Anxiety Therapy for High-Achievers in DFW & Texas
Anxiety is not a flaw. It is a natural stress response, our body’s internal alarm designed to anticipate risk, protect what matters, and keep us sharp under pressure. In high-responsibility lives, it can even look like a strength: discipline, focus, and relentless follow-through. But when anxiety becomes persistent and intense, it stops helping and begins to take a toll—on sleep, recovery, clear thinking, and our ability to feel present and at ease.
Tailored Therapy For You
Do You Recognize These Signs of High-Functioning Anxiety?
You may be in the right place if you are a capable, successful individual who feels trapped in patterns of overthinking and self-judgment. Many of my clients are "functioning" perfectly on the outside while feeling exhausted on the inside.
Common Symptoms I Treat:
- Racing Thoughts & Rumination: Difficulty "turning your mind off" at night or after work.
- Perfectionism & Impostor Syndrome: A persistent fear of mistakes or feeling like "it’s never enough."
- Physical Tension: Chronic tightness, restlessness, jaw clenching, or an inability to sit still.
- Emotional Disconnect: Feeling irritable, shut down, or distant from your partner.
- Burnout & Fatigue: Difficulty recovering energy even after sleep or time off.
- Control & Avoidance: Over-preparing for meetings or needing total control to feel safe.
Therapy becomes especially important when anxiety begins to override your values; when it informs decisions, takes away choices, or quietly erodes your wellbeing. Many people seek support not because they’re falling apart, but because they’re tired of holding it together at such a high cost. If you’re functioning, yet not truly living with ease, you do not have to wait until you’ve reached the breaking point.
A Practical, Trauma-Informed Approach to Calm
In therapy, we will explore how anxiety operates in your life. We will identify your triggers, thought loops, and body responses, and explore the subtle ways avoidance or over-control may have become a survival strategy.
I believe in equipping you with more than just insight; I want you to have tools that work in real-time. You will learn practical skills to reduce your anxiety and soothe your nervous system, including:
- Grounding Techniques: Simple, physical practices that pull you out of "what if" spirals and anchor you back in the present moment, signaling to your body that you are safe right now.
- Cognitive Defusion: Learning to observe your racing thoughts as just "data" rather than absolute truths. This creates distance between you and the worry, so you stop getting hooked by every worst-case scenario.
- Nervous System Regulation: Moving beyond "calm down" to actually understanding your body’s stress response.
- Intentional Boundary-Setting: Shifting from people-pleasing to conscious decision-making. We protect your energy by clarifying what is yours to carry and what belongs to others, reducing the resentment that fuels anxiety.
When anxiety is tied to earlier experiences or attachment patterns, I help you connect those dots with care, understanding, and compassion. In our work, we are not simply managing symptoms; we are breaking the unhelpful patterns that keep the engine running.
My goal is not to eliminate anxiety altogether, but to help you relate to it differently—with more ease and confidence—so you can live the life you deserve.
What Changes When Anxiety Quiets Down?
- Mental Clarity: Less mental noise and fewer spirals of overthinking.
- Restorative Sleep: The ability to actually "come down" and recharge after a high-stakes day.
- Sustainable Performance: Greater steadiness under pressure—less urgency, more focus.
- Authentic Confidence: Navigating uncertainty without needing total control.
- Healthier Boundaries: Moving away from people-pleasing and toward intentional choices.
Success Doesn’t Have to Feel Like Survival
Your next level isn't about doing more—it's about removing the internal friction that slows you down. Stop white-knuckling through your success and start enjoying it.
Investment & Logistics
Location & Accessibility
For those in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I currently offer in-person sessions at my offices in Addison and Highland Park, providing a quiet, dedicated space to disconnect from the outside world. If you reside elsewhere in Texas or simply prefer the comfort of your own home, I also offer secure, HIPAA-compliant virtual therapy to ensure you can access support wherever you are.
Session Fees
My standard rate is $225 for individual therapy and $245 for couples therapy, with each session lasting 50 minutes. I understand that therapy is a significant investment in your well-being, so I do maintain a limited number of sliding scale spots for clients facing financial hardship; please feel free to inquire about availability during our consultation.
Insurance & Reimbursement
I operate as an out-of-network provider, a choice that allows us to keep your care strictly confidential and fully personalized without the session limits often imposed by insurance companies. While I do not bill insurance directly, I am happy to provide a monthly Superbill that you can submit to your provider for potential out-of-network reimbursement. I recommend calling your insurance company to verify your "outpatient mental health" benefits so you can move forward with financial clarity.
My Dallas Office Location:
How do I know if my anxiety is “bad enough” for therapy?
You know your anxiety is "bad enough" for therapy when it begins to extract a cost from your daily life, whether that is lost sleep, strained relationships, or a constant inability to mentally disconnect from work. You do not need to wait for a crisis to warrant support; in fact, many high-functioning professionals seek my support simply because they are tired of the exhaustion that comes from appearing calm on the outside while feeling chaotic on the inside.
Do you offer practical tools, or is it mostly just insight?
I offer a blend of both practical tools and deep insight. While understanding the root cause is vital for long-term change, I believe you need concrete skills to manage your physiology right now. My approach integrates immediate coping strategies—such as grounding techniques, cognitive reframing, and nervous system regulation—to help you lower your baseline stress immediately while we simultaneously address the underlying patterns so the anxiety does not return.
What is the difference between anxiety, stress, and burnout?
The difference between anxiety, stress, and burnout lies in their source and how they impact your nervous system. Stress is typically a response to external pressure, like a deadline, and usually subsides once the situation resolves. Anxiety, however, is an internal state of anticipation or threat that persists even when life is outwardly calm. If left untreated, chronic stress and anxiety often evolve into burnout, which is characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and a feeling of emptiness rather than just worry.
Will therapy make me less driven or competitive?
No, therapy will not make you less driven or competitive; rather, it makes your ambition more sustainable. This is a common fear for high-achievers, but the reality is that anxiety creates an "inner friction" that wastes valuable mental energy on worst-case scenarios. By resolving this, we do not dull your edge; we sharpen it by helping you access clearer thinking and better decision-making, allowing you to perform from a place of purpose rather than panic.
Can therapy help with physical symptoms like chest tightness or insomnia?
Yes, therapy is highly effective for treating physical symptoms of anxiety like chest tightness, insomnia, and restlessness. Because anxiety is a physiological survival response, it often manifests somatically in the body long before you consciously feel "worried." By using somatic-informed techniques and nervous system regulation, I help you complete the stress cycle and signal safety to your body, which often leads to significant improvements in sleep quality and a reduction in chronic physical tension.
Meet Gergana Markov, MBA, M.S., LPC.
An EMDR-trained clinician and former corporate professional, I specialize in helping high-functioning adults and couples move from "surviving" to "thriving." Let’s find your footing again.
Related Services
I do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Whether you need to process the past with EMDR, repair your relationship, or find balance amidst burnout, my services are tailored to fit the unique shape of your story.
Your Next Chapter Begins Here
Meaningful change is possible, and it starts with a single step. Whether you are looking to heal the past or strengthen your future, I would be honored to walk that path with you.