Individual Therapy for High Achievers
Confidential support to break free from burnout and get your life back (without losing your edge)
You look fine from the outside. Inside, you’re running on fumes.
As a high-achiever, you’re used to the pressure cooker. Leading board meetings, managing impossible deadlines, and making it all look effortless. But what happens when what used to energize you just…doesn’t anymore?
Some of the professionals who find their way here describe feeling like they’re:
In golden handcuffs—too invested to walk away (but staying feels impossible)
On an endless hamster wheel, always running but never quite arriving.
Scrolling their phone at night because their brain won’t turn off, then dreading the alarm.
Having panic attacks no one can see, or feeling so overwhelmed they’ve stopped checking emails.
Becoming cynical about work they once loved, or guilty about snapping at people who don’t deserve it.
As a former resident of that hamster wheel (and occasional re-visitor),
I totally get it.
I can spot you from a mile away, juggling responsibilities like they’re nothing. Chasing perfection with the tenacity of a marathon runner on their fifth espresso, until life throws you a curveball that makes all the juggling feel impossible. And here’s often the hardest part:
Needing help but knowing the risks.
The “confidential” programs that aren’t so confidential. The diagnosis that could follow you through license renewals. Switching gears from being the one people get help from…to actually getting support yourself.
What if the problem isn’t you?
What if it is the myth you were sold?
After a decade providing therapy for high achievers, I’ve watched executives, physicians, attorneys, and entrepreneurs discover the same truth: burnout isn’t a personal failing—it’s the logical endpoint of a myth we were all sold.
While others hand out stress balls and preach about “work-life balance,” this practice addresses what’s actually driving the exhaustion.
Break free from the “shoulds” and define success on your own terms.
As both a psychologist and bioethicist, I help you thrive in high-pressure roles while staying true to your values. My approach combines clinical expertise with real-world understanding of the ethical dilemmas and impossible choices that define executive-level work.
Why High-Achievers
Work With Me
Radical Confidentiality
My therapy practice operates on a private-pay, non-diagnostic, and off-the-record basis—so you can get the help you need without the professional risk.
More Than a Sounding Board
Therapy should be more than an expensive venting session. You need someone who can challenge you with warmth and care, give you honest feedback, and welcome it right back. That’s what happens here.
No Masks Required
For once, you don’t have to have it all together. You can be exhausted, frustrated, or completely lost about what comes next. This is your space to be human instead of superhuman.
Therapy When & Where You Need It
Between meetings, client calls, and cross-country travel, finding time for therapy shouldn’t be another impossible task on your high-achiever list. Here are some ways we can work together:
In-person in The Woodlands, TX
Private office location
Virtual therapy in 42 states
PSYPACT-authorized practice means secure sessions from nearly anywhere
Flexible Scheduling
Understand that executive schedules change, with reasonable rescheduling policies
Common Reasons High Achievers Choose Individual Therapy
Professional Burnout & Moral Injury
When the job you once loved feels impossible
High-Functioning Anxiety & Perfectionism
Managing pressure while maintaining your edge
ADHD in High-Achieving Adults
Executive functioning challenges that impact performance
Leadership Stress & Ethical Dilemmas
Navigating impossible choices and moral complexity
Career Transitions & Identity Shifts
When success no longer feels like enough
Clinical Expertise Tailored To You
When you’re dealing with both burnout and ethical complexity, it helps to work with someone who understands both sides.
As one of only three psychologist-bioethicists in the United States, I bring this dual perspective to our work.
I use proven modalities like ACT, CBT, and DBT, specifically adapted for professionals dealing with moral injury and burnout.
Questions High-Achievers Often Ask
Will this show up on my medical or employment record?
No. Private-pay means no insurance claims, no employer notifications. Your information stays completely confidential.
I travel constantly for work. How does this work?
PSYPACT authorization means I can see you across 42+ states. Whether you’re in your home office or a hotel room, your therapy continues without interruption. See locations included.
Do you understand what I'm actually dealing with?
I’ve worked at executive levels in healthcare, so I understand the impossible choices, politics, and ethical dilemmas that high achievers face. You won’t need to explain why your situation is complex.
I barely have time for regular appointments. Is this still viable?
Absolutely. We design the schedule around your reality—weekly sessions, bi-weekly check-ins, or intensive monthly meetings. Whatever works for your demands.
My company offers EAP services. Why would I pay for this?
EAP programs have session limits, reporting requirements, and providers who may not understand high achiever challenges. This is truly confidential and built for your world.
What's the investment?
Sessions are $250. Many clients use HSA/FSA cards. Most find the investment worthwhile when considering the cost of continued burnout on their performance and well-being.
What if we're not a good fit?
I’ll tell you honestly if I think you’d be better served elsewhere. Good therapy requires the right fit—if we’re not it, I’ll help you find someone who is.
Worried therapy
isn’t for you?
Most high achievers have been burned by generic approaches. (Like therapists who suggest you “just take another job.” You’re talking about a career you’ve spent decades building!)
This isn’t that. This is for professionals who:
Have outperformed their nervous system
Can’t afford professional consequences
Want actionable guidance, not just validation
Need someone who gets what’s at stake
What Clients Say
“I’m a private person, and opening up about something this personal doesn’t come easy. But I feel compelled to share my story…
Before I met Jenny, I was burned out. Lost. Numb… I didn’t grow up learning how to talk about feelings—especially not as a man. Emotions were weakness, and asking for help simply wasn’t an option…
Within the first few minutes of our call, I knew I’d found my person. Her approach was exactly what I needed: collaborative, real, and no fluff. She said, ‘You bring your struggles, and I’ll bring my knowledge—we’ll work through it together.’ And she meant it. Jenny isn’t just a therapist checking boxes—she shows up. With a plan. With clarity. With compassion.
With her guidance, I’ve reclaimed my sense of peace, my relationships, and my identity. I’m more grounded. More open. My energy, focus, and outlook have shifted in ways I never thought possible.
She helped me break generational patterns, reconnect with myself, and rebuild my life with clarity and purpose. If you’re silently struggling, please take this as your sign. Therapy with Dr. Shields isn’t just help—it’s transformation.
Entrepreneur & Therapy Client
What would thriving
look like for you?
It’s different for everyone. Some clients want to:
Wake up energized for work you still believe in (not dreading the alarm)
Come home with energy left for the people who matter most
Trust your instincts instead of second-guessing every choice
Build a life that doesn’t require constant endurance
Find a place where ambition and integrity can finally inhabit the same body
Stop running on fumes.
Ready to reclaim your life without losing your edge?
Start with a completely confidential conversation or sign up to get started right away.