Online Therapy for Anxiety, Perfectionism and Burnout in Florida

When worry, perfectionism and burnout run together

Many capable adults live with all three at once. You are the person others rely on, you hold yourself to a standard you would never ask of a friend, and you are tired in a way a weekend does not fix. From the outside things look fine.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says occasional anxiety is a normal part of life, and that many people worry about health, money, work or family. Generalized anxiety disorder is different: it usually involves a persistent feeling of anxiety or dread that interferes with how you live your life. NIMH lists signs such as these:

• Trouble controlling worries or feelings of nervousness
• Feeling restless or on edge, or having trouble concentrating
• Trouble falling or staying asleep, or feeling fatigued
• Headaches, muscle aches, stomachaches or tension

Burnout is not a diagnosis, and that is useful to know

The World Health Organization (WHO) includes burn-out in its International Classification of Diseases as an occupational phenomenon. It states plainly that burn-out is not classified as a medical condition.

The WHO describes burn-out as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, with three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from your job or negative and cynical feelings about it, and reduced professional efficacy. It adds that the term refers to work and should not be applied to other areas of life.

Perfectionism is not a diagnosis either. It is a pattern: standards set so high that nothing feels finished, and mistakes that feel far larger than they are. These can be signs of anxiety underneath, but only a conversation with a qualified professional can sort that out.

So a therapist will not diagnose burnout. They may ask about your work and your rest, and look at whether something else is present. NIMH notes that some people with generalized anxiety disorder also have depression. If low mood is part of the picture, our depression therapy page explains more.

What to look for in a therapist

NIMH describes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a research-supported type of psychotherapy that is commonly used for generalized anxiety disorder. In CBT, people learn to notice automatic ways of thinking that are inaccurate or harmful, question those thoughts, see how they affect emotions and behavior, and change self-defeating patterns.

NIMH also notes that different therapies work for different types of people, and that therapy can take some time to work. Its advice for choosing a provider is to look for someone with experience treating your symptoms and to ask about their methods. Good questions for a first call:

• What experience do you have with anxiety, perfectionism and work stress in adults?
• Which approaches do you use, and how would you decide what fits me?
• What would the first few sessions look like?
• How do you run sessions on video, and what happens if the connection drops?
• What should I do between sessions if things get harder?

Checking a Florida license

In Florida, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors are licensed by one board, the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, which sits with the Florida Department of Health. The board says Florida licensees can already provide telehealth services to patients in Florida that they can treat in person.

Ask any therapist for their full name, license type and Florida license number. Then use the Verify a License link on the board's website and compare what you find with what you were told. It takes a few minutes, and it is an ordinary thing to do.

What online sessions involve

According to NIMH, virtual care can be effective for conditions including anxiety and depression. Virtual visits do not require travel, which can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy schedule. For someone already stretched thin, losing the drive and the waiting room can be the difference between going and not going.

There are trade-offs to plan for. NIMH points out that online appointments need an internet connection and a device such as a smartphone or computer, that a poor connection can disrupt a session, and that a visit may feel less private if people nearby can see or overhear.

1. 1Find a private spotA bedroom, a home office or a parked car can work. Headphones help.
2. 2Check your setupTest your camera, sound and connection a few minutes early, and keep a charger close.
3. 3Protect the timeBlock the session on your calendar the way you would a meeting you cannot move, and give yourself a few minutes afterward before going back to work.
4. 4Say where you areTell your therapist if you will be traveling or joining from somewhere other than Florida, before the session.

Florida crisis and support resources

Therapy is ongoing care. It is not built for emergencies, so it helps to know these options before you need them.

If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, or call 911 if there is immediate danger. Locascio Wellness does not provide emergency services. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline says it is available at all hours every day, that conversations are free and confidential, and that you can call, text or chat.

In Florida, the Department of Children and Families manages the 988 Florida Lifeline. It describes it as a free support service, available 24/7, that connects Floridians experiencing suicidal thoughts, a mental health crisis or any other kind of emotional distress with a highly trained crisis counselor in their immediate area. The call centers are Florida-based organizations.

The Department also says that if a caller would benefit from immediate in-person contact, a crisis counselor can refer them to a Mobile Response Team, a specialized unit that provides on-site support during a mental health crisis. Our crisis resources page lists more options.

How we can help in Florida

Locascio Wellness is an all-virtual practice, and every session is by secure video. A therapist on our team is licensed in Florida as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and sees adults who are physically located in Florida during sessions. You are welcome to ask for the license number and check it yourself.

Members of our team use cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based approaches, among others, and not every therapist uses every approach. Our anxiety therapy page describes how we work with worry and overthinking, and if work is at the center of it, our career counseling page may help too.

You can start with a free 15-minute consultation on our booking page. Coverage depends on your plan and your state, so please ask us to verify your benefits. Our insurance and fees page explains how that works.

Being the one who holds everything together is tiring, and asking for support is a strong and ordinary thing to do. Many people find that things can feel lighter once they are no longer carrying it alone.