SPECIALIZED THERAPY FOR TEENS & YOUNG ADULTS IN CONNECTICUT
You know what you're supposed to do, but knowing isn't the problem.
Virtual therapy for eating disorders, OCD, perfectionism, and low self-esteem for teens and young adults who are tired of the rules, overthinking, second-guessing, and never feeling quite good enough.
You're constantly at war with yourself.
You don't trust yourself. You think about food constantly. Your body image can determine you mood for the entire day. You second guess your own thoughts, feelings, needs, and decisions. You constantly compare yourself to everyone else around you. Someone your age gets the job, relationship, apartment, degree, or life you thought you'd have by now, and suddenly you're questioning everything. You feel behind, while also feeling completely exhausted from the pressure you put on yourself to catch up.
You never experience feeling proud of yourself because it never feels like enough. The goalpost immediately moves after accomplishing something. You feel guilty when you're not productive. Rest doesn't really feel like rest. You finally sit down after a long day, but instead of relaxing, you're thinking about everything you could be getting done. You call yourself lazy. Even when you're exhausted, there's a voice telling you that you should be doing more.
You replay conversations in your head, picking apart what you said and wondering how you came across. You're hyper aware of everyone else's emotions. You apologize constantly. You can't concentrate because your brain is always loud. You often walk around pretending like you're fine.
Imagine what it would feel like to really trust yourself.
To make a decision without immediately asking three other people what they think. To send the text without rereading it ten times. To say, “Actually, I don’t want to do that,” without spending the rest of the night worrying that you disappointed someone. To show up as your authentic, vulnerable, emotional self without constantly wondering if you're too much.
Imagine sitting down to eat and actually being part of the conversation instead of mentally calculating, comparing, or planning what you'll eat later. Getting dressed in the morning based on what you like and what feels good, rather than what makes your body look the smallest. Going out with friends without checking the menu beforehand. Looking back at photos from a trip and remembering how much fun you had instead of immediately zooming in on your body.
You could make a mistake at work without spending the rest of the day convinced you're bad at your job. Notice someone's tone change without automatically assuming you did something wrong. Have an intrusive thought without spending hours Googling, replaying, checking, or trying to figure out what it says about you.
Imagine being on a date and actually listening to the person across from you instead of wondering how you're coming across. Being physically intimate without mentally watching or judging your body from the outside. Trying something new without needing to know you'll be good at it first. Saying what you actually think instead of figuring out what everyone else wants to hear.
You can build a life where your thoughts, your fears, food, other people’s emotions, and the pressure to get everything right don’t take up so much space. Where you can trust yourself, be present, take up space, and figure out who you are outside of the eating disorder, the OCD, or the perfectionism.
What Brings You Here
Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
You're terrified that the certainty that you're seeking doesn't exist.
Therapy for Eating Disorders & Body Image
You don't have to love your body to stop fighting with it.
Therapy for Self-esteem and Perfectionism
The goalpost immediately moves after accomplishing something.
You don’t need another person telling you to “just stop overthinking.”
Hi, I’m Kendra, the therapist behind The Within Collective. I know how exhausting it can be when your own brain rarely seems to give you a break, especially when everyone around you thinks you’re doing just fine. I also know that understanding something logically and actually feeling able to do something differently are two very different things.
You probably already know what you’re “supposed” to do. You know you shouldn’t be restricting, purging, engaging in compulsions, putting everyone else’s needs before your own, or being so hard on yourself. But knowing isn’t the problem. Sometimes the things that are hurting you are also the things that have helped you feel safe, and that makes letting go of them really complicated.
I want to take the time to understand why these behaviors exist and why doing something differently feels so hard. My approach is warm, collaborative, and down-to-earth. I’ll challenge you, but I’ll also meet you with the self-compassion you’re not always able to give yourself. You don’t have to perform in therapy or be the easy client. You’re allowed to take up space, show up messy, and finally say the thing out loud that you’re afraid to say without judgment.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
You don’t have to take my word for it.
