Success on the outside doesn't always feel like success on the inside.
Dr. Christine Sparacino
Psychoanalytic Psychologist
I offer weekly and biweekly virtual sessions for adults of all ages in individual therapy, coaching & groups.
The cost is $230 per therapy session without insurance (along with a receipt for out-of-network reimbursement). Aetna and Blue Cross accepted for Arizona residents.
Let's begin with a free 15-minute consultation to discuss how we might work together. This initial conversation provides an opportunity for us to explore your goals for therapy and see if our approach aligns with what you're seeking.
Do you keep raising the bar the moment you clear it? Is it hard to slow down without feeling guilty or restless? Do you look accomplished to everyone around you, while privately feeling like you're one mistake away from it all falling apart?
Many high achievers live with a quiet form of anxiety that hides behind productivity. It doesn't look like panic. It looks like overworking, overthinking, saying yes to everything, and lying awake at night replaying the day. This is often called high-functioning anxiety, and because everything appears to be going well, it can go unaddressed for years.
You might have many external accomplishments, and yet feel plagued by feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt, believing that you are not good enough. You may struggle with imposter syndrome, feeling that if people only knew the real you, they would see how unfocused, lazy, or unqualified you are. You may feel like you have to do it all, and yet believe you are dropping the ball on every task on your list each day. You may struggle to take time away from work for fear that things will fall apart in your absence, or that you'll return to a larger mess.
Through therapy, we will look at what's driving the pressure, not just the pressure itself. We will identify the ways it's interfering with your life, and we will work together so that you're the one steering your ambition, rather than the anxiety steering you.
High-functioning anxiety rarely announces itself. It often hides behind competence and drive, and everyone's experience of it is a little different. Here are some common ways it tends to show up:
Overworking: Staying busy because slowing down feels uncomfortable, or because rest feels like falling behind.
Perfectionism: Holding yourself to standards you would never impose on anyone else, and replaying small mistakes long after everyone else has forgotten them.
Racing thoughts: Difficulty quieting your mind, especially at night, with persistent worry about future outcomes.
Difficulty delegating: Feeling that if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.
Irritability and restlessness: Feeling on edge, impatient, or unable to sit still, even during downtime.
People-pleasing: Saying yes to avoid disappointing anyone, then feeling stretched thin and resentful.
Procrastination on what matters most: Delaying the projects that feel most important because the fear of falling short is highest there.
Physical tension and fatigue: Muscle tension, trouble sleeping, and running on empty while still pushing forward.
None of these mean something is wrong with you. They usually mean your drive has been carrying something heavier underneath it for a long time.
The high achiever's dilemma is that the same patterns creating your success are often the ones wearing you down. Perfectionism gets rewarded at work while it quietly erodes your wellbeing. And burnout doesn't arrive all at once. It builds slowly, until one day the things you used to care about feel like weight.
Perfectionism is a coping mechanism used to hide the deeper shame we feel about ourselves, believing that we are flawed and inadequate. Often we work harder, believing that if we just prove ourselves a little bit more, then we will feel better. In therapy sessions together, we will look at the shame you've been running from by bringing it out into the open, and use compassion to heal these wounded places.
A psychoanalytic approach looks deeper than symptom management. Together we explore where the pressure originally came from: the early experiences, expectations, and relationships that taught you your worth had to be earned. When you understand what your drive has been protecting you from, it loosens its grip. You don't lose your ambition. You lose the fear underneath it.
I offer virtual sessions, which removes location and commute as barriers and makes it far easier to fit therapy into a demanding schedule. Through PSYPACT licensing, I'm able to work with clients in 39 states.
High-functioning anxiety isn't a formal diagnosis. It's a common way of describing people who appear successful, organized, and calm on the outside while experiencing persistent worry, self-criticism, and pressure on the inside. Because it often fuels achievement, it's easy to dismiss. But over time, it can lead to exhaustion, burnout, and a sense that nothing you do is ever enough.
Functioning well and feeling well are not the same thing. Many of my clients are doing objectively great by every external measure. Therapy isn't only for crisis.
It's also for the person who has achieved what they set out to achieve and still feels anxious, restless, or unsatisfied, and wants to understand why.
This is one of the most common fears I hear, and the answer is no. The goal isn't to eliminate your ambition. It's to separate the healthy drive from the fear-driven pressure, so achievement comes from what genuinely matters to you rather than from anxiety about falling short. Most clients find they perform better, not worse, when the fear quiets down.
Practices like deep breathing, meditation, and regular physical activity can reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety.
Identify and minimize sources of stress where possible, learn to say no when you're overwhelmed, and be honest with the people around you about your capacity.
One simple practice is to begin noticing the good qualities you possess and seeing yourself the way a trusted loved one sees you. Often if we can look at ourselves, including our accomplishments, gifts, and talents, through the eyes of those who love us, we can feel more self-acceptance, especially in difficult moments.
And remember that this is a gradual process. Be patient with yourself, and seek professional support if the pressure is persistent.
Take action today and start taking steps towards a better future.
