Anxiety Therapist Chicago, IL
You just want to feel like yourself again.
Something feels “off,” and you can’t seem to figure out what’s going on.
Every day it feels like you’re walking on eggshells around others.
At night, your thoughts spiral out of control, thinking of the worst-case scenarios and beating yourself up:
"Why can’t I just get it together?"
"Why does it feel like nothing I do is ever enough?
You compare yourself to others, wondering why they seem to float through life while you feel like you’re quietly drowning.
At work, imposter syndrome creeps in…you’re convinced you’re one mistake away from losing everything you’ve worked so hard for.
This isn’t new. You’ve spent years tiptoeing around others, wondering where you stand, terrified of being rejected or abandoned. Overexplaining to not be misunderstood.
You’ve learned to rely only on yourself, even if you have a supportive partner, even if you have friends who care. You don’t want to be a burden to everyone else.
And now, you’re realizing that this way of living is costing you. It’s costing you your peace, your confidence, and the kind of relationships you truly want.
Giving anxiety the space to speak without fear
Hi, I’m Shirley!
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois
If you've spent your life taking care of everyone else, you know what it feels like to wear a mask in public: performing, managing how others see you, and quietly exhausting yourself in the process.
You don’t have to keep performing. You don’t have to prove your worth.
Therapy with me is a space where you can finally exhale. We move at your pace, with consent, courage, and collaboration being at the center. If you’ve spent years not feeling safe to advocate for yourself, the last thing you need is another space that pressures you to perform. There is no expectation to share when you’re not ready.
Clients often describe our sessions as cathartic, a place where they feel truly seen, often for the first time in a long time. Together we work to understand the different parts of you that carry anxiety, depression, anger, fear, and all of the uncomfortable emotions that you were taught to push down growing up. Think of it like building a puzzle, slowly and intentionally, one piece at a time.
Over time, you'll find yourself speaking up in rooms where you used to go quiet, leaning on people instead of carrying everything alone, and building a life that actually reflects what you need and what you won't accept anymore.
Many notice meaningful shifts after just a few sessions, toward self-confidence, self-compassion, and a kind of emotional relief they didn't think was possible for them.
You will no longer betray yourself again
Over time, you’ll notice yourself…
Trusting your intuition (and your body’s signals) when you feel unsafe in relationships
Taking off the mask and advocating for what you need
Catching self-sabotage before it takes over, and choosing yourself instead
Focusing on what actually brings you joy instead of measuring yourself against others
"I learned to trust myself and my body's signals to spot abusive behaviors within months, instead of years."
FAQs for Anxiety Therapy in Chicago, IL
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Self-sabotage anxiety often shows up as holding yourself back, staying quiet, or second-guessing your needs, even when you know something is not right. These patterns are usually learned over time as a way to stay safe in relationships or environments where your needs were not fully supported.
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Yes. Many clients come to therapy to better understand their patterns in relationships, learn how to communicate their needs, and build boundaries that feel clear and respectful. This often includes healing from past relationship experiences that made it difficult to speak up or trust yourself.
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That is more common than you might think. If you spent years focusing on others, it can feel unfamiliar to turn inward. Therapy gives you space to slowly reconnect with your emotions, preferences, and instincts so you can begin to understand what you need and want.
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Feeling guilty when you speak up for yourself often comes from what you learned growing up about being a “good” person. If you were expected to stay quiet or take care of others, expressing your needs may have felt unsafe.
This is a common part of self-sabotage anxiety. The guilt is not a sign that you are doing something wrong, it is a learned response. In therapy, we work on helping you understand where it comes from and feel more comfortable expressing your needs.
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Struggling with boundaries often comes from learning early on that your role was to keep the peace or take care of others. Saying no, disagreeing, or expressing your needs may have felt uncomfortable or even unsafe.
Over time, this can turn into patterns of people-pleasing and self-sabotage anxiety, where you ignore your own needs to avoid guilt or conflict. In therapy, we work on helping you understand these patterns and build boundaries that feel clear, steady, and respectful.
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If you are used to relationships that felt unpredictable or one-sided, a healthy relationship can feel unfamiliar. You might notice overthinking or waiting for something to go wrong.
This is another way self-sabotage anxiety can show up. It does not mean the relationship is wrong, it means your system is adjusting. Therapy helps you feel more at ease with safety, connection, and trust.
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Therapy helps you understand the patterns behind your self-sabotage anxiety, including where they come from and how they show up in your relationships.
Together, we focus on building emotional awareness, learning to regulate difficult feelings like guilt and anxiety, and helping you reconnect with your needs and instincts. Over time, you can begin to respond differently, communicate more clearly, and feel more grounded in yourself.
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Click below to schedule your free consultation. I’d love to connect and hear your story.
For someone who is ready but scared
When you're ready, reaching out is simple. Share a little about what you're going through and what you're looking for. There's no pressure and no commitment required.
This is a space where you'll be met with curiosity, compassion, and genuine respect for everything you've been carrying, often for much longer than you should have had to.
You don’t have to stay stuck in anxiety.
You made it to the bottom of this page for a reason.
The part of you that's exhausted from performing, overthinking, and carrying everything alone, that part brought you here. That's worth paying attention to.
Fill out the contact form below. No pressure, no commitment. Just a first step toward feeling like yourself again.