Online Counselling for Self-Doubt, Overwhelm & Overthinking
When you feel emotionally worn down, disconnected, or never quite enough, but don’t always know why
Do you find yourself getting stuck in your head — overthinking decisions, replaying conversations, or quietly questioning yourself long after the moment has passed. On the outside, you appear capable, thoughtful, or high-functioning, while inside you carry self-doubt, emotional exhaustion, or a persistent sense that something isn’t quite right.
Often, the people I work with describe feeling disconnected from themselves, unsure of their needs, or overwhelmed by relationships that feel emotionally draining or confusing. They struggle to rest, find it hard to say no, or feel responsible for other people’s feelings — even when it comes at a cost to their own wellbeing.
If this feels familiar, you don’t have to keep carrying it alone.
For many people, self-doubt, overthinking, and overwhelm don’t come from a single defining event. Instead, they develop through a build-up of small, repeated emotional experiences over time — especially when coping becomes something you have to do constantly rather than occasionally.
This can include family dynamics, experiences at school, friendship ruptures, strained or confusing relationships, work pressures, or wider societal expectations. Often, these are situations where you learned — consciously or not — that your feelings needed to be managed, contained, or pushed aside in order to get through, be accepted, or keep the peace.
Over time, living this way can leave you feeling permanently on edge or disconnected from yourself. You might notice patterns of people-pleasing or perfectionism, difficulty resting, feeling responsible for other people’s emotions, or a lingering fear of being too much or not enough. For some, this shows up as emotional numbness or a quiet sense of underwhelm — the nagging feeling of “is this all there is?” — which can send you searching for reassurance or quick fixes that never quite last.
For some, these patterns are linked to growing up without consistent emotional attunement or support. This doesn’t always involve obvious trauma or harm. Often, it happens quietly — in families that appeared “fine” from the outside, where physical needs were met but emotional needs were overlooked, minimised, or misunderstood.
This experience is sometimes described as Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) or relational neglect. While these terms can be helpful for putting words to experiences like these, it isn’t something you need to identify with or decide fits your experience. What matters most is understanding how your experiences — across different areas of life — have shaped the way you relate to yourself, and how those patterns continue to influence how you feel, think, and cope now.
Understanding the impact of our experiences
How therapy can help when self-doubt and overthinking feel like your normal
It makes sense if these experiences have left a mark and shape how you relate to yourself and the world.
I help clients to understand how these patterns developed, what they’ve helped you survive, and what you might need now. This often includes making space for feelings that were once pushed aside, and recognising needs that were never fully acknowledged.
Alongside professional experience, I bring a lived understanding of these struggles and provide space for your experience to unfold without pressure or expectation.
Our work together supports you to:
☑︎ Understand and name your emotions, without fear of being “too much”
☑︎ Develop a kinder, more compassionate relationship with yourself
☑︎ Feel more comfortable having needs — and letting them matter
☑︎ Reduce overthinking and self-criticism
☑︎ Build a stronger sense of self and emotional safety in relationships
I know how quietly these experiences can shape your inner world, and how hard it can be to untangle them alone. My role is to support you in reconnecting with yourself, strengthening self-trust, and finding ways of living that feel more authentic and aligned.
If something here feels familiar, you don’t have to figure it out on your own — therapy is a space to understand what’s going on, without pressure to label yourself or have everything figured out.
You’re welcome to get in touch to see whether working together feels right for you.
Self-Doubt, Overwhelm & Overthinking: Common Questions
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Yes. Many people who experience self-doubt, overthinking, or emotional overwhelm can’t point to a single event or clear reason for how they feel.
Often, these patterns develop through repeated or cumulative experiences over time — situations where your needs, feelings, or limits weren’t consistently noticed or responded to, or where you learned to filter yourself in order to cope, fit in, or keep things peaceful.
You might have adapted by becoming very self-reliant, agreeable, capable, or emotionally switched-on around others. These responses made sense at the time and may even have been valued. However, over time, they can leave you feeling disconnected from yourself, unsure of what you need, or feeling worn down — even when everything looks “fine” from the outside.
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Overthinking is a way of trying to stay safe — especially if you learned early on to monitor situations closely, anticipate others’ needs, or avoid getting things wrong.
Rather than seeing overthinking as a flaw, therapy helps you to understand what it’s protecting you from, and why it shows up when it does. From there, it becomes possible to relate to it with more awareness and understanding.
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Yes. Not knowing how you feel is a very common starting point.
Therapy doesn’t require clarity or insight before you begin. It’s a space to slow down, notice what’s happening internally, and gradually reconnect with emotions and needs that may have been set aside for a long time.
In our work together, we won’t force anything into words before it’s ready.
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Yes. Feeling anxious around others often relates to experiences of needing to monitor yourself, avoid conflict, or stay acceptable to maintain connection.
In our work together, we can explore how these patterns developed and how they affect your relationships now — helping you find ways to feel more at ease, authentic, and less on edge around others over time.
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You can find more detail about how I work, the kinds of difficulties I support, and what to expect from therapy here.
If you have practical questions about starting therapy, session structure, confidentiality, or fees, these are covered here.
You’re also welcome to get in touch if you’d prefer to ask a question directly or explore whether working together might feel right for you.