Frequently Asked Questions
Simple answers to frequent questions

If you're a highly driven woman, you might often feel overwhelmed by the demands of your work and personal life. Here are some symptoms and pain points that indicate you could benefit from therapy:

Symptoms and Pain Points:

• Constant Worrying: You frequently worry about meeting expectations, making mistakes, or not being good enough. This can lead to sleepless nights and constant anxiety.
• Perfectionist Tendencies: You set impossibly high standards for yourself and feel immense pressure to meet them. Any perceived failure can trigger intense self-criticism and shame.
• Fear of Failure: The thought of failing or being seen as less competent terrifies you, which can paralyze your decision-making and hinder your progress.
• People-Pleasing: You have a hard time saying no and often put others' needs before your own, leading to exhaustion and resentment.
• Imposter Syndrome: Despite your achievements, you often feel like a fraud and worry that others will eventually see through your facade.
• Burnout: Constant striving for perfection and managing high levels of stress can lead to burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, detachment, and a sense of ineffectiveness.
• Difficulty Relaxing: You find it challenging to unwind and enjoy your free time, as you’re constantly thinking about your to-do list or the next goal to achieve.
• Self-Doubt: You regularly question your abilities and worth, which can undermine your confidence and self-esteem.

Impact on Relationships:

• Strained Relationships: Your high standards and constant need for approval can put a strain on relationships with loved ones, friends, and colleagues. You might expect others to meet the same high standards you set for yourself, leading to conflicts and misunderstandings.
• Emotional Unavailability: Anxiety and perfectionism can make it difficult to be emotionally present in your relationships. You may find it hard to open up, share your feelings, or be vulnerable with others.
• Resentment: Constant people-pleasing and putting others' needs before your own can lead to feelings of resentment towards those around you, damaging your relationships over time.
• Communication Issues: Fear of failure and self-doubt can hinder effective communication. You might avoid difficult conversations, leading to unresolved issues and tension in your relationships.

Providing Hope Through Therapy:

Therapy offers a supportive and non-judgmental environment to address these challenges. Here’s how it can help:

• Understanding Root Causes: Therapy helps you explore and understand the underlying causes of your anxiety and perfectionism, giving you insight into why you feel and behave the way you do.
• Developing Coping Strategies: You’ll learn practical tools and techniques to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and cope with the pressures of perfectionism. This can include mindfulness practices, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and relaxation techniques.
• Building Self-Compassion: Therapy encourages you to be kinder to yourself, helping you replace self-criticism with self-compassion. This shift can significantly improve your emotional well-being and resilience.
• Setting Realistic Goals: Together with your therapist, you’ll work on setting achievable and realistic goals, allowing you to celebrate your progress and reduce the pressure of perfectionism.
• Improving Work-Life Balance: Therapy can guide you in finding a healthier balance between your professional and personal life, ensuring you have time for self-care and relaxation.
• Strengthening Boundaries: You’ll learn how to set and maintain healthy boundaries, making it easier to say no and prioritize your own needs without guilt.
• Boosting Confidence: Through therapy, you can build a stronger sense of self-worth and confidence, helping you overcome imposter syndrome and believe in your abilities.
• Enhancing Relationships: Therapy can improve your relationships by helping you develop better communication skills, emotional availability, and understanding. You’ll learn to navigate conflicts, express your needs, and connect more deeply with others.
• Preventing Burnout: By addressing the root causes of your stress and perfectionism, therapy helps you develop healthier habits and routines, reducing the risk of burnout.

Investing in therapy can empower you to manage anxiety, overcome perfectionism, and foster self-belief, helping you thrive in both your personal and professional life while improving your relationships.

Therapy can be a game-changer for a super busy people struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, and self-doubt. It provides a dedicated space to unpack these feelings, offering strategies to manage stress, address perfectionist tendencies, and build self-confidence.

Imagine having a safe haven to vent, reflect, and gain new perspectives without judgment. Therapy helps you understand the root causes of your anxiety and self-doubt, empowering you to make meaningful changes. It’s not about fixing you—because you’re not broken—but about supporting you in becoming the best version of yourself.

Online therapy shines here, offering flexibility to fit sessions into your packed schedule. You can connect with your therapist from anywhere, making it easier to consistently prioritize your mental health. Being in your own space can make opening up easier, leading to more honest and productive sessions.

Investing in therapy, especially online, is a powerful step towards managing anxiety, overcoming perfectionism, and fostering self-belief, helping you thrive in both your personal and professional life.

Clients often tell me they feel understood and appreciate that I "get" the high-stress world they deal with daily. My previous work experience working for technology companies in the Silcon Valley makes me uniquely suited to support them. My clients don't have to spend time explaining why things are the way they are and defending their approach. I validate their drive and goals, while working with them to do it in a less punishing and self defeating way. I am passioinate about supporting women in feeling empowered, strong and heard.

If this sounds like what you're looking for, I'd love to be part of your journey. Let's work together to create the life you want, filled with confidence, authenticity, and a renewed sense of purpose.

I understand the frustration of trying therapy before and not feeling like it made a difference. It can be discouraging, especially when you're dealing with issues like perfectionism and anxiety that feel so deeply ingrained.

Have you ever wondered if working with a therapist who really "gets" the high-pressure world you live in could make a difference? Someone who has both clinical expertise and first-hand experience navigating those intense workplace cultures?

I'm curious, what was your experience with therapy in the past? What felt like it was missing or didn't quite click? I'd be happy to explore how my personalized, action-oriented approach could potentially provide the support you're looking for this time around.

I get it, those "just breathe" therapists can be so frustrating, right? How have you felt when therapists in the past have given you those kinds of generic coping strategies without really understanding your unique challenges?

What kinds of active, skills-based approaches are you hoping to find in a therapist this time around? What would you find most helpful - someone who rolls up their sleeves and works collaboratively with you to tackle problems, or more of a listener-only approach?

What are some of the specific issues around perfectionism and anxiety that you're hoping to address in our work together? I'd love to hear more about what that looks like in your day-to-day life.

And I'm curious, what made you decide it was time to try therapy again? What are you hoping will be different this time?

I can sense you're feeling a lot of pressure to keep working hard. As someone who used to be in your shoes, I totally get it. The drive to succeed and achieve can be exhilarating, but it can also lead to burnout if we're not careful.

I'm curious, what's motivating you to work so much? Is it a need to prove yourself, a fear of failure, or something else? I'd love to understand where that drive is coming from, because I think getting to the root of it could really help.

You know, I used to think that the more I worked, the more accomplished I'd feel. But I realized that true fulfillment comes from finding balance and taking care of myself, too. Have you considered ways you could build in more rest and relaxation? Even small things like taking regular breaks, getting enough sleep, or doing an activity you enjoy could make a big difference.

I'm not here to lecture you or tell you to stop working altogether. I just want to encourage you to explore what true success looks like for you, and to make sure you're nurturing all aspects of your well-being, not just your career. You've got this, and I'm happy to brainstorm strategies that could help you find a healthier rhythm. What do you think?

When you sign up, we will schedule an Intake: The intake is a 75-minute session in which I will go in depth to get a sense of who you are, what you are struggling with and what strengths and resiliency factors you bring to the table. I want to get a sense of how we can work together to get you to where you want to be.

After your intake, we will start Therapy Sessions: Therapy is typically for weekly 50-minute sessions. Our weekly sessions are an important way for us to gain momentum on reaching your goals. As you make progress, we can talk about moving our sessions to every other week or monthly sessions if that seems more appropriate.

Let’s schedule a free consultation, we can get to know each other and discuss the challenges that you are facing. I can answers any questions that you have. In this session, we will talk about whether we are a good fit and if we are, how we can best work together. If it's determined by either party that we aren't, I will work to provide a referral that might be more appropriate.

My practice is private pay only. Some insurance companies will provide "out of network" coverage for telemental health counseling services.  When using out of network benefits you pay for your therapy session out of pocket at the time of service.  The therapist then provides you with a superbill to submit to your insurance company.  A superbill is a receipt for therapy services which includes on it; a diagnosis, length of session, and information about the provider. For more information on Pricing click here.

I collect credit card information to be run after each session. A missed appointment, without providing at least 24 hours’ notice, will be billed at the full fee rate. To find out more about Pricing click here.

I offer low fee services through the Open Path Collective. I have a limited number of slots. I keep a waitlist for those slots, which run $50-60 per session. The rest of my slots are full fee.

At Grit and Grace, your privacy and safety are always the first consideration. I go to great lengths to ensure that you and your data are always kept safe and confidential. My technology is fully HIPAA compliant and your safety is my #1 priority.

At this time I am only providing online therapy services.  With online therapy, no more parking, travel time, and worrying about what to wear. You can do it on your lunch break, your work from home day or in your pajamas. You can do it anywhere! You can keep the same therapist if you tend to relocate frequently (within California or overseas) and you can have access to an English-speaking therapist even if you live in a foreign country. To find out more information about online services click here.

Yes, research shows that online therapy can be just as effective as in-person sessions for many issues, including anxiety, perfectionism, and self-doubt. The key is finding a therapist who understands your specific challenges and goals.