Helping high-achieving
anxious adults
move beyond perfectionism, people-pleasing, and trauma into more connected, fulfilling relationships.
LGBTQ+ & Neurodiversity Affirming |
Sex-Positive
Therapy in Akron, Ohio
On the outside, you look composed…
With anxious perfectionism and people-pleasing, appearing collected on the outside can mask shame-spiraling, burnout, and a constant sense of internal urgency.
You are constantly evaluating yourself: Am I doing enough?
Am I disappointing anyone?
No matter what you accomplish, the goalpost seems to move. You second guess your feelings. Other people's needs can take priority before there's even a chance to notice your own. Somewhere along the way, achievement, helpfulness, or keeping the peace may have become tied to feeling worthy, safe, or accepted.
Carley Irwin
Licensed Professional Counselor
Therapy offers a place where you don’t have to perform.
You’re ready to understand yourself beyond people’s expectations, untangle performance pressure, and deepen your relationships. Together, we’ll explore the roles you’ve learned to play, the parts you tend to hide, and the patterns that are no longer working. You’ll learn to trust yourself, set boundaries without being consumed by guilt, and make choices based on what you actually want, not what you think you should want.
You don’t have to have it all figured out before you begin.
Masking Through Competence
You can’t just think your way to healing.
You also have to feel your way there.
Maybe you’ve already been to therapy, journaled, read the books, taken the classes, followed all the social media therapy accounts. You may already understand your patterns and yet the relief hasn’t followed.
Maybe healing isn’t about doing more.
Maybe it’s about doing things differently.
If insight and self-awareness were enough you wouldn’t still be suffering this way. You can know the issue and not find yourself any closer to relief.
What if healing wasn’t about overanalyzing your past but feeling safe enough to release it? What if you could finally hear the parts of you that learned to stay quiet and reconnect with what they’ve been trying to say?
This is that space.
Here, I will honor what you truly need by helping you slow down enough to notice your grief, urgency, and tension. All the hidden parts that work so hard under the surface will have their opportunity to be witnessed.
It’s time to take off the mask.
My Approach
Carley Irwin
Licensed Professional Counselor
I pride myself on being very down-to-earth, approachable and warm. Through humor, kindness, and directness I help you feel at ease and start to slowly understand that you can be accepted just as you are.
Therapy with me is not a stuffy space. I offer a calm atmosphere where you can begin checking in with what you actually want and need in your life and relationships.
As a perfectionist myself, I know all too well the ways that perfectionism can be extremely helpful and also how it starts to create overwhelm that eats away at you.
Learn more about me Here
Areas of Therapeutic Focus
There are so many areas that masking tends to show up. You want to be heard, seen, and accepted for who you are behind the performance. You may identify as a people-pleaser, as someone with trauma, as part of the LGBTQ+ community, or perhaps as a man who has never had a place to express himself openly. You have something valuable and meaningful to share that needs our attention.
In which of the following areas do you need care and support?
Perfectionism
You work hard, accomplish a lot, and still feel like you're falling short. You may struggle to rest, make decisions, or feel satisfied with what you've done.
People-Pleasing
You’re highly attuned to what other people need, but saying no, disappointing someone, or putting yourself first can feel almost impossible.
Couples & Relationships
You want relationships that feel close and honest, but old patterns can make intimacy, communication, and boundaries more complicated than they should be.
Men’s Mental Health
You may be used to handling things on your own, keeping it together, and pushing through even when what you're carrying has become too much.
Complex
Trauma
You may understand that your past affects you, but still find yourself reacting, relating, or protecting yourself in ways you don't fully understand.
LGBTQ+ & Sexuality
Therapy can be a place to explore relationships, sexuality, and the parts of yourself you’re still figuring out without having to explain or defend who you are.
Welcome to the Office
You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see a green front door. My cozy office lives in this charming old home that’s been converted into office spaces. It is conveniently located on West Market Street in Akron, Ohio.
ADA accessible building. Plenty of off-street parking.
Ready to take the mask off and be truly known?
The first step is to book a free 15-minute virtual consultation. We will talk about what you’re looking for, answer any questions that you have, and see if we are a good fit.