Anxiety Counseling in Cary, NC
Untangle the internal noise that’s keeping you stuck. Convenient sessions across NC, SC, VA, & MD.
You’re tired of your brain being your biggest critic.
You might not even call what you’re experiencing “anxiety,” but it’s definitely not “nothing.” There’s a persistent tension—a sense that no matter how thoughtful or prepared you are, it’s not quite enough. You’re stuck between knowing what you want and being too uncertain—or too self-critical—to go after it. Even when things are fine on the surface, your mind is already running the next scenario: what could go wrong, what you should’ve done differently, and what still needs fixing.
Even simple decisions often turn into internal debates. You hesitate to speak up, not because you don’t have ideas, but because you’re already preemptively managing how they might be received. From the outside, you probably seem steady or put together. But inside, there’s a constant hum of worry, self-doubt, and pressure. And truthfully, you’re fed up with how much energy it takes just to keep pretending you’re fine.
THIS MIGHT SOUND familiar…
You live in your head. Constant mental rehearsal, rumination, “checking” behavior, and worst-case scenario loops.
Every decision feels high-stakes. You’re overwhelmed by the idea of making the wrong call, so you stall.
You feel dread before your day even starts. Not because you hate your job, but because you’re exhausted trying to “get it right.”
Mistakes stay with you longer than you’d like. So even a simple error can leave you overthinking what it means about you.
You worry people are disappointed in you. Even without evidence, and even when they say otherwise.
You trust your own abilities. But the peace of mind never quite arrives.
MY APPROACH
At its core, anxiety is a misguided—but well-intentioned—attempt by your mind to keep you safe.
It tries to anticipate every risk, avoid every mistake, and prepare you for every possible outcome. But when it’s working overtime, what once felt protective starts to feel paralyzing. You’re left navigating a constant undercurrent of self-doubt, vigilance, and pressure—and often, you have no idea why it feels so hard to let go of.
This work is to help you understand what your anxiety is really trying to do—not just the surface-level worry, but the deeper fears beneath it.
For many clients, that fear is tied to being judged, failing, letting someone down, or losing control. And often, it's not the mistake itself that's intolerable, but what it represents: feeling exposed, incompetent, or fundamentally “not enough.”
Together, we make sense of those reactions by tracing them to the origin. Maybe it was a critical parent, a painful experience, or a job that made you feel replaceable. Maybe it’s nothing so obvious, just a lifetime of internalizing pressure and performing competence. Whatever your story, our work will help you stop treating your anxiety like a personal flaw and start seeing it as a habit your mind learned to survive.
We’ll look at what’s getting in the way—perfectionism, overthinking, avoidance—as well as the beliefs driving those patterns.
You’ll learn how to pause the inner monologue that tells you you’re not doing enough, or that something bad will happen if you don’t get it exactly right. This doesn’t come through pep talks or empty affirmations, but by understanding what those thoughts are trying to protect you from, and why they show up when they do.
And then we move into the transformative part of the work: applying new ways of relating to yourself, your fears, and your decisions in real-life situations. We’ll identify moments to practice these shifts in your day-to-day, so that meaningful, grounded change can actually take root—not because the fear is gone, but because you’re no longer ruled by it.
WHAT YOU CAN GAIN:
A clear understanding of why you feel anxious and what you can do to work with it
Relief from rumination, second-guessing, and fear-based decision-making
Greater tolerance for uncertainty, mistakes, and discomfort
Less self-criticism and internal policing, and more confidence in your judgment and instincts
The ability to recognize when anxiety is driving your choices and to respond from your values instead
The capacity to speak up, make decisions, and take action without waiting to feel “100% sure”
A stronger internal sense of worth that isn’t dependent on performance or external approval
Progress that actually feels meaningful—in work, relationships, and life
Anxiety thrives on uncertainty. Therapy restores your confidence.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Absolutely. I specialize in working with high-functioning people whose anxiety often flies under the radar. If your inner world feels hijacked by overthinking, self-doubt, and dread, therapy can help—even if no one else sees it.
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Yes. Patterns like chronic overthinking or indecision often come from deeply ingrained fears, but those patterns can shift. Through reflection, practice, and support, you’ll learn to relate to your anxiety differently and start moving through the world on your own terms.
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Yes, anxiety is part of being human. But when it stops being useful and starts interfering with your decisions, relationships, or ability to enjoy your life, it’s worth paying attention to. If you find yourself constantly second-guessing, stuck in overthinking loops, or avoiding things that matter to you, that’s not just “normal stress,” it’s something we can work on. Therapy helps you sort out what’s actually protective from what’s just getting in your way.
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Insight is important, but it’s not always enough. A big part of our work is helping you bridge the gap between knowing and doing. That might mean building tolerance for discomfort, shifting the stories you tell yourself, or practicing new behaviors even when they’re unfamiliar. You don’t have to figure it all out before you take a step. In therapy, we’ll take those steps together.