In person in Baton Rouge and online across Louisiana, Florida & Virginia.
Anxiety Therapy & Help With People-Pleasing
Anxiety Therapy in Baton Rouge
If Overthinking And Conflict Avoidance Were Olympic Sports, You’d Be A Gold Medalist
You say yes when you mean no. You're the one everyone calls when they need something. You've perfected the art of keeping the peace—and you're exhausted.
And somewhere underneath all the doing and the accommodating and the "I'm fine," there's a knot in your stomach that never quite goes away. The anxiety that hums in the background even when nothing is technically wrong. The constant scanning: Am I too much? Did I do something wrong? Will they be upset with me?
You might not even call it people-pleasing. You might just call it being a good person. Responsible. Caring. But at some point, it starts to cost you more than you can afford.
You're in the right place.
I help women who are tired of living on high alert—women who have spent years managing everyone else's feelings while quietly falling apart on the inside. If you're ready to stop white-knuckling your way through life and finally feel some relief, therapy for anxiety and people-pleasing might be exactly what you need.
Does Any Of This Sound Familiar?
Anxiety and people-pleasing don't always announce themselves loudly. More often, they show up as a constant, low-grade tension you've gotten so used to, you've stopped noticing it. Some signs you might recognize:
In your relationships
You apologize constantly—even when you haven't done anything wrong
You struggle to say no, and when you do, the guilt is overwhelming
You monitor other people's moods and adjust your behavior to manage how they feel
You avoid conflict at all costs—even when it means abandoning your own needs
You feel responsible for everyone's happiness but your own
You're terrified of disappointing people or being seen as difficult
Disagreeing with someone feels physically threatening—your heart races, your stomach drops
In your own head
You overthink every conversation—replaying what you said, how it landed, what they must think of you
You have a hard time making decisions without checking with someone else first
You constantly second-guess yourself, even when you know the answer
You feel like you're too much and not enough at the same time
You're a master at helping others but terrible at asking for help yourself
There's a persistent low-level dread that something is about to go wrong
In your body
Tension headaches, stomach knots, or tight shoulders you've normalized
Trouble sleeping—your brain won't turn off
Racing heart or a sense of dread before interactions you used to handle easily
Physical exhaustion that doesn't go away no matter how much you rest
You don't have to check every box. If you're reading this list and feeling seen, that's enough.
Just a conversation about what you’re going through and how I can help.
You Didn't Start People-Pleasing Out Of Nowhere
People-pleasing isn't a character flaw. It isn't weakness. It isn't something you should just get over. It's a strategy—usually one you learned early, because at some point, it kept you safe.
When we grow up in environments where love felt conditional, where conflict was unpredictable or frightening, where being "too much" had consequences—we learn to make ourselves small. We learn to read the room. We learn that our worth is tied to how much we give, how little we ask for, and how well we manage the people around us.
The problem is, that strategy doesn't stay in the past. It follows you into every relationship, every workplace, every moment someone asks something of you. And the anxiety is the alarm system—the part of you that is always watching, always braced for impact, always calculating: What do I need to do to be okay here?
None of this is your fault. And all of it can change.
Why Anxiety And People-Pleasing Are Almost Always Connected
Anxiety and people-pleasing are two sides of the same coin. Researchers sometimes call the people-pleasing response the "fawn" response—it's a survival strategy, alongside fight, flight, and freeze. When we sense a threat (or even just the possibility of disapproval), our nervous system kicks in and we immediately move to appease.
The result? A life lived at the mercy of other people's feelings. Constant vigilance. The inability to relax, even when things are technically fine. And a creeping sense that you've lost yourself—that somewhere in all the accommodating, you stopped knowing what you actually want, need, or feel.
In therapy, we work with both. Not just the symptoms, but the roots.
How Anxiety Therapy Can Help
Therapy isn't about turning you into someone who doesn't care about others. You're a caring person—and that's actually one of your greatest strengths. The goal is to help you care for others from a place of genuine choice, not fear. Here's what we'll work toward:
Calming your nervous system. We'll work to understand why your anxiety fires the way it does—and develop real, practical skills for settling it. Not just managing symptoms, but actually feeling less like you're waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Understanding your patterns. Together we'll trace your people-pleasing back to its roots—not to dwell in the past, but to understand why you move through the world the way you do. That understanding changes things.
Reconnecting with yourself. A huge part of this work is helping you figure out what you actually think, feel, and want—separate from what everyone else needs from you. You've been so focused outward for so long, this takes practice. We'll do it together.
Learning to set limits without the guilt spiral. Boundaries aren't about building walls. We'll work on communicating your needs in ways that feel authentic to you—without the crushing guilt, the over-explaining, or the days of replaying the conversation afterward.
Stop over-apologizing. We'll examine the reflexive "I'm sorry" and start replacing it with something more honest—and more respectful of yourself.
Building real self-trust. When you've spent years deferring to everyone else, your own instincts start to feel unreliable. Therapy helps you rebuild trust in yourself—in your perceptions, your feelings, and your judgment.
Feeling less anxious in your body. This isn't just talk therapy. We'll address the way anxiety lives in your body, not just in your thoughts.
You can stop running on empty. But you probably can't get there alone—and that's okay. That's what I'm here for.
Why This Work Is Different
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board-Approved Clinical Supervisor (MSW, LCSW-BACS) with 25 years of experience helping women untangle anxiety and people-pleasing from the deeper relational patterns underneath. My approach is Trauma-Informed, Attachment-Based, Client-Centered, Relational and Psychodynamic—which is a lot of clinical words that really just mean: I get it, I won't push you, and we'll go at your pace.
Most of my clients look incredibly put-together on the outside. They're accomplished, capable, and great at taking care of everyone around them. And privately, they feel unsteady, unseen, and like they're one more demand away from completely falling apart.
I don't do cookie-cutter therapy. I won't hand you a worksheet and call it a day. I'll actually listen—and we'll figure out together what's driving your anxiety and your people-pleasing, so you can start to change it from the inside out.
I offer in-person sessions in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and telehealth therapy across Louisiana, Florida, and Virginia.
Is This the Right Fit?
Anxiety therapy may be a good fit if you:
Feel exhausted from constant caretaking and have little left for yourself
Struggle with saying no, setting limits, or asking for what you need
Experience ongoing anxiety—especially in relationships or social situations
Feel disconnected from your own wants, feelings, or identity
Have tried to "just relax" or "stop caring so much"—and it hasn't worked
Want to understand yourself more deeply, not just manage symptoms
Are looking for a non-judgmental space to slow down and think clearly
This may not be the best fit if you are:
In immediate crisis or danger (please call 988 or 911)
Looking for short-term, skills-only work with no exploration of underlying patterns
Seeking medication management (I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, not a prescriber)
Primarily looking for couples therapy (I specialize in individual therapy for women)
Not sure if this is right for you? Schedule a free consultation. We can talk through your situation and figure out whether working together makes sense.
You're Allowed To Want More For Yourself
You've spent so much time making sure everyone else is okay. You've talked yourself out of your own needs so many times it's become automatic. And somewhere along the way, you started to believe that this is just who you are.
It's not. The people-pleasing, the anxiety, the constant vigilance—these are patterns you learned. And patterns can change.
You don't have to have it all figured out before you reach out. You don't have to be in crisis. You just have to know that something isn't working—and that you deserve support.
In person in Baton Rouge | Telehealth in LA, FL & VA
Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety Therapy
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Yes—and it's actually one of the most transformative things therapy can work on. People-pleasing is a deeply ingrained pattern that often has roots in early attachment and relationship experiences. It doesn't respond well to just trying harder or thinking positively. Therapy helps you understand the why behind it, so you can start making real changes—not just white-knuckling your way through.
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If your anxiety is affecting your relationships, your ability to make decisions, your sleep, or your sense of self—it's worth talking to someone. You don't need to be in crisis to deserve support. The free 15-minute consultation is a low-pressure way to find out if therapy might help.
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Not necessarily—and definitely not before you're ready. My approach is to follow your lead. That said, understanding where these patterns came from can be incredibly helpful in changing them. If and when it feels relevant, we'll go there at your pace.
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I am transitioning to a fully private-pay practice in 2026. Individual sessions are $250 for 60 minutes. I can provide a superbill for out-of-network reimbursement, and I work with Thrizer to help clients access their out-of-network benefits. A free 15-minute consultation is always available.
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Yes. I offer telehealth therapy to clients in Louisiana, Florida, and Virginia, in addition to in-person sessions at my Baton Rouge office.
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Then you're in the right place. Most people who reach out aren't entirely sure what's going on—they just know something isn't right. We can sort it out together. Start with the free consultation, and we'll go from there.