Anxiety & Burnout Therapy | Boston & NYC Professionals

Boston and NYC are vibrant, fast-paced cities full of opportunities, but they come with their own set of stressors that can contribute to anxiety and burnout. As a professional in either city, you might relate to the following common anxiety triggers:

Career and Academic Pressure

• Both Boston and NYC are home to world-renowned universities and competitive corporate environments. High expectations and imposter syndrome are common among high-achieving professionals, especially in fields like tech, law, and finance.

Cost of Living and Housing Instability

• Both cities consistently rank among the most expensive in the U.S., with skyrocketing housing costs and financial stress taking a toll on mental well-being. This financial strain is particularly felt in NYC’s rapidly evolving neighborhoods and Boston’s upscale residential areas.

Weather & Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

• Long, harsh winters and limited sunlight in both cities contribute to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression that exacerbates anxiety. The cold weather and long winters in both cities can make it hard to stay motivated and energized.

Traffic & Transit Stress

• The subway systems in NYC and Boston’s MBTA (The T) are notorious for delays and overcrowding. The constant strain of commuting through busy city streets of Downtown Boston, Manhattan, or Brooklyn adds an extra layer of unpredictability, leading to heightened stress levels.

Cultural Pressure to “Have It All”

• There’s a cultural expectation in both Boston and NYC to excel professionally, stay fit, maintain a social life, and manage it all with grace. This pressure to balance everything often leads to burnout and anxiety, especially for ambitious women juggling multiple roles and multiple hats.

Burnout looks and feels different in large US cities, and high-achieving women in Brooklyn and Manhattan often feel it more than most.The nonstop pace of city life, combined with perfectionistic pressures and intense work demands, can leave even the most successful women feeling depleted and unfulfilled.

Similarly, high-performing women in Boston are no strangers to these same burnout stressors. The competitive work culture, academic intensity, and constant pressure to achieve can make it hard to slow down, let alone breathe.

Here are some of the most common burnout triggers I see in therapy with driven women in both cities:

Mental Load & Perfectionism

The constant drive to “do it all” perfectly at work, at home, in relationships leads to burnout fast. Even when you're excelling, it can feel like nothing is ever enough.

Overpacked Schedules

From back-to-back meetings and side hustles to networking events and caregiving duties, self-care often gets pushed to the bottom of the list. The high-energy pace in both NYC and Boston only intensifies this struggle.

Work Culture Pressures

In industries like tech, finance, healthcare, and law, the hustle mentality is often glamorized. For women in male-dominated fields, the pressure to constantly prove yourself can be overwhelming.

Invisible Expectations

Being the “go-to” person at work, home, or in your social circles adds emotional labor that often goes unseen, and unpaid. This leaves many women feeling drained, resentful, or lost in a role they didn’t consciously choose.

City Life Stress

Whether it's navigating long commutes, sensory overload, or skyrocketing living costs, life in NYC and Boston can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Finding space to decompress is hard and often overlooked.

Disconnection from Purpose

Many high-achieving women reach a point where they’re ticking off all the boxes, but still feel empty. Therapy can help reconnect you with your values, realign your goals, and rediscover joy outside of achievement.

Women in competitive fields like business, law, medicine, tech STEM, and leadership roles in Boston and NYC face immense pressure to perform, often leading to:

Work-Life Imbalance

• Balancing career success with personal life can be a constant struggle, leading to self-doubt, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and people-pleasing tendencies.

Chronic Worry, Stress & Burnout

• The demands of high-pressure industries in both cities contribute to chronic stress, anxiety, and burnout, making it hard to find balance and satisfaction.

Feelings of Isolation

• The pressure to always be “on” can lead to feelings of isolation, making it difficult for high-achieving women in Boston, Manhattan, and Brooklyn to connect with others on a deeper level.

Physical & Emotional Exhaustion

• The intense performance demands in both cities’ tech, biotech, healthcare, and academic sectors contribute to physical and emotional exhaustion. Anxiety, stress, and burnout are common among women in these fields.

Good news: This doesn’t need to be your life! Whether you are a high-performer, executive, entrepreneur, athlete, or graduate student, therapy for anxiety and stress can give you the tools to manage pressure, quiet your mind, and feel more grounded in your day-to-day.

I utilize a unique blend of the following evidence-based practices during your time in therapy to help you meet your mental wellness goals as a high-achieving woman in Boston & NYC:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Internal Family Systems (IFS)

• Postive Psychology

• Mindfulness Based Techniques

• Coaching for Leaders & Business Owners in Boston High-Stress Environments

For More General Information on Therapy for Anxiety:

Online Anxiety Therapy

• As of February 2021, more than 42% of adults in Massachusetts were experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression (NAMI, 2023).

  Reference:
  National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2023). Massachusetts State Fact Sheet.

• Between 2015 and 2021, the number of Boston adults experiencing frequent anxiety, defined as feeling anxious, worried, or tense for at least half the month, increased from 21.9% to 27.0%
  Reference:
  Boston Public Health Commission

• Among women in Boston, perfectionism and burnout are frequent contributors to anxiety, particularly in competitive industries like tech, biotech, and higher education.

Anxiety and Mental Health Disorders Are Common in NYC Adults

• Nearly 1 in 5 adult New Yorkers (18%) has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. In total, almost 1 in 4 adults experience some form / type of mental health disorder each year. Despite relatively high treatment rates, 34% of adults report unmet mental health needs due to barriers like cost, stigma, or difficulty accessing care.

  Reference: NYC Health

Serious Psychological Distress Remains an Issue Post-Pandemic

• While the mental health of New Yorkers is gradually improving after the pandemic, 8% of adults in 2023 still reported serious psychological distress, including struggles with functioning due to emotional or mental struggles. Younger adults (ages 18–24) in particular are reporting higher levels of distress, social isolation, and unmet mental health needs compared to older populations.

  Reference: NYC Health

High Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders Among New Yorkers

• Nearly one in four adults in New York State experiences a mental health disorder annually, aligning with national averages. Specifically, 18% have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and 11% with major depressive disorder. Despite these numbers, 34% report unmet mental health needs, often due to barriers like cost, stigma, or limited access to care.

  Reference: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Article: Half of Workers Around the World Are Struggling with Burnout

By  Gabrielle Novacek,  Deborah Lovich,  Gretchen May,  Hillary Wool,  Roshni Rathi, and  Mario Farsky

Having lived, studied, and worked in Boston for 7 years, I understand the unique pressures and demands that come with working and thriving in a fast-paced city.

I completed my graduate studies at Boston University and went on to serve as a Director of a nonprofit, helping individuals navigate stress and challenges in their personal and professional lives. Later, I transitioned into the healthcare tech space, where I witnessed firsthand the impact of high-pressure environments on mental health. My personal experience navigating Boston’s corporate, nonprofit, and academic sectors allows me to deeply relate to the challenges high-achieving women face in the city. I bring both professional expertise and lived experience to my therapy practice, helping my clients build confidence, manage stress, heal anxiety, and achieve emotional resilience.

More Information: About Alexis Verbin, LCSW, LICSW, Boston & NYC Anxiety Burnout Therapist

With virtual sessions, you can receive expert anxiety, stress, and burnout treatment without having to worry about navigating the congested streets of Boston, Manhattan, or Brooklyn.

• Private & confidential virtual sessions

• Flexible online therapy scheduling for busy professionals, executives, leaders, entrepreneurs and business owners.

• Travel throughout Massachusetts or New York for work? No Problem! Remote therapy allows you to attend therapy anywhere in the state without needing to cancel.

• Enjoy therapy from your comfortable couch, not mine!