When your needs are hard to say aloud
Anxiety and Stress by video across California.
When Setting Boundaries Feels Hard
You agree before checking whether you can manage it. You rehearse a request but soften it until it disappears. Or you set a limit and spend the rest of the day worrying about the other person's reaction.
Therapy can give you a place to understand that pattern and what makes it difficult to express your needs. Shoreline's anxiety and stress work includes attention to self-esteem and relationships.
Maybe this sounds familiar
01
You say yes while feeling resentful.
02
You worry for hours after making a request.
03
Other people's reactions guide every decision.
04
You want to understand what makes limits difficult.
01 · Understand
Look at what feels at risk
A boundary can bring up more than the immediate request. You may fear disappointing someone, being misunderstood or losing a relationship. Those concerns deserve exploration rather than an instruction to simply say no.
You can bring a recent example and talk about what you wanted, what you said and what happened afterward. The therapist can help you understand the experience in your own context rather than assume every difficulty has the same origin.
02 · Practice
Keep the focus on your choices
A limit does not guarantee that another person will approve of it. Therapy can help you consider what you want to communicate and how you respond when a conversation is uncomfortable. It cannot control another person's behavior.
If there is a risk of retaliation, coercion or harm, raise that privately with the clinician before treating the issue as ordinary assertiveness practice. Safety and the suitability of the service need their own discussion.
03 · Choose Your Next Step
Choose a clinician and a workable next step
Holly Whitmore, Emily Chen, Misty Goldenberg, Nicola Loretto, Dina Abdelaal and Aidé Merito are listed for anxiety and stress support. Their approaches include different combinations of IFS, CBT, attachment-informed and somatic work. Ask the particular clinician to explain how they work.
A consultation can address availability, fit and the practical details of California telehealth. You do not need to diagnose yourself in order to inquire, and no result is guaranteed by choosing a method.
A therapist who fits you
These clinicians offer the related service. Availability and the right approach for your situation are part of the consultation.
Holly Whitmore
MA, LMFT
Gottman couples therapy and IFS
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Emily Chen
AMFT
EFT, attachment and inner child work
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Misty Goldenberg
AMFT
EMDR, perinatal and couples work
View profile
Nicola Loretto
MA, AMFT
Grief, identity and Gottman couples work
View profile
Dina Abdelaal
AMFT
Trauma and PTSD, in English and Spanish
View profile
Aidé Merito
AMFT, APCC
Teens, identity and trauma, in English and Spanish
View profileFees in brief
We are in network with Aetna (PPO and EPO plans only), Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum and Blue Shield of California. Not every clinician is in network with every plan.
Seeing someone out of network? We provide superbills you can submit for reimbursement.
Rates and insuranceLicensed therapist
$180
per telehealth session
For adults, couples, children or families
Associate therapist
$150
per telehealth session
For adults, couples, children or families
Questions before you begin
Does setting boundaries mean ending relationships?
Not necessarily. The work can include many kinds of choices and communication. No particular relationship decision should be assumed before your circumstances are understood.
How do I ask about this service?
Tell the practice the broad kind of support you are seeking, your language preference and whether you have a clinician in mind. Fit, availability and any fee or insurance arrangement need to be confirmed before an appointment.
A small first step
Start with a free 15 minute phone consultation to discuss provider fit, availability and the next step. Keep personal and health details out of an ordinary website inquiry. Ongoing sessions are offered by video within California.
Explore Anxiety and StressKeep exploring
When You Cannot Stop Overthinking
You replay a conversation, run through possibilities or keep checking whether you made the right choice.
When Work Leaves You Running on Empty
You get through the tasks, then feel too depleted for the rest of life. Time off may be filled with catching up or thinking about what is waiting.
Make room for a different conversation
Start with a free 15 minute phone consultation. We'll help you consider provider fit and next steps.