Tackle anxiety, get unstuck,
Thrive without compromise
Rebecca AE Smith, PhD — Clinical Psychologist
Offering online psychotherapy for women in high pressure careers in Louisiana and Virginia
Achieve with ease, not anxiety
I specialize in helping high-achieving women attain balance and well-being without compromising their success.
My patients struggle as you do. The overachievers, the high-performers, the hardest workers — no one in their lives would even guess they’re struggling. They’re doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs. They’ve climbed to the C-suite. They’ve made it. They’re always striving, and it’s really paid off. Clearly, things are going fine, right?
Despite being the intelligent, driven, ambitious women they know they are, life isn’t as perfect as it seems. Things may look pretty impressive on the outside, but in their heads it’s a different story.
When they first come in they look like they’ve got it all together. They tell me about their work, how they got into the position they hold now, how long and how hard they had to strive to get there. They describe their career with reverence and humor — they’re passionate about what they do, and they know they probably (often proudly!) fit all the stereotypes. They chuckle and tell me, “I guess that’s what it takes to make it.” But once they get a little more comfortable, it’s clear why they need support right now. They’re stressed, they’re overwhelmed, they’re unfulfilled. They doubt themselves more than most people who have achieved half of what they have. “My imposter syndrome is actually through the roof right now,” they confide.
And it’s not like they don’t have answers. When things don’t feel good, they know they can tackle a goal or check off a task, or maybe pivot to a bigger and better project. Anxiety, though painful, can be pretty damn motivating. They tell me, “I think if I just work a little harder I’ll feel so much better.” And those tactics have worked for them up to a point. That’s what got them here, after all.
From worry-fueled all nighters to days at the hospital filled with more patients than you thought were possible to see in 12 hours to the board meeting filled with old men in bad suits who are trying to make you look like you don’t belong — they’re springing to make things happen and they’re not stopping. In the long run, though, these strategies actually leave them feeling more anxious and less in control of what they truly wanted for their lives.
Before they came to see me most of my patients weren’t sure talking about their problems would help them feel better. (Wouldn’t an hour working on hitting a goal be better spent than one chatting with a shrink?) Most secretly worried therapy would only highlight their “weaknesses,” the areas they were already working so hard to “fix.” And they were pretty certain that addressing their anxiety and shifting their mindset — the very superpowers that helped them ace every exam, hit every milestone, and achieve every goal thus far — would make them less effective, less motivated, and (let’s be honest) less badass than they knew they could be.
My patients are often not looking for someone to swoop in and save the day. They’re ready to level up their confidence, their fulfillment, and their self-trust, but they know that somewhere they’re getting in their own way.
Like my patients, you deserve to feel like you — not your anxiety, or your perfectionism, or your 20-year personal-and-professional master plan — are in the driver’s seat of your own life.
A life that makes you feel as powerful on the inside as your friends think you look on the outside.
If you want to find balance without sacrificing your drive, I’d love to help you get there.
Schedule a consultation now. You don’t need to hold onto anxiety to get you where you want to go. I can help.
Get unstuck.
Perfectionism isn’t the way, friends. You can find balance without sacrificing your drive.
I can’t wait to help you get there.
Schedule an appointment today
Virtual Therapy Services
All sessions with Dr. Smith are online through a HIPAA-secure telehealth service called Simple Practice.
Locations
Therapy is available for patients located in Louisiana and Virginia.