Frequently Asked Questions
Arden Way Therapy · Albany & New York State Virtual Therapy
About Mental Health symptoms
About the Therapy Process
About Mental Health Symptoms
BURNOUT
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Burnout and anxiety can look very similar, and many people experience both at the same time.
Anxiety tends to keep you in a constant state of worry and anticipation, while burnout often leaves you feeling emotionally drained, detached, and unable to recharge.
If you've been pushing yourself for a long time, it's possible that anxiety helped create the burnout you're now experiencing.
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Yes. Burnout isn't always solved by taking a vacation or getting more sleep. If you've been running on perfectionism, people-pleasing, chronic stress, or the belief that you always have to do more, those patterns often continue even after you've had time to rest. Therapy helps you understand what's keeping you stuck so you can recover in a way that lasts—not just until the next busy season.
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If relaxing feels difficult, your mind may have learned that slowing down isn't safe or productive. Instead of feeling peaceful, you may feel restless, guilty, or like you should be doing something else. When your brain is used to staying alert, relaxation can actually feel unfamiliar.
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When you're burned out, your brain doesn't always recognize that it's time to rest. Instead, it stays busy replaying the day, thinking about tomorrow, or scanning for the next problem to solve. After operating in "go mode" for so long, slowing down can feel surprisingly difficult—even when you're physically exhausted and desperately want a break.
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If you always feel "on," your brain may be constantly scanning for what needs your attention next. You might find it difficult to switch off, even during evenings, weekends, or vacations. Living in this state for long periods can leave you feeling like you're never truly able to rest.
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Constant fatigue isn't always about a lack of sleep. Living with ongoing stress, anxiety, or emotional pressure requires a tremendous amount of mental energy. When your brain rarely gets a chance to rest, feeling physically and emotionally tired can become your new normal—even if you're getting enough hours of sleep.
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A lack of motivation doesn't always mean you're lazy or unmotivated. Sometimes it's a sign that you've been running on pressure, responsibility, or survival mode for so long that your mind and body are exhausted. When you're overwhelmed, even simple tasks can feel much harder than they used to.
CAREER
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Yes. If work leaves you feeling constantly anxious, overwhelmed, or like you're never doing enough, therapy can help you understand the patterns contributing to that stress.
Many people discover that their workplace anxiety isn't just about their job—it's connected to perfectionism, overthinking, people-pleasing, or tying their worth to productivity.
As those patterns begin to change, work often feels more manageable, and success no longer has to come at the expense of your well-being.
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Imposter syndrome is the belief that you're less competent than others perceive you to be, despite your skills, experience, or accomplishments. People experiencing imposter syndrome often discount their successes, compare themselves to others, and feel like they're only one mistake away from being "found out."
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Delegating can feel difficult if you believe you have to do everything yourself to ensure it's done "right." You may worry that asking for help is a sign of weakness, that others won't meet your standards, or that you'll ultimately have to fix their work anyway.
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Imposter syndrome is the persistent feeling that your success isn't deserved, even when there's clear evidence that you've earned it. You may attribute your accomplishments to luck, timing, or other people while dismissing your own abilities. As a result, you constantly worry that others will eventually discover you're not as capable as they think.
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Overworking isn't always about ambition. Sometimes it's driven by the belief that you have to constantly achieve, prove yourself, or stay productive to feel worthy. When your sense of value becomes tied to what you accomplish, slowing down can feel uncomfortable—even when you're exhausted.
HIGH-FUNCTIONING ANXIETY
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Anxiety can sometimes motivate people to work harder, prepare more thoroughly, or pay close attention to detail. These traits may contribute to success in school or work.
The problem is that anxiety often makes success feel expensive. If your accomplishments consistently come at the cost of chronic stress, poor sleep, burnout, or never feeling satisfied, anxiety may be driving achievement in a way that's difficult to sustain.
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“High-functioning anxiety” is a term people use to describe a very specific experience: carrying constant anxiety while still showing up, performing, and holding it all together on the outside.
It often shows up as overpreparing, overworking, people-pleasing—anything to avoid the discomfort of not being in control.
High-functioning anxiety isn't a clinical diagnosis—you won't find it in the DSM-5. But just because isn't an official diagnosis doesn't mean the exhaustion, the self-criticism, and the constant vigilance aren't real. A therapist might name it generalized anxiety disorder or something else entirely—the label matters less than the fact that it's affecting your life.
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The best therapy for anxiety is one that goes beyond managing symptoms and helps you understand what's keeping your anxiety going. For many people, anxiety isn't just about worrying—it's tied to perfectionism, overthinking, people-pleasing, self-doubt, or feeling responsible for everyone else. Effective therapy addresses those deeper patterns so you experience lasting change, not just temporary relief.
At Arden Way Therapy, I use an integrative, evidence-based approach tailored to you rather than a one-size-fits-all method. Together, we'll help you quiet the constant mental noise, build trust in yourself, and break free from the patterns that keep anxiety in control so you can feel calmer, more confident, and more like yourself again.
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High achievers often set exceptionally high standards for themselves. Their motivation may not come from ambition but possibly also from fear (fear of failure, disappointing others, or not living up to expectations).
Over time, achievement can become tied to their self-worth. Instead of accomplishments bringing lasting confidence, they provide only temporary relief before the next goal appears to plan for and worry about—creating a cycle that's difficult to escape.
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An anxious brain doesn't automatically turn off when circumstances improve. If your nervous system has become accustomed to anticipating “danger” or problems, it can continue searching for something to worry about, even during calm periods.
Many people describe feeling uncomfortable when things are peaceful because that feeling is unfamiliar and comes with it a threatening sense of uncertainty.
Therapy can help retrain your brain to experience safety without constantly scanning for danger.
OVERTHINKING
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Therapy can help you break your habit of overthinking by building confidence in your ability to cope with whatever happens—not because you've planned for everything, but because you've learned to trust yourself.
It can help you identify the beliefs and patterns keeping your mind stuck in overdrive.
It helps address the underlying anxiety rather than simply trying to "stop thinking," making it easier to experience genuine mental quiet.
You'll learn practical strategies to reduce rumination, tolerate uncertainty, and shift your attention away from constant mental problem-solving.
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Trying to force anxious thoughts to stop usually has the opposite effect. The goal isn't to eliminate thoughts—it's to change your relationship with them.
When you learn to recognize anxious thinking and learn how to not treat every thought as urgent or true, your mind naturally becomes quieter over time.
The result isn't an empty mind—it's a mind that feels calmer, more flexible, and no longer controlled by anxiety.
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Yes. Overthinking is one of the most common symptoms of anxiety. When your brain perceives uncertainty as a threat, it tries to solve every possible problem before it happens.
This often leads to excessive worrying, replaying conversations, imagining worst-case scenarios, and difficulty making decisions.
While everyone overthinks occasionally, chronic overthinking can interfere with sleep, relationships, work, and overall quality of life.
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If you're constantly planning for every scenario, your brain is likely trying to protect you from being caught off guard—which it perceives as danger. Mentally rehearsing conversations, imagining worst-case situations, or preparing backup plans can create the illusion of control and temporarily reduce anxiety.
Unfortunately, this habit often keeps anxiety alive. Because your brain never gets the chance to discover that uncertainty is actually manageable, it continues demanding more preparation.
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This is a “head vs. feeling” conflict. Overthinking is about not feeling safe enough to act on what you know. Even when a decision makes sense, your brain continues scanning for risks, mistakes, or “what ifs,” waiting for it to feel certain.
You know what to do, but your mind keeps asking for more certainty before you act. That’s what keeps the cycle going.
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Second-guessing often develops when you believe a perfect choice exists and making the wrong decision will have consequences.
Instead of trusting your judgment, you replay conversations, revisit choices, and imagine alternative outcomes, hoping to find certainty.
In reality, rarely is there a perfect choice. Learning to trust yourself and your ability navigate the decision you make allows for flexibility in your decision making.
people pleasing
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Therapy can help you understand where your people-pleasing began and why it has been so difficult to change. In therapy we can work to build your self-trust, communicate your needs with greater confidence, and tolerate the discomfort that can come with setting healthy boundaries. Over time, you'll learn that you don't have to earn love, approval, or acceptance by constantly putting everyone else first—and that healthy relationships don't require you to sacrifice yourself.
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Feeling guilty when you first set boundaries is incredibly common, especially if you're used to putting everyone else's needs before your own. The guilt doesn't necessarily mean you're doing something wrong. More likely, it means you're doing something different. Like any new skill, setting boundaries becomes easier with practice.
The guilt may stem from a belief that you are responsible for others’ emotions and your need may cause discomfort in the other person.
Healthy boundaries create relationships where both people's needs matter.
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People-pleasing can be a trauma response, but it isn't always. For some people, constantly putting others first developed from growing up in environments where keeping the peace, avoiding conflict, or meeting other people's expectations felt necessary to feel emotionally safe or accepted.
Others may learn these patterns through family dynamics, cultural expectations, or life experiences rather than trauma.
Whatever its origin, people-pleasing is often an attempt to protect yourself from rejection, criticism, or conflict.
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No. While people-pleasing may feel like part of your personality, it's often a learned pattern of behavior rather than an unchangeable trait.
Many people develop it as a way to avoid conflict, gain approval, or feel accepted. Over time, constantly putting others first can become so automatic that it simply feels like "who you are."
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If you always put other people first, it's often because you've learned that keeping others happy feels emotionally/socially safer than disappointing them. You may worry about conflict, rejection, or being seen as selfish, so you automatically prioritize everyone else's needs while ignoring your own.
Over time, this pattern can leave you feeling exhausted, resentful, or disconnected from what you actually want.
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Many people feel guilty saying “no” because they've come to believe that setting boundaries means they're selfish, unkind, or letting someone down.
In reality, healthy boundaries are a normal part of healthy relationships. Saying “yes” to everything may avoid discomfort in the moment, but it often leads to stress, burnout, and resentment.
People who can say “no” don’t necessarily care less. Rather, they’ve grown to respect their own time, energy, and needs.
Perfectionism
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Perfectionism doesn't just affect how you see yourself—it also shapes how you relate to others. You may avoid being vulnerable, struggle to ask for help, hide your mistakes, or constantly worry about letting people down.
Some people become overly accommodating to avoid criticism, while others set unrealistically high expectations for themselves within their relationships.
Over time, perfectionism can make it difficult to feel truly known or connected because you're always trying to present the "right" version of yourself.
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Therapy can help you understand the deeper beliefs and patterns driving your perfectionism, challenge impossible standards, and develop a healthier relationship with yourself. As you build self-compassion and self-trust, you'll learn to recognize your progress, appreciate your efforts, and base your confidence on who you are—not on how perfectly you perform.
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Perfectionism isn't the same thing as anxiety, but the two are often closely connected. Many people with anxiety set impossibly high standards for themselves because they're afraid of making mistakes, disappointing others, or not being good enough. Striving for excellence can be healthy, but perfectionism is driven by fear rather than growth.
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Perfectionism becomes a problem when it stops helping you do your best and starts interfering with your life. If you're afraid of making mistakes, procrastinate because nothing feels good enough, replay every decision, or tie your self-worth to your performance, perfectionism may be doing more harm than good.
Instead of motivating you, it can leave you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and never satisfied with your accomplishments.
Healthy striving encourages growth while allowing room for mistakes. Unhealthy perfectionism convinces you that anything less than perfect is failure.
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If nothing ever feels good enough, the problem usually isn't your actual performance. Rather, it’s the standards you've learned to hold yourself to. Many people with perfectionistic tendencies quickly dismiss their accomplishments, focus on what they could have done better, and raise the bar every time they succeed. No matter how much they achieve, they rarely feel satisfied.
RELATIONSHIPS
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Yes. While therapy can't change another person's behavior, it can change the way you show up in your relationship. As you develop healthier boundaries, communicate more openly, and better understand your own patterns, the relationship often begins to change as well. Even if your partner never attends therapy, your own growth can have a meaningful impact on the relationship.
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Healthy boundaries create relationships where both people's needs matter. They make expectations clearer, reduce resentment, and allow you to show up honestly instead of saying “yes” out of guilt or obligation. Strong relationships aren't weakened by boundaries—they're strengthened by them.
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Anxiety can make dating feel emotionally exhausting because it often fuels overthinking, self-doubt, and a need for certainty. You may spend more time analyzing someone's words, worrying about making the wrong impression, or questioning how they feel than actually enjoying getting to know them.
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If disappointing someone feels overwhelming, it may be because you've learned to equate other people's approval with your own sense of worth or emotional/social/physical safety. As a result, saying “no”, making mistakes, or choosing yourself can feel much more emotionally significant than the situation actually calls for.
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Needing reassurance usually isn't about being "too needy." It's often an attempt to quiet uncertainty, a fear of abandonment or rejection, and/or self-doubt. While reassurance may help in the moment, the relief is usually temporary, causing the questions and worries to return again and again.
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Overthinking in relationships often comes from a fear of getting something wrong or losing an important connection. You may replay conversations, analyze texts, or search for hidden meanings because you're trying to prevent rejection or conflict before it happens. Unfortunately, the more you analyze, the harder it becomes to feel secure.
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Leaving an unhealthy relationship isn't always as simple as recognizing that something is wrong. The fear of being alone, hope that things will improve, difficulty setting boundaries, or believing you have to earn love can all make it harder to walk away—even when you know the relationship isn't meeting your needs.
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Confrontation can feel uncomfortable when your brain associates conflict with rejection, criticism, or hurting someone you care about. Rather than risk upsetting another person, you may avoid difficult conversations altogether—even when staying silent means your own needs go unmet.
SELF-WORTH
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Confidence isn't about never feeling anxious or uncertain. It's about trusting yourself to handle challenges, make decisions, and recover from mistakes. Many people wait to feel confident before taking action, but confidence is usually built by taking small steps despite uncertainty.
If you want to become more confident, start by keeping the promises you make to yourself, allowing yourself to be imperfect, and noticing your progress instead of focusing only on what's left to improve. Confidence grows through repeated experiences of showing yourself, "I can handle this," not by waiting until you feel completely ready.
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Therapy can help you understand where your self-doubt comes from and why it has been so difficult to overcome. As you begin to challenge old beliefs, develop self-trust, and respond to yourself with greater compassion, your confidence becomes rooted in who you are—not in your achievements, other people's opinions, or getting everything right.
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If compliments make you uncomfortable, you may struggle to believe the positive things other people see in you. Instead of accepting praise, you might dismiss it, explain it away, or assume people are simply being nice. When your inner critic is louder than your self-confidence, compliments can feel surprisingly difficult to believe.
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Seeking validation is a normal part of being human, but relying on it to feel okay about yourself can leave your confidence feeling fragile. When your sense of worth depends on other people's approval, compliments feel necessary, criticism feels devastating, and your confidence rises and falls based on how others respond to you.
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Feeling like you're not good enough often has very little to do with your actual abilities or accomplishments. Many people hold themselves to impossible standards, compare themselves to others, or believe their worth must be earned through success, productivity, or taking care of everyone else. No matter how much they achieve, it never feels like enough because the standard keeps moving.
About THE THERAPY PROCESS
getting started
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No—you do not need to be in crisis to start therapy. Many people seek therapy while managing their daily lives well but sensing there is room to grow. Common reasons include:
Wanting to handle situations more gracefully
Wanting to have a healthier mindset
Not wanting to overshare with people in their lives
Recent breakup
Separated from usual support network
Wanting unbiased guidance
If you want to attend therapy, that's all you need to start.
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Finding the right therapist matters more than most people realize. This website is designed to give you a genuine sense of my philosophy and approach before you ever book a session.
I also create content regularly so you can get to know me beyond a bio page. And I offer a free video consultation so you can assess our compatibility with no commitment. Fill out the inquiry form to get started.
I am a licensed therapist serving clients throughout New York State virtually, with in-person options available in Albany, NY depending on scheduling.
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A previous therapy experience that didn't help often comes down to timing, fit, or approach—not to you. Sometimes people try therapy before they're ready to examine the deeper patterns at play. Other times, the therapist's style simply wasn't the right match.
This practice focuses less on giving advice and more on helping you understand the patterns and beliefs that have quietly shaped your choices—because that's usually where lasting change begins. If something hasn't clicked before, it's worth exploring whether a different approach might feel different.
A consultation is a good place to start.
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The two terms are often used interchangeably. In general, counseling tends to focus on specific, shorter-term challenges—a career decision, a recent loss, a relationship conflict. Therapy, or psychotherapy, tends to go deeper: exploring the patterns, beliefs, and behaviors that have developed over time and continue to show up in your life.
This practice offers psychotherapy, meaning we work on both the immediate concern that brought you in and the longer-term patterns beneath it.
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This practice specializes in helping people who feel stuck in patterns that hold them back—even when life looks fine from the outside.
Common focus areas include:
How to stop people-pleasing
How to care less about what people think
How to overcome perfectionism
How to be less codependent
How to stop overthinking
How to stop the negative self-talk
How to set boundaries in a relationship
How to stop overgiving
LOGISTICS & RATES
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This practice does not bill insurance directly as an in-network provider. However, many clients use out-of-network (OON) benefits through their health plan. PPO and some POS plans often include OON coverage; HMO and EPO plans typically do not.
I have partnered with Thrizer to handle the OON claims process automatically. You provide your insurance information, and they manage the submission on your behalf. OON benefits most often have a deductible to meet first. Once you meet it, you have the option to pay a reduced fee for sessions instead of needing to pay the full rate and waiting for a reimbursement check.
You can check your eligibility at: eligibility.thrizer.com/ardenwaytherapy
If you have no insurance or OON benefits, you are still welcome to work with me on a private-pay basis.
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The full rate for a 45-minute individual therapy session is $155 (CPT code: 90834).
There are several ways this cost can be reduced:
Out-of-network insurance benefits can offset the fee significantly
Clients who attend regularly (every 1–2 weeks) receive 15% off
A limited number of reduced-rate spots (25% off) are available for those experiencing financial hardship
I believe therapy should be accessible. If cost is a concern, I'm happy to discuss what works for your situation.
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A minimum of 24 hours notice is required to cancel or reschedule a session without a fee as per our cancellation policy. Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice are subject to a $100 late-cancellation or no-show fee. If I do not hear from you for 3 months, you will be discharged from the practice—though you are always welcome to reach back out and resume sessions.
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PRIVACY & SECURITY
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Yes, in a limited and fully transparent way. AI transcription tools within SimplePractice (the electronic health record software used by this practice) assist with session note-taking. Here is exactly how it works:
Audio is recorded only during the therapy session—your therapist controls when recording starts and ends
Audio recordings are never retained as part of your medical record
Recordings are auto-deleted immediately after a transcript is generated
Transcripts are de-identified per HIPAA standards—all personally identifying information is removed
Transcripts are permanently deleted within 7 days, or once the session note is signed—whichever comes first
All AI tools used are HIPAA-compliant, HITRUST certified, and encrypted.
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Yes. All virtual sessions are conducted through SimplePractice, which is HIPAA-compliant and HITRUST certified—the gold standard for healthcare privacy and security.
You can attend sessions from anywhere in New York State with confidence that your information is protected.
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Yes—everything shared in therapy is confidential. There are narrow legal and ethical exceptions where I am required to act to protect safety:
The client is in immediate risk of suicide or serious self-harm
The client threatens harm toward another person
Any serious medical or safety concerns where emergency services must be contacted
Reasonable suspicion that a client is the victim, perpetrator, or observer of neglect, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse of a vulnerable person—"Vulnerable Person" refers to children under 18 and/or dependent adults/elders, as defined by state law
The therapist receives a court order or a lawful subpoena
The client is being treated by order of a court of law, or if information is obtained for the purpose of rendering an expert's report to an attorney
Consultation with other professionals (your identifying information is not shared)
Accidental contact between client and therapist out in public—the therapist will never initiate an interaction in public in order to best protect client privacy
For minor clients, parents may be entitled to some information—you will be made aware of any information shared with your parents
SESSIONS & APPROACH
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Yes. The platform this practice uses offers secure messaging, which allows us to send encrypted, secure messages to each other as needed.
Our work in sessions prepares you to handle difficult times between appointments, but if you need support before your next session, that option is available to you.
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This practice primarily offers virtual therapy to residents throughout New York State. If you are local to Albany, NY, in-person sessions may be available depending on scheduling. Reach out and we can discuss what would work best for you.
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Therapy is working when you begin responding to life differently—even before your circumstances change. You may notice you're overthinking less, setting boundaries more confidently, trusting your decisions, or recovering more quickly from stress. Progress isn't always dramatic, but over time you'll likely find yourself reacting with greater calm, confidence, and self-compassion in situations that once felt overwhelming.
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The general rule of thumb is between 5 and 20 sessions. From my professional experience, the issues that brought a client in can be significantly improved within 5 to 8 sessions.
However, after that, many choose to continue with therapy and shift focus to other areas of themselves or life that they now want to work on. We will regularly check in on your progress and adjust together.
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Initially, there is a lot of information for me to learn about you while also providing support—the session time tends to fly by at first. Meeting weekly for at least the first month helps us build momentum for the work ahead. Naturally, clients tend to reduce their session frequency to every other week for a while. Before concluding services, I recommend dropping down to once-monthly appointments until that frequency no longer feels necessary.
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Each session follows a loose structure designed to keep things focused and useful. We start with a brief check-in, then identify together how to best use the time ahead.
The majority of the session is spent doing the actual work on whatever you bring. Toward the end, we reconnect with how you are feeling and discuss any tools or homework for the week ahead.
Sessions are collaborative—you are always in the driver's seat.
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My approach is warm, collaborative, and tailored to your unique needs. It integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Reality Therapy, self-compassion work, and acceptance-based practices to help clients break unhelpful patterns, build confidence, and respond to life with greater clarity and resilience. Learn more
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Your first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other. We'll talk about what's bringing you to therapy, the challenges you're facing, what you've already tried, and what you hope will be different in your life.
You don't need to prepare anything or know exactly what to say—it's simply a conversation designed to help us understand where you are now and where you'd like to go.
By the end of the session, you'll have a better understanding of how I work, whether it feels like we're a good fit to work together, and have the opportunity to ask any questions. I believe that feeling comfortable, understood, and supported is an important foundation for meaningful therapy.
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I genuinely believe that each person has the answers they need within themselves. Therefore, I do not generally offer advice. Instead, I guide you through questions that will bring you to the best answer for yourself. I have a whole arsenal of tools to pick from and share when applicable. If you want tools, I'll share them whenever appropriate. If you don't want tools, I will note that and adjust accordingly.
