You’re capable, responsible, and used to handling a lot. From the outside, things may look pretty good. But underneath, you may feel anxious, overwhelmed, or exhausted from trying to keep everything together.

Maybe you’ve also started wondering about the ways you cope- whether that’s overworking, staying constantly busy, trying to control everything, or reaching for a glass of wine at the end of the day just to finally turn your brain off.

I provide private online therapy for adults in Bellevue, Mercer Island, and throughout Washington.

Online Therapy in Bellevue, WA

When Being Capable Starts to Feel Exhausting

You may be the person other people rely on. You get things done, anticipate what needs to happen next, and hold yourself to a high standard. But being competent doesn’t necessarily mean you feel calm.

Anxiety can look like overthinking conversations, difficulty letting things go, always planning ahead, or feeling responsible for making sure everything turns out okay. Perfectionism can keep you productive while also making it difficult to rest, tolerate uncertainty, or feel like you’ve done enough.

Over time, that constant internal pressure can become exhausting. You may find yourself more irritable, disconnected, or wondering why a life you worked hard to build doesn’t feel quite the way you expected it to.

Therapy can help you understand what is driving these patterns and find ways to feel more grounded without giving up the parts of you that are ambitious, responsible, or deeply invested in your life.

Maybe drinking has gradually become the quickest way to shift out of work mode, quiet your thoughts, or make the evening feel easier. You may be thinking about cutting back—or simply noticing that alcohol is taking up more space in your life than you want it to.

You don't need to identify as having an addiction or wait for something serious to happen to talk about this in therapy. We can look at what the pattern is doing for you and decide, without judgment or a predetermined outcome, what you want to change.

When Coping Starts to Cost You

Specialized, Individualized Therapy

My work combines evidence-based approaches with specialized training in addiction and relapse prevention. This allows us to look at anxiety, perfectionism, stress, relationships, and alcohol or other coping behaviors as parts of the same picture- not separate problems that have to be treated in isolation.

Wondering If We Might Be a Good Fit?

Online therapy with Alana Van Zanten, LMHC
Licensed to provide telehealth throughout Washington.