Achievement: Many HSPs have ambitious goals but may struggle with self-doubt or fear of failure. Therapy can provide support and guidance in setting and achieving personal and professional goals.
- Coping Strategies: You’ll learn a range of coping strategies, including grounding techniques, self-soothing methods, and cognitive-behavioral approaches, to manage the challenges associated with heightened sensitivity.
Yes, this form of counseling can help individuals who have difficulty with public speaking, test anxiety, attending social events, making friends, meeting new people, interacting in everyday situations, or have been previously diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, trauma reactions, or specific phobias. Common signs of anxiety may include excessive worry, restlessness, racing thoughts, muscle tension, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, nausea and digestive issues, low mood, avoidance, or shortness of breath. You may be aware (or unaware) of your triggers and negative thoughts problems but have not been successful with coping skills and relaxation.
You may participate in various approaches such as: Rational Emotive-Behavioral Therapy (REBT), Exposure Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Somatic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Narrative Therapy, or Schema Therapy. The approach used will depend on your specific needs and preferences.
Based on your needs and preferences medication may be considered as part of your treatment plan, especially if your anxiety is severe. However, at this location we do not prescribe medication as a psychiatrist or medical doctor typically prescribes it. The decision will be made collaboratively with you, your therapist, and medical provider so that you may make the most informed decision.