Therapy for high achievers · Hermosa Beach · Pasadena · Online in California

Therapy for High Achievers in Los Angeles, for When Life Works on Paper but Not Inside

You're good at what you do. People count on you, and from the outside it all works. Inside, the pace never lets up, and the people closest to you are getting what's left. We help you steady things first, then work on what's driving the pressure, without taking away the drive that got you here.

Book a free 20-minute consult Take the ripple check

For professionals, executives and founders. 50-minute sessions, $180 to $500 depending on your therapist. We reply within one business day.

A man in a suit looking out a high window over the city

What does it sound like for you?

Pick the one that's closest. We'll tell you how we'd start.

That gap between how it looks and how it feels is one of the most common reasons high achievers come in. Each win buys a little relief, then the bar moves. We start by looking at what the success was supposed to give you, and why it hasn't landed yet.

A good place to start: when success feels empty

How therapy for high achievers works here

Relief first, then the deeper work, then making it hold when work gets busy again.

  1. First
    Steady the paceSmall changes you can defend, and ways to switch off at the end of the day.
  2. Then
    Find what's driving itDrive usually follows rules learned long ago.
  3. Over time
    Make it hold, at work and at homeTest the changes against real weeks: a board meeting, a launch, a hard conversation at home.

Therapists for high achievers and executives

Your free consult matches you with the right person. Associates are trained and supervised by Lisa Chen and Clinical Director Bob Northcutt, both LMFTs.

One-minute ripple check

Where is the cost of your drive landing?

Start the checkClose

Drive rarely costs just you. It moves outward, to your body, your partner, your family and the people you lead. Check what's been true lately and watch where it lands. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

You
Your partner
Your family
Work and your team

0of 10

Start checking

Work Family Partner You
  • You0 of 3
  • Partner0 of 3
  • Family0 of 2
  • Work0 of 2

Check the statements that fit. The rings show where the cost is landing most.

This is a reflection tool, not a diagnosis. Only a licensed clinician can assess what's going on.

50-minute sessions, $180 to $500 depending on your therapist. Your first 20-minute call is free, with no commitment. We're out of network, so nothing is billed through your employer's health plan unless you choose to submit a superbill. Superbills are provided through the client portal, and many employers' PPO plans reimburse a portion. More on fees and FAQs.

Book a free consult

The full guide

Lisa Chen & Associates Therapy offers therapy for high achievers, executives and founders in Los Angeles, in person in Hermosa Beach and Pasadena and online anywhere in California. We work with people who are successful on paper but stretched thin inside, easing the pressure first and then working on what drives it with psychodynamic therapy, IFS and EMDR, including how it ripples onto partners and families. Sessions are 50 minutes, cost $180 to $500, and start with a free 20-minute consultation.

What high achievers struggle with

Every win buys about a day of relief before the next thing needs you.

High achievers tend to struggle in ways nobody can see. The work gets done and the numbers look good, so the strain shows up somewhere else: a mind that won't switch off, standards that keep rising, sleep that doesn't refresh, a marriage that has turned into logistics.

Most of it started as a strength. Pushing hard, staying ahead and needing no one are the habits that got you here, often learned early, when doing well was how you earned attention or kept things calm at home. They keep working until the cost lands somewhere you care about more than the work.

We call this the ripple effect. One person's pressure moves outward, onto a partner, onto children, onto a team. It works the other way too: when you steady, the people around you often steady with you.

It often travels with perfectionism, anxiety, imposter syndrome and success that feels empty. If exhaustion is the main thing, our guide to executive burnout goes deeper, and why high achievers stay stuck even after they see the pattern is a good next read.

Lisa Chen, LMFT

“Before I was a therapist, I traded on Wall Street. I know how easy it is to call the cost normal. It almost never stays with one person, and it can be turned around from the same place it started.”

Lisa Chen, LMFT, founder
How each step works

The goal isn't to make you less driven. It's to keep the drive and lose what it's been costing you and the people around you.

  1. First

    Steady the pace

    Early sessions are practical. We look at where the pressure is landing right now and start with small changes you can defend: somatic tools to settle your body, a few boundaries you can actually hold, and ways to switch off at the end of the day.

  2. Then

    Find what's driving it

    Drive usually follows rules learned long ago, like love tied to performance or never letting anyone down. With psychodynamic therapy and Internal Family Systems, we work with the parts of you that won't let up and the blind spots they create. When specific memories still carry a charge, EMDR can help.

  3. Over time

    Make it hold, at work and at home

    We test the changes against real weeks: a board meeting, a launch, a hard conversation at home. We also work on the ripple, how you show up with your partner, your kids and your team, with couples sessions or family sessions when they help.

How our approach compares

A lot of help for high achievers stops at productivity tips or telling you to slow down. Here's what's different about working with us.

What people often expectHow we work
The focusStress management and time hacksWhat's driving the pace and what it's costing
The methodCoping skills you already knowSomatic work, psychodynamic therapy, IFS and EMDR
Your driveTold to slow down or scale backKeep the drive, lose what it's costing
Your lifeTreated as a work problemWe look at the ripple onto your partner, kids and team
Privacy and costFound out on the first callPublished below, out of network, nothing billed through work

Where we see high achievers

Hermosa Beach · Pasadena · Online, anywhere in California
The waiting room at the Lisa Chen & Associates Hermosa Beach office

Hermosa Beach

2615 Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 326. Parking on site and an elevator. Close to Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Torrance and Long Beach.

In-person therapy in Hermosa Beach
A tree-lined street with the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance

Pasadena

150 S Los Robles Ave, Suite 850. Monday to Friday, with Chandra Breslow and colleagues. Call (626) 344-0475.

Therapy in Pasadena
A man in a white shirt and glasses on a video session at his laptop

Online, anywhere in California

Secure video sessions from home or the office. Easy to fit around a demanding schedule, and private if you'd rather nobody at work knew.

Online therapy in California

Nearby: Manhattan Beach · Redondo Beach · Torrance · Pasadena

Often comes with high achievement

Executive burnout Burnout Perfectionism Imposter syndrome Anxiety Depression Couples therapy Free guides

Therapy for high achievers: questions

Still deciding? A free 20-minute call is the easiest way to see if we're a fit.

Book a free consult

What do high achievers struggle with?

High achievers most often struggle with a mind that won't switch off, standards that keep rising, burnout, perfectionism, imposter feelings and relationships that have turned into logistics. The strain usually shows up outside work first, in sleep, health or a partner who feels shut out, because work is the last thing they let slip.

Will therapy make me less driven?

No. The goal is to keep your drive and lose what it's been costing you. Drive tends to work better when pressure isn't running everything, so thinking gets clearer and decisions get easier. We work on the habits that wear you down and the people around you, not on your ambition.

Is therapy confidential from my employer?

Yes. We're out of network, so nothing is billed through your employer's health plan unless you choose to submit a superbill yourself. What you share is protected by California confidentiality law, with the standard legal exceptions your therapist will explain. Many executives also choose online sessions for extra privacy.

Do you offer therapy for entrepreneurs and founders?

Yes. Founders carry a particular kind of pressure: the company's risk feels personal, there's often no one above you to talk to, and the line between work and home blurs. We see founders and entrepreneurs in person in Hermosa Beach and Pasadena and online anywhere in California.

What type of therapy works best for high achievers?

We use approaches that go below coping skills, because most high achievers already know the tips. We start with practical relief, then use psychodynamic therapy, Internal Family Systems and EMDR to work on the patterns driving the pressure, so the changes hold up when work gets busy again.

Can my partner or family be part of therapy?

Yes, when it helps. Many clients start alone and later bring in a partner for a few sessions, or move into couples therapy. We also work with adult children and, at times, whole families, because the pressure one person carries rarely stays with them. Your therapist will talk through the options with you.

How much does therapy for high achievers cost?

Sessions are 50 minutes and cost $180 to $300 with an associate, $250 to $325 with a licensed therapist, and $425 to $500 with Lisa Chen, LMFT. Your first 20-minute consultation is free. We're out of network and provide superbills, and many employers' PPO plans reimburse a portion.

Do you offer therapy for executives online?

Yes. We see executives and professionals online anywhere in California through secure video, and in person in Hermosa Beach and Pasadena. Many clients mix the two, coming in when they can and meeting online during heavy travel or busy weeks. Online sessions can also be more private if you'd rather nobody at work knew.

If you're in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.