For High Achieving Professionals and Students in Washington, D.C. and Virginia
Anxiety Therapy
You're motivated, hard-working, and believe in building a life of fulfillment, accomplishment, and meaning. Yet, you’re not as happy as you would like to be. You may be barely staying afloat with your responsibilities. And it can feel like one mistake would wipe away all of your hard work and reputation. You find yourself questioning yourself, your efforts, and your abilities. Or feeling that you need to control every variable in order to achieve your goals. Balancing the demands of your career or academics, and your relationships, and making space for personal aspirations can be a challenging and ever-evolving equation. At Dr. Dawn Johnson & Associates, we understand the demands faced by clients in the DC area. Therefore we offer specialized support through our Anxiety Therapy services. We recognize the weight of these challenges. So we aim to provide a compassionate space for you to navigate your unique path.
The Impact of These Challenges Extends Beyond the Surface.
Anxiety isn't just a momentary reaction. It can lead to heightened stress levels, burnout, and a persistent sense of emotional unrest. You may find yourself feeling scattered, distracted, agitated, and tense. Perhaps you feel overwhelmed, or less interested in activities or friendships that used to excite you. This may come out in your relationships, feeling distracted or disconnected from your partner, or struggling to connect emotionally with dates, friends, or loved ones.
Our Anxiety Therapy services go beyond symptom management; they empower you to enact meaningful changes in your life. Together, we collaborate to help you regain control, build resilience, cultivate adaptive coping mechanisms, and also understand how you got here in the first place. Seeking therapy is a proactive, accessible step towards your well-being and growth. Through our work, you can move towards your goals, whether they are personal or professional, and feel more in control of your life’s path.
Understanding Anxiety
Anxiety is a natural reaction to stress or perceived threats. In many cases, anxiety is a useful reaction. It tells us when demands may outstrip our capacity (overwhelm), or when we are unsafe (physical threats or boundary violations). It can also be a sign of growth, like pushing through a stressor like a presentation or a road race and then feeling relieved, happy, and proud of the accomplishment. A certain amount of anxiety is adaptive. However, anxiety rises to the clinical level when it begins to be persistent or to feel overwhelming, and it makes us less resilient, less cognitively flexible, and begins to take up mental and emotional capacity that we would rather invest in our work or relationships. Sometimes it is general anxiety, with constant background worry or tension that pops up in multiple areas of life. This is sometimes such a part of our perspective and lived experience that it can be hard to notice. Others experience specific types of anxiety, social anxiety, phobias, panic disorders, panic attacks, or OCD. Anxiety often has a physical component as well, from the classic signs of a panic attack - rapid heartbeat, sweating, and breathing concerns, to persistent muscle tension, achiness, or restlessness.
Cognitively, anxiety might appear as a constant background worry about performance, a sense that you need to be perfect. Because any error could ruin your reputation or your chances for the future. You have trouble relaxing or disconnecting from work. And the voice in your head is an ongoing litany of self-criticism about your work, your looks, your social skills, and your value as a person. You might also struggle with "imposter syndrome," doubting your achievements and fearing you’ll eventually be exposed as inadequate, unintelligent, and less successful than you appeared to be.
How Does Anxiety Present in High Achievers?
Have you noticed persistent feelings of worry, self-doubt, or restlessness that seem to linger despite your achievements? Many of our clients see anxiety as the motivation to push themselves to achieve, an important part of their past and future success. This can make it difficult for clients to recognize when anxiety has increased to disruptive levels, and to feel that it is safe or possible to change familiar patterns.
Here are some questions that may help clarify if anxiety is a factor in your experiences:
How We Craft Your Personalized Treatment Plan
When crafting your personalized treatment plan, we deeply consider the multifaceted challenges you, as a high achiever, often encounter, leading to anxiety. These challenges can include managing anxiety, depression, stress, OCD traits, ADHD-related executive functioning challenges, and intrusive thoughts. Our therapists specialize in addressing these concerns within the unique context of high achievement, acknowledging the specific pressures you experience in both your personal and professional life.
You can expect a streamlined process starting with requesting or being matched with a therapist whose expertise and style align with the information you share with us. This is followed by a free 15-minute phone or video consultation to ensure a good fit. Next comes an intake session where we delve deeper into your life and history, including formative experiences that may shape your current reactions. From there, we dive into unpacking the anxieties you face, building a toolkit to manage anxiety, and develop flexibility and resilience in your thinking. This process is continuously refined until you feel consistently happier and more on track in life.
Our approach is focused on helping you manage anxiety stemming from various sources. This can include work stress, college pressures, early career challenges, and more. We tailor our strategies to suit your individual needs, ensuring that we address the roots of your anxiety and provide you with tools to build resilience and develop adaptive coping mechanisms. Through our collaborative efforts, we aim to empower you to navigate these challenges effectively, regain a sense of control, and cultivate a more balanced and fulfilling life journey.
Navigating Relationship Anxiety
Relationship anxiety is another area where high achievers may encounter challenges. Stemming from various sources such as fears of abandonment, feelings of insecurity, past traumas, or unrealistic expectations, relationship anxiety can impact the stability, trustworthiness, and closeness within relationships. We provide comprehensive support to help you navigate these complexities and foster healthy relationship dynamics.
Career Anxiety
We specialize in addressing career anxiety among high-achieving professionals and college students. Our therapists understand the unique pressures you face in environments where your professional identity is closely tied to your sense of self-worth. Using evidence-based treatment, we aim to help you feel more like yourself again, and we tailor each session to your individual needs. While it might seem like a given that therapists care, we truly love what we do and take pride in our work. We are dedicated to helping high achievers like you overcome career anxiety and find balance, fulfillment, and success in both their personal and professional lives.
For College Students with Anxiety
At Dr. Dawn Johnson & Associates, we recognize the unique pressures faced by college students, especially those who are high achievers. Balancing academic demands, social life, and future career aspirations can create significant anxiety, often leading to feelings of overwhelm and self-doubt. Our therapists specialize in tailoring treatment plans that address these multifaceted challenges, providing you with the tools and support needed to navigate this pivotal time in your life.
We focus on the specific sources of your anxiety, whether it's the stress of exams, social pressures, or career uncertainties. By incorporating evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-Based Therapy, we help you build resilience and develop adaptive coping mechanisms. Our goal is to support you in managing the anxiety that stems from academic pressures, social dynamics, and the transition into adulthood. At our practice, we are committed to helping you find a balance that fosters both personal growth and academic success, empowering you to thrive during your college years and beyond.
Infertility or Perinatal Anxiety
At Dr. Dawn Johnson & Associates, we understand the profound emotional challenges associated with building a family. The uncertainty, disappointment, and longing for parenthood can significantly contribute to heightened anxiety levels. Postpartum mood disorders are also the most common postpartum health complication. While we hope everyone who chooses parenthood has a smooth, happy journey, navigating these major life changes can trigger anxieties related to childbirth, parenting responsibilities, challenging family patterns, and overall well-being. Our therapists delve into strategies for coping with these deeply personal challenges while also addressing the pressures of a high-pressure environment.
Parenting Anxiety
Balancing the demands of parenting with personal and professional life can be incredibly challenging. Feelings of parent guilt, anxiety, and the overwhelming pressure to "do it all" are common among high achievers. Take a big sigh of relief, because we have good news: you can feel better. At Dr. Dawn Johnson & Associates, we provide support to parents who are struggling with anxiety and the added pressures of high achievement. We help you navigate these challenges by addressing the specific underlying fears, developing strategies for managing stress, and fostering self-compassion. Our therapists work collaboratively with you to create a personalized treatment plan that will empower you to find balance and enjoy the journey of parenthood.
Our goal is not only to help you overcome anxiety related to these challenges but also to empower you to thrive in all aspects of your life. We achieve this by integrating strategies that promote self-care, stress management, healthy boundaries, effective communication skills, and coping mechanisms tailored to high achievers like yourself. This approach aims to enhance your emotional resilience, foster long-term well-being, and promote a more balanced, fulfilling lifestyle. Our commitment to compassionate support ensures that your treatment plan aligns perfectly with your specific needs and goals, leading to lasting relief from anxiety and supporting your journey towards a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Find Relief From Your Anxiety With Anxiety Therapy in Washington, D.C.
Are you a high-achieving professional feeling overwhelmed by anxiety? At Dr. Dawn Johnson & Associates we offer specialized anxiety therapy that can help you regain control and thrive both personally and professionally. Take the first step towards a balanced and fulfilling life by following these three simple steps:
Schedule a free 20-minute consultation to see if Anxiety Therapy is right for you.
Begin meeting with one of our skilled anxiety therapists.
Start managing and finding relief from your anxiety!
Other Services Offered at Dr. Dawn Johnson & Associates in Washington D.C. & Virginia
At Dr. Dawn Johnson & Associates, we want to help you thrive. In addition to our anxiety therapy service, we offer services for those struggling with depression, relationships, infertility, navigating parenthood, academic or work concerns, disordered eating, and more.
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High achievers face a unique set of pressures that often lead to heightened anxiety. The value placed on higher education or career success - not just financial, but in finding a passion or vocation that both fulfills you and seems impressive to others. It can feel that there is never a stopping point - there is always another achievement or role to pursue. Perfectionism is another challenge, where even minor mistakes can feel high stakes. These pressures may feel normal, particularly when everyone around you seems to be on the same path, and perhaps achieving even more, but the unending movement towards growth can create an experience of constant anxiety and stress. stress. Balancing multiple demands—academic, professional, social, financial, and physical—takes significant resources, and they can sometimes outstrip our capacity. High achievers often feel that they should be able to push through anything, and Fortunately, the very traits that drive high achievers into a state of stress and anxiety can be harnessed in therapy. We can work together to build effective coping skills, identify the places where your efforts are not serving you, and create a plan to achieve success while safeguarding mental health.
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One of the biggest challenges in perfectionism anxiety is the fear of trying a new strategy out of fear of making a mistake. This is where partnering with one of our skilled therapists can help. By combining our knowledge of evidence-based practices with your insight into your life and priorities, we can make efficient use of your efforts. We will target your goals, and build your self-compassion in order to increase your resilience to the inevitable bumps in the road. Together, we will help you learn to identify and change maladaptive thought patterns like black-and-white thinking. Where outcomes are either perfect or complete failures, and fortune telling, where you feel so certain that you know the outcome that you may miss important data.
We’ll also help you to explore your sense of self, and why it is so dependent on perfectionism and success. Clients struggling with perfectionism anxiety often also face challenges related to disordered eating, body image concerns, excessive exercising, or workaholism, and we can help you to have a healthier relationship with yourself and your body. Clients struggling with perfectionism anxiety often feel uncomfortable and stuck but feel very afraid to “lower their standards” out of fears of failure, and the need to support their self-esteem through continued measures of success. We recognize that addressing perfectionism anxiety can be stressful. But it can help you retain the parts that help you to succeed while also reducing your anxiety and building confidence and resilience.
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College students, especially those at competitive DC universities such as American, Georgetown, and George Washington, often face unique challenges in managing anxiety. Balancing academic pressures, career expectations, and the growth involved in living away from home and navigating more adult relationships for the first time can be overwhelming. This period of life can amplify existing anxieties or trigger new ones related to performance, relationships, and future uncertainties. High achievers may experience anxiety related to maintaining high grades, meeting deadlines, balancing extracurricular activities, and planning for post-graduation paths. The fear of failure or not meeting expectations, whether self-imposed or external, can contribute to heightened stress levels, and uncertainty about your path forward
College students are also still developing neurologically, and a significant percentage of students are navigating the specific needs of neurodiverse individuals with ADHD or ASD. In developing treatment plans for college students with anxiety, we draw from a range of evidence-based therapies to support the college student emotionally, socially, and academically. This may include working with students on executive functioning and study skills, addressing relationship challenges and relationship skill building, and teaching college students to advocate for themselves in a university setting. By helping students explore their career interests and navigate the internship and job search process, we can help clients clarify their interests and values, and move ahead with more confidence. Therapy can also provide a safe, welcoming place for students to explore their identity, including gender, sexuality, and culture, and to grow their sense of self-confidence and resilience.
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As a high achiever, you’ve likely found a path to academic success, and perhaps professional success, but might find that relationships heighten your anxiety. It can be frustrating to not have effort equal input, and to put yourself out there on apps, in social settings, and with friends or partners, only to not get the result you want. Maybe your expectations are shaped by the highlight reel you see from others, or it feels uncomfortable to give up control or to feel disappointment when things don't go as you hoped. You may struggle to find enough time and space to balance work and relationships, leading to feelings of guilt and anxiety about not being able to fully commit to a relationship or spend the time on dating or friendships that you need to while also excelling professionally.
You might feel lonely or disconnected yet find it challenging to build close, meaningful friendships and romantic relationships. Ones that bring joy and ease to life. Many of our clients with ADHD or anxiety also experience “rejection-sensitive dysphoria,” which entails heightened sensitivity to both real and perceived rejection. These individuals genuinely feel rejection more intensely than others and may perceive it even where it doesn't exist. This heightened sensitivity contributes to social anxiety, fear of pursuing relationships, and anxiety within relationships. It also creates apprehension about sharing your needs with a partner, driven by a real fear of rejection and the emotional distress it causes.
Research shows that the quality of our relationships is a key factor in our happiness., If relationship anxiety is stopping you from having happy, connected, mutually supportive relationships, therapy can help you build skills to reduce your anxiety and build healthy connections.
How Does Anxiety Affect Your Daily Life?
Anxiety can have a significantly negative impact on your daily life, especially when navigating the daily demands faced by high achievers. For individuals grappling with anxiety, whether related to work, college, parenting, relationships, or infertility each day can bring a mix of emotional and practical hurdles. The constant worry and pressure to keep up with all of your responsibilities can create a sense of overwhelm t. In your work life, anxiety might manifest as perfectionism-driven stress. Pushing you to strive for the next accomplishment without feeling able to appreciate what you’ve achieved so far. It leads to feelings of burnout that impact your productivity, relationships, and overall happiness and satisfaction.
In your personal life, anxiety can strain relationships, contributing to communication challenges, conflicts, reassurance seeking, and difficulties in establishing emotional intimacy. It may also impact decision-making processes, making it challenging to navigate important life choices. Anxiety has a profound impact on various aspects of your life, affecting self-care habits, sleep quality, and overall well-being. It can manifest physically through symptoms like fatigue, muscle tension, and digestive disturbances, adding to the burden of managing daily responsibilities. Coping with anxiety can feel like an ongoing battle, draining energy and making it challenging to find moments of calm and mental clarity amidst life's chaos.
It is important to recognize that anxiety is treatable, and seeking therapeutic support can be a pivotal step toward feeling happier, more in control, and building long-term resilience. Therapy offers a safe environment to help you understand the factors and influences that shaped you. By developing effective coping strategies, and to begin navigating challenges with increased ease and confidence. Through this process, you can regain a sense of control, work towards healthier habits, and build s a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Is Anxiety Therapy Right For You?
You may be thinking that your anxiety has made you successful and that you can power through like you always have, but maybe a part of you knows this isn’t working, and that there might be other solutions out there.
Here are some questions to help you decide:
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There are many evidence-based methods for anxiety treatment, and finding the approaches that work best for you is important. At our practice, we recognize that anxiety can take many forms. This includes generalized anxiety, social anxiety, OCD, and anxiety related to specific triggers. This can be like closeness or abandonment in relationships or the pressures of a high-achieving academic or professional career. We know that some clients want to talk it out, while others want concrete tools. Our clinicians are trained in a wide array of evidence-based modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness, and Person-centered approaches in order to craft a treatment plan tailored to your needs - now and as they evolve.
For high-achieving individuals grappling with anxiety, our therapy approach takes the focus, intellect, and goal orientation that has made you successful and leverages those qualities towards your therapeutic growth. Our therapists actively partner with you to understand your specific challenges, strengths, and goals, and to craft a personalized treatment plan that integrates these evidence-based modalities. This personalized approach not only targets immediate symptoms but also promotes long-term emotional resilience and well-being, empowering individuals to thrive in all aspects of their lives.
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Our therapists take a comprehensive approach to treating anxiety, getting to know you, and your specific priorities for your anxiety treatment, as well as your strengths and challenges. Meeting either in our downtown DC office or from the convenience of your home, we begin with an “intake’ session to gain an understanding of your life, your family and relationships, your health, and your profession, as well as any prior treatment for anxiety or other concerns. This helps us to gain a sense of you as a whole person and helps us to see themes, patterns, or influences that can be more difficult to recognize yourself. It also gives us data to pull upon as we delve deeper into your anxiety, social anxiety, perfectionism, work or parenting stress, or any other factors that brought you to treatment. Over the coming weeks, we’ll talk through challenges that you’re facing, often using anxiety triggers from your current life to illustrate ways in which your anxiety, perfectionism, or other challenges impact your life.
From there, we can explore your experience of anxiety, and understand what past experiences or current beliefs influence your perception of the threat. Simultaneously, we’ll help you build skills to reduce feelings of anxiety and to better resist engaging in any patterns or anxious behaviors that may reduce your anxiety in the moment, but that actually reinforce your anxious patterns in the long run. Week to week we’ll engage in this process of exploration, testing, and revisiting together until you notice that your anxious feelings have lessened and your confidence in moving through life without those anxious patterns has increased. While every therapist/client dynamic is unique, our goal is to carefully tailor treatment to enhance emotional resilience, foster self-awareness, and instill healthy behaviors that lead to lasting relief from anxiety.
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The most important factor in overcoming anxiety is the willingness to try something new. At Dr. Dawn Johnson & Associates, we recognize that this can be difficult, and so we prioritize evidence-based therapy approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness and Person-centered approaches to make sure that we are making the best use of your time and effort. We recognize that anxiety and perfectionism likely developed as a way to help you feel safe, and our therapists work closely with you to understand your experiences, strengths, and aspirations, and to build a warm, secure, collaborative therapy relationship to help you feel supported as you take these steps.
We understand that many of the demands facing high achieving individuals are not going away. Your academics, your career, your goals and your standards are important to you. You may also be established in work or family obligations that are an important part of your identity or priorities. . Our approach integrates insight into the experiences that shaped you with strategies that promote stress management, healthy boundaries and effective communication, to help you navigate your life with a sense of agency, security and balance. By empowering you with these tools and insights, our goal is to not only alleviate anxiety but also foster long-term emotional resilience; we aim to help you thrive in every aspect of your life.
Our Approach to Therapy
At our practice, we believe in a holistic approach to anxiety treatment. We take the time to get to know you as an individual, including your unique anxieties, strengths, and challenges. We understand that anxiety triggers differ for everyone. Whether you visit our downtown DC office or prefer the comfort of your own home, we begin with an in-depth assessment session. This session explores various aspects of your life, including family, relationships, health, and career. We also delve into any previous treatments you may have received for anxiety or other concerns. This comprehensive overview allows us to see you as a whole person and identify underlying themes, patterns, or influences that might be contributing to your anxiety. This information becomes invaluable as we move forward in understanding your specific anxieties, whether it's social anxiety, perfectionism, work stress, parenting challenges, or something else entirely.
Throughout treatment, we'll work together to address your current challenges. Often, we'll use real-life anxiety triggers to illustrate how your anxiety or other challenges are impacting your daily life. We'll delve into the origins of your anxiety, exploring past experiences and current beliefs that might be influencing your perception of threats. At the same time, we'll equip you with the skills you need to manage anxiety and resist unhelpful patterns or behaviors. While these behaviors may provide temporary relief, they can actually reinforce anxiety in the long run.
Our approach is a collaborative one. We'll work together through exploration, experimentation, and revisiting strategies. As you progress, you'll notice a decrease in anxiety and a growing sense of confidence in navigating life without those anxious patterns. While the therapist-client relationship is unique in each case, our ultimate goal is to create a personalized treatment plan that fosters emotional resilience, self-awareness, and healthy habits that lead to lasting relief from anxiety.
Infertility and Perinatal Anxiety
Navigating the complexities of infertility and perinatal anxiety can be profoundly challenging. Especially for clients used to working hard, but then seeing expected results. However, infertility is often unexplained or out of your control largely beyond your control. It's like suddenly enrolling in an unwanted, unofficial grad program in reproductive endocrinology. Many of our clients feel considerable stress and anxiety as they research causes and treatment plans, and navigate the world of injections and procedures.
So much of the fertility process feels out of their control, leading them to seek control elsewhere, such as in their work or fitness routines, in an attempt to regain a sense of certainty. This lack of control can also impact their partners, who struggle to provide support, especially since the burden of the fertility process is often heavier on the gestational partner. Additionally, clients often feel isolated and distressed as they witness peers achieving pregnancy without intervention.
Beyond the stress of becoming pregnant, many of our clients find themselves experiencing significant anxiety during pregnancy. Fears about miscarriage or harm to the baby from things as common as cold medications, endless researching of strollers or birth options, or daycares. Plus navigating professional life and changes to your partnership. You may care so deeply about getting it right, but find it hard to navigate all of the research and options, and find yourself feeling stressed and anxious instead of relaxed and blissful as you imagined.
Recovering from birth and navigating sleep loss during the early months also demands your resources at the same time that you are adapting to the joys and demands of parenthood, and navigating a new phase as co-parents. Many of our clients find that their demands outpace resources at this stage, leading to feelings of anxiety, anger, confusion resentment, and overwhelm. We understand the emotional challenges and uncertainties associated with infertility, pregnancy, and parenting, and our experienced clinicians are here to provide support to those navigating this complex stage of life.
How Stressful is Infertility?
Infertility-related stress encompasses a wide range of emotions, from disappointment and frustration to grief and uncertainty. These feelings can disrupt life plans, strain relationships, and create a persistent undercurrent of worry and longing. The journey through infertility involves navigating complex medical procedures, making challenging decisions, and managing expectations, all of which contribute to heightened stress levels.
This stress doesn't just affect individuals emotionally but also manifests physically, emotionally, and psychologically, impacting overall well-being and quality of life. Understanding the depth of stress associated with infertility is crucial, as it lays the foundation for seeking support and exploring effective coping strategies tailored to each individual's unique situation. Our role is to provide a supportive space for processing feelings, understanding options, and developing coping mechanisms to manage the impact of infertility on overall well-being.
Relationship Anxiety
Relationship anxiety can stem from a variety of sources, including attachment concerns, fears of abandonment, feelings of insecurity, past traumas, or unmet expectations. The impact of anxiety on relationships can be profound, resulting in breakdowns in communication, frequent conflicts, reassurance seeking and challenges in developing emotional intimacy. Those grappling with relationship anxiety may find themselves wrestling with issues surrounding trust, fear of rejection, and an increased sensitivity to potential threats in their relationships.
Can Relationship Anxiety Be Cured?
Navigating relationship anxiety as a high achiever often means adapting the traits that have made you successful elsewhere to a new, often more ambiguous, context. Therapy focuses on helping you to understand what internalized messages and expectations you hold regarding relationships, which of those serve you in your current and future life, and how to pursue and engage in the type of relationship that is healthy for you now. While some clients experience anxiety about entering relationships, particularly around worth and rejection, others experience more anxiety within relationships. Better understanding your attachment style, and how it was shaped by early attachments, can help you to recognize and resolve fears of rejection, challenges with trust and security, or reassurance seeking.
Therapeutic interventions for high achievers struggling with relationship anxiety prioritize utilizing your intellect to increase insight into your own patterns. We can work together to recognize patterns in your relationship anxiety, improve your relationship with your partner, and better understand and express your own needs and boundaries, fostering emotional resilience as you work to change patterns, and cultivate more meaningful and fulfilling connections.
Anxiety in College Students
Anxiety in college students often begins as a seemingly adaptive response. High achievers initially thrive on academic success and the internal and external rewards it brings, integrating these accomplishments into their identity. Over time, however, this reliance on achievement for self-worth can lead to significant anxiety. Students may start to believe they are only as good as their latest success, creating a cycle where they must continually excel to feel secure. Without a strong foundation of self-esteem, the fear of failure looms large, pushing students to greater lengths to avoid it.
This cycle can lead to an unhealthy balance between work and personal life, straining relationships and leading to burnout. As the risk of failure becomes too painful to face, some students might stop pursuing new opportunities altogether, while others become consumed by the need to constantly achieve. In places like Washington, D.C., where professional identity is highly valued, this pressure is magnified. The city's culture, where the common greeting is "What do you do?" underscores the emphasis on career success as a measure of personal worth. This environment, coupled with the high rate of advanced degrees, intertwines work, identity, and social life, making it challenging for students to believe they are enough just as they are.
