Feeling Off?

CR Mental Health Therapy for High-Functioning Burnout, Perfectionism & Disconnection – Michele Caton-Richardson

In other words, For the Helpers, Fixers & “I’ve Got This”-ers

You’re the one people turn to.
The one who always steps up.
The one who can hold it all together—at work, in your family, for your friends.

You get praise for being so solid, so dependable, so on top of it.
And truthfully? You are good at what you do.

But lately something’s off.

You’re more irritable than usual.
The things that used to light you up don’t quite land the same way anymore.
You find yourself a little more reactive with the people you care about… and afterward, you’re left wondering, “What’s going on with me?”
You’re exhausted but can’t sleep.
Even when everything is “fine,” you don’t feel like yourself.

You tell yourself it’s just stress.
You power through. You get things done.
But if you’re honest? You’re not okay.

You feel disconnected.
From yourself.
From others.
From joy.

And maybe—just maybe—you’re wondering if it's time to stop fixing and start healing.

Therapy for the High-Functioning and Fried

This isn’t your typical sit-and-vent therapy. You’ve likely tried to logic your way through what you’re feeling. Maybe you've Googled some buzzwords: burnout, overwhelm, anxiety… but none of them feel like the whole picture.

You’re someone who lives in your head.

You’re practical. Literal. You want to know: What is therapy supposed to do?

Here’s how we’ll start:

The First Few Sessions

We slow it down.
We help you reconnect with your body and your own experience—often using sensory-based work to get out of your head and into the truth of how you're doing.

You might be surprised how quickly things begin to shift once you reconnect with yourself.

This isn’t about blaming or digging through trauma just to “find something.”

If it is trauma we can explore that too and here’s more information on that.

It’s about making space for you—for what you need, feel, and even enjoy (and yes, that last one might feel oddly hard to answer right now).

Why Is This Happening?

It’s not because you’re broken.
It’s because you've been surviving in systems that reward over-functioning and emotional disconnection or environments that did not have the language and understanding of what unacknowledged distress and loss can look like.

Many of my clients grew up in households that were:

Perfectionistic or hyper-critical
Focused on achievement over emotion
Dismissive of loss or emotional needs (even small ones, like a pet dying or moving away from friends)

You learned to be capable. You became successful.
But somewhere along the way, you may have lost access to parts of yourself.

You feel emotions rising and think:

“What do I do to make this go away?”

When the real question is:

“What’s this feeling trying to tell me?”

Common Themes I Hear From Clients:

“I’m snapping at people I love, and I don’t know why.”
“I used to love my job. Now I feel numb.”
“I’m not myself lately.”
“I don’t have trauma. My childhood was fine… but something feels off.”
“I feel isolated—even when I’m around people.”
“I’ve always been the strong one. I don’t know how to let anyone in.”

Sound familiar?

You Don’t Need Fixing. You Need Reconnection.

The way out isn’t more productivity.
It’s not about “just getting through the week.”
It’s about learning to come home to yourself.

Therapy with me is grounded, direct, and strengths-based.
I’ve been there. I get the recovering-Type-A, helper-energy.
And I’ve helped people like you reconnect to themselves—without giving up the parts that make them feel proud.

You don’t have to stop being driven.
You just don’t have to do it while disconnected and alone.

Ready to feel like you again?

Let’s talk.

BOOK A FREE CONSULT

You don’t need to keep holding it all together on your own.

Unsure? Here are Common Questions Clients Ask Before Starting Therapy:

Is this burnout or something else?

Many high-achieving people I work with say, “I don’t think I’m burned out—I’m still getting things done.”
But burnout doesn’t always mean shutting down. It can look like irritability, restlessness, or feeling disconnected from your life—even if you're still crushing it at work.

I’m not the type to go to therapy. Is this really for me?

Most of my clients wouldn’t have described themselves as “therapy people.” They’re practical, driven, and want results. This kind of therapy is for professionals dealing with burnout, stress, overthinking, or just a vague sense that something’s off.

Could this be anxiety if I don’t feel anxious?

Yes. “High-functioning anxiety” often looks like overworking, perfectionism, and constant pressure—not panic attacks. If your mind won’t stop racing but everything looks fine on the outside, therapy can help you finally slow down and reconnect.

A few other questions or sentiments people have before beginning therapy.

I don’t want to come to therapy and blame my parents. That’s not what this is about for me.

Totally fair. And you're not alone in that.

A lot of my clients come in saying some version of:

“My childhood was fine.”
“My parents did their best.”
“It wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t trauma.”

Here’s the thing:
Therapy doesn’t have to be about blaming anyone.

Instead, we look at patterns—not to point fingers, but to understand why certain things feel hard now.

Sometimes those patterns come from childhood, sure. But we’re not digging through your past to find fault. We’re working together to uncover how you learned to survive, succeed, and show up—and how those same strategies may now be getting in the way of deeper connection, rest, or joy.

Think of it like this:

”What helped you then might be hurting you now.”

Therapy is about understanding, not blaming. Growth, not guilt.

And if you don’t want to talk about your childhood? We don’t have to.
We can start exactly where you are today and go from there.

If this resonates, let’s talk. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION TODAY