Therapy for Anxiety & Depression

in Brentwood & throughout TN

It’s Saturday morning, and you’re out for coffee with a friend. They ask, “How are you feeling?”

You say, “Fine,” or, “Good”—the safest answers, ones that won’t lead to more questions. The truth feels too heavy to share. You don’t want to be a burden.

They tell you what a great friend you are, how much they appreciate you. But you don’t feel close to them—or to many people. If they asked more, you wouldn’t know what to say. Are you tired? Overwhelmed? Numb? You’re not even sure.

You move through life checking the right boxes—work, relationships, self-care—but joy feels distant. A quiet hum of worry follows you: Did you say the wrong thing? Make the right choice? Are you doing enough? Every decision feels like a test, from what to eat to what to do with your life.

So you keep busy. Plans, projects, workouts, to-do lists—anything to drown out the noise. Because when you slow down, that voice creeps in, whispering that you’re not doing enough, not good enough.

Eventually, exhaustion takes over. You crash, spending a day—or a weekend—recovering, only to start the cycle again. Even in rest, you seek distraction. A podcast, a comfort show, a book—anything to avoid sitting with your thoughts.

You try so hard for everything to be ok, to really be ‘fine’.

But, these things just keep popping up.

    • "Did I really just say that? What must they think of me?"

    • "I lost my train of thought—what was I even doing?"

    • "Why do I feel like this? I don’t have a right to."

    • A wave of anxiety.

    • A deep sadness.

    • Irritation at the smallest thing.

    • The exhaustion of being “on” all the time.

    • A tight jaw, sore from clenching all night.

    • A pressure in your chest that makes it hard to breathe.

    • A racing heart, like you just ran a marathon.

    • Sleeping too much or barely sleeping at all.

    • Overworking or struggling to finish anything.

    • Picking at your nails.

    • Scrolling endlessly.

    • Avoiding what needs to be done.

Something feels off, but you can't quite put your finger on it. One moment, you're jittery and overwhelmed. The next, you're drained, unable to find the energy to care.

Imagine this…

It’s Saturday morning, and you’re at coffee with a friend.

When they ask how you’re feeling, you answer honestly—work has been overwhelming, and you’re struggling to balance everything.

Your friend listens, offers support, and shares ideas to help. You don’t dismiss their words or replay the conversation later, analyzing every detail. Instead, you feel lighter, less alone.

As you leave, your heart beats normal, your body is relaxed. There’s no need to drown out your thoughts with music or a podcast. You sit with them, without judgment. Later, you move through your day freely—without second-guessing your to-do list, overthinking dinner choices, or feeling drained by social interaction.

You feel at ease. You feel like yourself.

How do you get there?

How Counseling Can Help!

  • Instead of feeling numb or lost in overthinking, you’ll learn to recognize the full spectrum of your emotions. You'll move beyond just “fine” or “stressed” to understanding what’s truly going on inside—whether it’s pressure from perfectionism, fear of failure, or loneliness.

  • Growing up, you may have learned that some emotions were "bad" or that being strong meant suppressing feelings. Therapy helps you recognize these patterns and see how they still shape your reactions today—so you can unlearn what no longer serves you.

  • By exploring the root causes of your perfectionism, you’ll understand why certain emotions feel so uncomfortable. Therapy helps you shift from ‘I have to get this right’ to ‘I can handle this moment as it is.’ This deeper awareness allows you to challenge perfectionistic beliefs and respond with more self-compassion."

  • Learn how to care for yourself when you are feeling depressed or anxious. Identify things that are already working for you- while expanding your ‘toolbox’ of skills to help you process and soothe uncomfortable emotions.

  • You’ll practice being in the present—so instead of replaying yesterday’s awkward moment or stressing over tomorrow’s to-do list, you can fully experience what’s in front of you. No more feeling stuck in an endless loop of overthinking. You’ll learn to notice emotions without letting them take over, giving your mind the space to breathe.

  • You’ll replace self-judgment with validation: It’s okay to feel this way. I don’t have to have it all together all the time. You’ll learn to care for yourself in hard moments rather than ignoring or punishing yourself for struggling.

With these skills, emotions won’t feel so overwhelming. Instead of shutting down or overanalyzing every conversation, you’ll be able to express yourself and feel connected. You’ll move through life with more flexibility—finding joy in quiet moments, feeling less drained by social interactions, and trusting yourself to handle challenges without burning out.

Therapy for Anxiety and Perfectionism Can Help You:

  • Recognize and name your emotions instead of feeling numb, overwhelmed, or lost in overthinking.

  • Understand the deeper roots of your anxiety and self-doubt—so you can stop blaming yourself for struggling.

  • Develop practical coping strategies to manage uncertainty, perfectionism, and fear of failure.

  • Reduce the intensity of anxiety and self-criticism so they no longer dictate how you show up in your relationships.

  • Feel more confident expressing your needs and emotions, trusting that you don’t have to handle everything alone.

Your emotions are valid. You deserve a space to feel them, heal, and grow.

 Frequently Asked Questions:

  • A: Totally understandable…happy feels great!

    And it is a feeling, which means ‘happy’ or ‘happiness’ will not be a fixed state. It will come and go, just like every other emotion you experience.

    You’ve probably heard this cliche before (if not, I am so glad to introduce it to you!) emotions are like waves. They come and they go. Some are big; some are small; some pool in a pond we’ve dug; some carry us out to sea, leaving us feeling frightened and fighting for a way out. The more we fight or try to swim back to shore, the more caught up in it we become, drowning in the wave.

    The same is true for feelings, the more we fight against the feeling, trying desperately to push it aside or get rid of it, the more stuck in it we become.

    However, if we swim with the wave, if we go with the feeling, we tend to come out of it faster, less tired, and less beat up.

    Focusing on the present moment and being in the feeling, including happiness, creates space for us to feel less fearful of losing happiness, less down for not being happy when we ‘should’, and feeling more content in life overall.

  • A: Anxiety and Depression can show up differently for everyone, and with a lot of people experiencing both to some degree. Some common signs may be:

    • Anxiety: constant worry, unable to relax, racing thoughts, difficulty making decisions, irritability, tension in your body, fatigue, trouble with sleep, avoidance, and physical sensations

    • Depression: persistent sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, appetite or weight changes, trouble with sleep, tiredness and low energy, feelings or worthlessness or guilt, trouble making decisions, irritability, and physical sensations.

    While we all may have trouble with some of these signs at different times in our lives, together we will explore the frequency, intensity, and length of these experiences and how it impacts your day to day life to meet your own goals for the work we do together.