Kelly McAleer, Psy.D.

Does this sound familiar? You’re a high achieving individual and to the outside world, you seem “fine.” Maybe even better than fine, others likely see you as having it all together. The picture of success. They’d be surprised to learn that internally you struggle to feel fine and in fact, sometimes, you feel like you’re not good enough at anything. On the one hand, you set high standards for yourself (admittedly, sometimes too high!) and feel proud when you meet your goals; on the other hand, your mind tends to use those standards against you, focusing on all the things you’re behind on, all the things you haven’t done. Or, even worse, the areas that you can’t seem to improve – the messy parts of life that don’t have easy solutions – relationships, the past and the future, the world around us. With all the the tasks you take on between your personal and professional life it’s no wonder that there’s a long list of “shoulds” that is always on your mind. Of course, that evil inner critic has a way of pointing out all the things you could be doing better, especially when you’re trying to relax! The perfectionistic standards are impossible. The self-criticism is depleting. The mental load is exhausting. You’re stressed, anxious, sad, and fantasizing about what it would feel like to “drop the ball” and not be the responsible one for once. I get it! And I can help! Let’s cut through all the noise in your head and find your inner empathy and self-compassion. I know they exist because you give that kind, caring voice to everyone else in your life. You deserve to experience kindness from within. Let’s start your journey… I help people understand their feelings better and recognize the individual, familial, and societal patterns that contribute to the pressure to be everything for everyone. We will process your life experiences and examine perfectionistic standards, boundaries, and learn skills to build self-compassion. Empathic, empowering, and experienced – I use an integrative, individually tailored approach to meet you wherever you may be on your journey, providing support and skills with an easy-going nature. I am open-minded and progressive, intent on helping all clients feel comfortable and get the most out of the therapy process. Therapy can provide a space for you to focus on you. Request your appointment and start connecting with your authentic self today.