Therapist in NYC for Anxiety, Perfectionism & Overthinking
If your mind is always “on,” replaying conversations, worrying about what you said, or feeling like you can never fully relax, you’re not alone. And you don’t have to stay stuck in that cycle.
I’m Kiera Murphy, LMHC, a therapist NYC clients come to when they’re ready to feel more steady, clear, and in control. I help people understand and challenge the underlying beliefs that keep them stuck so they can feel calmer, more confident, and respond differently in a way that actually lasts.:
As a therapist in NYC, I work with high-achieving adults who feel overwhelmed by anxiety, overthinking, and pressure to get everything right. You might look like you have it together on the outside, but internally, it feels exhausting and hard to slow down.
How Therapy Works
Working with an NYC therapist gives you space not just to talk through what’s happening, but to understand and actively challenge the beliefs, thought patterns, and responses that keep you stuck. Many clients come in already highly self-aware. The focus of the work is helping you create real change, not just more insight.
As a therapist NYC clients meet with regularly, I focus on making therapy feel structured, supportive, and useful beyond the session itself.
Therapy is collaborative, practical, and focused on helping you apply what you’re learning outside of sessions. Alongside insight, we focus on tangible tools and strategies that help you respond differently in real-life situations so the changes feel more stable and lasting over time.
Who I work with…
As an anxiety therapist in NYC clients can turn to for overthinking, perfectionism, and people-pleasing, I work with adults who often look calm and capable on the outside but feel mentally exhausted inside.
You may already understand where these patterns come from. You may have talked them through before, reflected on your childhood, or become very self-aware, but still feel stuck in the same anxious cycles. Many of my clients are thoughtful, insightful people who know what they’re doing and why they’re doing it, but still struggle to actually change the pattern.
How I work:
My Approach
Moving Beyond Insight to Real Change
As a mental health counselor NYC clients work with for anxiety and perfectionism, I use evidence-based approaches like CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy), REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy) and EMDR to help you better understand your thoughts, emotions, and reactions.
A large part of the work focuses on identifying and challenging the underlying beliefs that drive anxiety, perfectionism, overthinking, and the need for certainty.
When those beliefs become more flexible and realistic, people often notice deeper and more lasting change, not just temporary symptom relief.
Therapy with me is…
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I create a space where you can feel completely heard and validated. I take the time to understand your unique experiences, struggles, and goals so that our work together is meaningful and tailored to your needs. Therapy is a space where you don’t have to have everything figured out or explain yourself perfectly. Many of the people I work with are very hard on themselves and feel like they “should” be able to handle everything on their own.
In therapy, we work to understand your patterns without judgment and with curiosity, so you can begin to understand yourself in a more compassionate and realistic way rather than through self-criticism.
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Change takes time, especially when the patterns you’re trying to change have been in place for many years. Therapy is not about forcing change quickly or pushing you before you’re ready.
We move at a pace that feels manageable for you, while still working toward meaningful change so that therapy feels both supportive and productive.
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Many of my clients come to therapy already very insightful and self-aware. Therapy is not just about talking about your week or understanding why you feel the way you do — it’s about understanding patterns and then actively working to change them.
Sessions are often a combination of insight, learning new ways to respond to thoughts and emotions, and figuring out how to apply what we talk about to your real life outside of sessions.
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Therapy is something we work on together. I will ask questions, offer observations, teach skills, and help you notice patterns you may not see on your own.
Therapy is not just you talking and me listening — it’s a collaborative process where we actively work toward helping you feel less stuck, less anxious, and more confident in yourself and your decisions.
I’m Kiera.
Therapy is not just about understanding yourself— it’s about changing patterns that are keeping you stuck.
I’m Kiera, a Manhattan-based Licensed Mental Health Counselor who works with thoughtful, high-achieving adults who want to understand themselves more deeply and create meaningful change in their lives.
My approach is collaborative, honest, and practical. In our work together, we don’t just talk about patterns — we work to understand where they come from and how to begin responding to them differently in real time.
Therapy can become a space where you build self-trust, develop a healthier relationship with your thoughts and emotions, and begin moving through life with more clarity, confidence, and direction.
I help people understand themselves, change unhelpful patterns, and feel more confident and in control of their lives.
Supporting those who are may struggle with…
Generalized Anxiety
Perfectionism
People pleasing
Self-Esteem
OCD Tendencies
Social Anxiety
Panic
Depression
Trauma
Relationship difficulties
How it Works
01
Reach out
Your journey to well-being begins with a simple step: reaching out. Schedule your initial consultation where we will discuss your current struggles, goals, and what you hope to achieve through therapy. This session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and ensure we’re the right fit.
02
Get to work
Once we’ve established a connection, we’ll dive into creating your personalized treatment plan. This plan will be uniquely tailored to address your specific needs and challenges. We will use a blend evidence-based approaches, each session is designed to provide you with insights, coping strategies, and practical tools to help you make lasting changes.
03
See change
As we progress through our sessions, you’ll begin to see and feel the changes in your life. With continuous assessment and adjustment of your treatment plan, we ensure you’re always on the right path. By the end of our work together, you’ll have developed effective strategies to manage anxiety, and build strong emotional resilience. You'll feel more in control, less emotionally stuck, & empowered to handle life’s challenges.
How to Get Started
Starting therapy NYC can feel like a big step, but the process is simple.
You can begin by booking a free consultation, where we’ll talk about what has been going on, what you are looking for in therapy, and whether working together feels like the right fit.
What People Are Saying
“Kiera is a phenomenal therapist who leads with empathy, warmth, and patience. She builds strong client connections, offers practical tools for life's challenges, and is deeply committed to continually growing her clinical expertise.”
— Elisabeth Gulotta, LMHC, Host of "Quiet the Clock"“Kiera is insightful, empathetic & dedicated. She blends evidence-based approaches with emotional understanding, creating a space where clients feel seen & supported. Kiera's commitment to her clients' growth & well-being makes her an exceptional therapist..”
— Julie Newman, LMHC-D, Owner of "Talking With Julie"“Kiera is a gifted clinician whose ability to embody warmth and understanding provides her clients with an incredible atmosphere for healing. Her deep knowledge base of CBT and EMDR paired with her kind nature helps clients transform their lives.”
— Lauren Milo, LMHC, Owner of "Lost Girl Therapy", Host of "I Needed This"
FAQs:
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Yes. We’ll use this time to talk through what you’re experiencing and see if working together makes sense.
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I am an out-of-network provider, but I can provide documentation for reimbursement depending on your plan.
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Yes. All sessions are conducted virtually, making it easy to attend from anywhere in NYC.
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It depends on your goals and what you’re working through. Many clients appreciate that the work is focused not just on insight, but on building practical tools and creating deeper shifts in the beliefs and patterns driving their anxiety, which can help the changes feel more lasting over time.
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A therapist provides talk therapy and tools for emotional and behavioral change. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can prescribe medication.Item description
You don’t have to keep managing this on your own.
If you’re ready to move beyond simply understanding your patterns and start creating real, lasting change, therapy can help you get there.
generalized anxiety
social anxiety
ocd tendencies
low self-esteem
perfectionism
people-pleasing
burn-out
trauma
panic disorder
depression
generalized anxiety social anxiety ocd tendencies low self-esteem perfectionism people-pleasing burn-out trauma panic disorder depression
