Therapy for Anxiety and Perfectionism in Boulder, CO
From the outside, you have it together. You meet deadlines, carry real responsibility, and people count on you. On the inside, there is a steady hum of dread, a fourth rewrite of an email no one will scrutinize, and a finish line that moves the moment you reach it. Rest feels unearned. Praise doesn’t land. And there is the voice of an inner critic that never seems satisfied and keeps raising the bar.
What This Can Look Like
• Anxiety that runs in the background even when things are going well
• Over-preparing, rechecking, or rewriting long past the point it helps
• Trouble resting, celebrating a win, or ever feeling “done”
• Procrastination that is really a fear of not getting it right
• Dread of feedback, mistakes, or being found out (and praise that somehow makes it worse)
• Tension, poor sleep, or a body that never fully powers down
People often call this high-functioning anxiety. That is not a formal diagnosis, but the exhaustion is real and it frequently overlaps with anxiety conditions that therapy can help. Perfectionism is not a diagnosis either. It is a pattern of relentless standards and harsh self-judgment and it tends to feed anxiety and be fed by it. If you want to see how that cycle works, I wrote about the exhausting math of perfectionism.
Your Inner Critic Is Trying to Help
Your inner critic did not appear out of nowhere. It likely developed to protect you: to keep you sharp, to help you meet expectations that felt enormous, to spare you from failure or rejection. It worked, which is part of why it is so hard to put down. Somewhere along the way it stopped acting like a coach and started acting like a tyrant.
How I Work
I bring a direct approach that understands the challenges of working in a high pressure, high functioning environment. I will help you identify the values which matter most to you and explore how the constant worry and high standards may be moving you away from those values. I draw largely on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), along with elements of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
Together, we will:
• Explore your values and understand how the stories our mind tells us may actually move us away from those values
• Practice holding anxious thoughts more lightly so they inform you without steering you away from what you value (more on that in When Thoughts Feel Like Monsters)
• Build practical skills for the moments when stress spikes
• Act on what matters to you
Why I Understand This Environment
I practiced law for more than thirty years in a profession that rewards precision, preparation, and never being caught unready. I well understand the toll of working in a constant state of stress and hypervigilance where every day brings a new deadline and deliverable. I also know how thoroughly a high-pressure career can train a person to constantly set an unreachable bar.
Who I Work With
High performing adults who look composed and feel depleted, across many professions including attorneys, healthcare providers, executives, academics, engineers, and entrepreneurs. You do not need to be in crisis. Chronic exhaustion, disrupted sleep, frayed family relationships, and a constant background of self-criticism are reasons enough to talk to someone.
What to Expect
I offer in-person sessions in Boulder and telehealth throughout Colorado. We begin with a free 15-minute consultation, a relaxed conversation to see whether working together feels right. I am in network with several major insurance plans (see accepted insurance), can provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement, and have a limited number of sliding scale spots.
Questions People Ask
Is high-functioning anxiety a real diagnosis?
It is not a formal diagnostic term, but the experience it describes is real. Many people who use it are dealing with symptoms that overlap with diagnosable anxiety and therapy can help whether or not a label applies.
Will therapy make me less effective?
That is a common fear and it is a fair one. The work is aimed at your relationship with pressure and self-criticism. The goal is to keep what is good about your drive and loosen what is costing you.
What is the difference between anxiety and perfectionism?
Anxiety is fear and worry about what might go wrong. Perfectionism is a pattern of unrelenting standards paired with harsh self-judgment. They overlap and reinforce each other and I treat them together.
I am functioning fine. Is this worth it?
You do not need a crisis. If you are performing well while feeling exhausted, dreading feedback, or never feeling done, that is enough reason to have a conversation.
Do you offer telehealth?
Yes, throughout Colorado, along with in-person sessions in Boulder.
Related Reading
• The Exhausting Math of Perfectionism
• When Thoughts Feel Like Monsters
• Managing the Anxious Perfectionist on Your Team
You’ve Spent Enough Time Being Hard on Yourself
If you would like to talk, I offer a free 15-minute consultation. No pressure, no commitment, just a conversation.