Anxiety and Identity Therapy

Rediscover who you are without the shame, pressure, or old labels.

When anxiety gets loud enough, it can start feeling like your personality

Maybe you've always been a worrier.

Maybe you're the friend who thinks through every possible outcome before making a decision.

Maybe you've spent so much time trying to avoid mistakes, disappointing people, or making the "wrong" choice that you're not even sure what you want anymore.

Anxiety has a way of taking up a lot of space.

Not just in your thoughts, but in your relationships, your confidence, and the way you see yourself.

"Is this what I want, or is this what anxiety wants?"

This is one of the questions I hear most often.

Many people come to therapy wanting help with anxiety, but underneath that is often something deeper:

  • Difficulty trusting themselves

  • Constant second-guessing

  • Fear of being judged

  • People-pleasing

  • Perfectionism

  • Feeling stuck between what feels safe and what feels meaningful

After a while, it can become hard to tell where anxiety ends and where you begin.

Therapy isn't about getting rid of anxiety

Most of us can't think, logic, or self-improvement our way out of anxiety.

Instead, therapy can help you understand your relationship with it.

Together, we'll get curious about the patterns that keep showing up, the stories you've learned about yourself, and the ways anxiety may be influencing your choices without you even realizing it.

We'll also make space for the bigger questions:

  • Who are you when you're not trying to keep everyone happy?

  • What matters to you?

  • What kind of life do you actually want to build?

Some of the things we might work on

  • Chronic worry and overthinking

  • Perfectionism

  • People-pleasing

  • Self-criticism

  • Boundaries

  • Life transitions

  • Identity exploration

  • Relationship patterns

  • Building self-trust

  • Learning to tolerate uncertainty

Let's get curious

You don't need to have everything figured out before starting therapy.

You don't need to know exactly what's wrong.

You just need a place where you can slow down long enough to hear yourself underneath all the noise.

At Therapy with Laney, I offer an affirming space for Millennial and Gen Z adults navigating identity exploration. Whether you're deconstructing harmful narratives from childhood, questioning your neurodivergence, unpacking religious or cultural trauma, exploring gender or sexual orientation, or simply feeling lost, you don’t have to do this alone.

Common Themes We Might Explore

  • You’ve spent so much energy trying to be what others needed—quiet, helpful, “normal.” Now you’re wondering who you are underneath the masking. Therapy is a place where you can take off the mask, unlearn the pressure to perform, and begin to feel safe simply being yourself.

  • Getting a late diagnosis of ADHD or autism can feel like a revelation and a grief. It can change how you understand your past and shift how you want to move forward. I offer a neurodivergent-affirming space to explore what this means for your identity, relationships, and self-worth—without shame or pathologizing.

  • Your gender or sexuality is valid—whether it’s crystal clear or still evolving. You deserve a therapist who celebrates your queerness, holds space for your uncertainty, and helps you connect to your truth on your own terms. I offer LGBTQ+ affirming therapy that centers your voice, not a checklist.

  • You may have been taught who you “should” be—from your parents, religion, or culture—and now you’re wondering what parts of that still fit. Therapy can help you sort through inherited beliefs and choose your own path with intention, clarity, and compassion.

  • Even if no one ever “meant” to hurt you, growing up without emotional safety can shape how you see yourself. Maybe you’ve always felt too much—or not enough. Together, we’ll gently revisit these relational wounds so you can begin to trust yourself and feel worthy of care and connection.

  • It’s easy to lose touch with your inner compass when you’ve been focused on surviving, pleasing others, or performing. Through therapy, you can begin to slow down, listen inward, and rebuild a relationship with your body, your needs, and the values that matter most to you.