How do I know if Lisa Chen & Associates is the right fit for me?

We offer a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation. It's a chance to get to know us, understand our approach, and see if we align with your needs. The purpose of an initial consultation is to determine if you are a good fit for working together. You can expect a 15–20 minute conversation where you will have the opportunity to share your concerns, goals, and what you hope to achieve through therapy. This is also a chance for you to ask questions and get a sense of the therapist's approach and personality.

Our fees range from $180 to $350 per 50-minute session based on the clinician's experience, specialized training, and services provided. Lisa Chen's fees are $350 per 50-minute session for both individual and couples counseling. Licensed Client Session fees are $200 for individual and $225 for couples counseling per 50-minute session. Associate Clinician fees are $180 for individual and $200 for couples counseling per 50-minute session. We also reserve spots for clients requesting a sliding-scale rate to accommodate financial needs.

Do you accept insurance?

Lisa Chen & Associates are out-of-network providers. We provide monthly insurance statements ('Superbills') for you to seek partial reimbursement from your insurance company according to your policy. For questions about your out-of-network benefits, please contact your insurance carrier before scheduling.

What is your cancellation policy?

Weekly clients are allowed 3 free cancellations every 6 months, and bi-weekly clients are allowed 2 free cancellations every 6 months, beginning from the date of your first session. You will be responsible for payment for your normally scheduled session time for all cancelled appointments beyond this. Please provide at least 48 hours' notice for cancellations. You may always choose to reschedule and/or take sessions virtually to accommodate occasional scheduling conflicts.

How often should I expect to meet?

We recommend weekly therapy sessions for optimal progress. However, there are times when clients prefer to meet twice a week for more complex challenges. During your initial phone consultation, let us know if you are interested in more frequent sessions.

Are you offering in-person sessions?

Yes, we are seeing clients in our South Bay office located at 2615 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 326, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. We also offer telehealth sessions for California residents.

How do I get started with counseling?

The first step is to schedule an initial consultation by calling our office or submitting the contact form on our website. This allows us to understand your needs and match you with the best therapist for your situation. From there, we'll work with you to schedule ongoing sessions.

How to Slow Down Without Falling Behind: Therapy for High-Achievers

Quick Summary:

If you’re a high-achieving professional stuck in overdrive, therapy can help you slow down—without losing your edge. At Lisa Chen & Associates, we specialize in therapy for ambitious professionals in Hermosa Beach, CA and St. Augustine, FL. Our Polyvagal-informed approach blends IFS, EMDR, and mindfulness to help high-functioning clients regulate their nervous systems, reconnect with purpose, and redefine success—without burning out. Explore therapy for high-achievers in California and Florida.

You’re ambitious, self-motivated, and used to pushing through.

You hit your goals—even when you're running on fumes. Maybe you've even been praised for how much you can handle. But what happens when being “on” all the time starts costing you your relationships, your energy, or even your sense of self?

As a therapist who works with high-achieving professionals in Hermosa Beach, CA and now offering services in St. Augustine, FL, I see this pattern often: successful people who are deeply capable, but privately burning out.

The truth is: slowing down doesn’t mean giving up.

In fact, therapy can help you create a version of success that doesn’t come at your own expense.

What High-Achievers Secretly Struggle With
Even if you're functioning at a high level, you might be noticing:

You feel guilty when you rest
You wake up already anxious about your to-do list
Time off doesn’t feel restorative—it feels wasted
You’re constantly checking your phone, even during downtime
You worry that if you stop moving, everything will fall apart

These aren’t just habits. They’re survival strategies—often rooted in early beliefs that your worth depends on output, performance, or control.
And in high-pressure cities like Los Angeles and St. Augustine, this hustle-driven lifestyle is often invisible—because it’s rewarded.

Why Slowing Down Feels So Scary (Even When You're Exhausted)

For many high-achievers, work isn’t just a job—it’s an identity. Slowing down can feel like erasing who you are. There’s often a fear that if you rest, you’ll fall behind, lose relevance, or “fail.”

But here’s the reality:
You’re not lazy, unmotivated, or broken for wanting rest.
You’re human. And your nervous system isn’t meant to live in overdrive.

The Nervous System Behind Overworking

From a Polyvagal perspective, chronic overfunctioning is often a sympathetic nervous system state—fight or flight. It can feel energized, even addictive. But over time, this leads to burnout, numbness, and disconnection.

When your body equates productivity with safety (because of trauma, early pressure, or achievement-based identity), slowing down can feel threatening.
This isn’t a mindset issue—it’s a nervous system issue.

In Polyvagal-informed therapy, we help you:

Notice when you shift into fight, flight, or freeze
Interrupt urgency with grounding
Reconnect with cues of safety in stillness
Uncouple your worth from constant action
Build nervous system capacity for both rest and achievement

This isn’t about forcing rest—it’s about making it feel safe.

Mindfulness for the High-Functioning Nervous System

Mindfulness helps regulate your nervous system by increasing present-moment awareness. For high-achievers, it becomes a practice of:

Noticing overworking before it spirals
Feeling emotions you’ve bypassed
Increasing access to the ventral vagal state (calm, connection, curiosity)
Anchoring in safety—not just performance

Mindfulness, when paired with somatic therapy, helps you slow down in a way that’s embodied—not just intellectualized.

What Therapy Can Offer High-Achievers

At Lisa Chen & Associates, our work with high-functioning professionals—entrepreneurs, creatives, physicians, lawyers—often includes:

Redefining success on your terms
Working with the parts of you that fear stopping
Reconnecting to your body and emotions (not just your productivity)
Setting healthy boundaries with work
Cultivating rest without guilt

We use tools like Internal Family Systems (IFS), Polyvagal Theory, EMDR, and mindfulness to access and shift long-held patterns.

This is how real change happens—by creating space for both ambition and regulation.

You Don’t Have to Burn Out to Deserve Help

You don’t need a breakdown to begin healing.

You can be wildly successful and totally exhausted. You can look “fine” and still feel stuck. And you can want more ease—even if everything seems to be going well.

Slowing down doesn’t mean you lose your edge.
It means you stop hustling from fear—and start leading from self-trust.

FAQs: Therapy for High-Achieving Professionals in Overdrive

1. How can therapy help high-achieving professionals who feel stuck or burnt out?
Therapy helps high-achieving professionals identify and shift the patterns that lead to chronic stress, overworking, and emotional disconnection. At Lisa Chen & Associates, we use approaches like IFS, EMDR, and Polyvagal-informed therapy to help you slow down safely, reconnect with your values, and create a more sustainable definition of success—without sacrificing your ambition.

2. Why does slowing down feel threatening to high-functioning people?
For many ambitious professionals, overworking is tied to a sense of safety or identity. From a nervous system perspective, constantly being “on” is often a fight-or-flight state. Therapy helps you recognize when you're in this state, build regulation skills, and access a sense of calm without feeling like you’re failing. It’s not just about mindset—it’s about your body feeling safe to rest.

3. Do I have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy as a high-achiever?
Absolutely not. You don’t need to hit rock bottom to deserve support. In fact, many high-functioning clients seek therapy to prevent burnout, improve their relationships, and feel more grounded in their day-to-day life. Therapy can be a proactive investment in your emotional health, not just a crisis response.

Ready to Create a Different Kind of Success?

At Lisa Chen & Associates, we specialize in therapy for high-achievers in Hermosa Beach, CA and St. Augustine, FL. Whether you’re seeking virtual sessions, in-depth therapy intensives, or executive coaching, our work is deep, effective, and tailored to ambitious individuals.

Book a free consultation today to take the first step toward clarity, balance, and a nervous system that supports your success—not just your output.