Therapist in Austin
Helping Anxious Rule-Followers Release the Death Grip on Life
Telehealth for all of Texas
Specializing in sleep issues, chronic pain, RODBT, OCD, and PTSD
A Therapist for the Rule Followers in Austin
Jessica Fink, LCSW-S is a therapist in Austin for rule followers with a death grip on life.
For the Dedicated and Driven: Finding Freedom from the "Shoulds."
You navigate life with a profound sense of purpose, a deep-seated commitment to excellence, and an unwavering desire to get things "right." This inherent drive has likely propelled you to achieve significant milestones and navigate challenges with remarkable resilience. However, that very dedication, the engine that fuels your ambition, can sometimes morph into an unexpected constraint, a self-imposed cage that limits your joy and steals your peace. The quiet hours of the night might be haunted by racing thoughts, the echoes of past experiences might linger like a persistent shadow, the intricate web of anxiety might feel inescapable, chronic pain might sap your energy and spirit, or the feeling of being bound by rigid, unspoken rules might weigh heavily on your shoulders.
If these words resonate within you, if you find yourself nodding in recognition, then I can almost guarantee that you are operating at a higher gear than those around you. You pour your heart and soul into your endeavors, meticulously attending to details and striving for optimal outcomes. Yet, despite this extraordinary effort, the results you desire might stubbornly remain out of reach, leaving you feeling frustrated, depleted, and perhaps even questioning your own capabilities.
A Different Path is Possible
But take heart, because there is a different way forward. There is a path that allows you to harness your inherent drive and dedication without being suffocated by its demands. I'm Jessica, an Austin therapist specializing in supporting individuals just like you – the meticulous planners, the deeply conscientious souls, the ones who often carry an invisible burden of responsibility. I understand the intricate dance between your desire for excellence and the potential for that desire to become a source of anxiety and constraint.
My therapeutic approach is centered on helping anxious rule-followers gently loosen their tenacious grip on life, allowing space for spontaneity, joy, and self-compassion to flourish. I provide focused and data-driven therapy specifically tailored for the "work first-play later" crowd, those who often prioritize achievement over enjoyment and struggle to grant themselves permission to simply be.
My Approach: Evidence-Based Therapies for Lasting Change
Like you, I also appreciate structure, plans, and a sense of order. As an Austin therapist, I leverage evidence-based therapies, drawing upon approaches that have been rigorously tested and proven effective in fostering meaningful and lasting change. My goal is to empower you to untangle the threads of perfectionism that may be binding you, cultivate a deep sense of compassion for yourself amidst your imperfections, and discover a greater sense of flexibility and inner peace.
My areas of specialized focus include:
Sleep Issues: Addressing the multifaceted challenges of sleeplessness, helping you establish healthy sleep patterns and find restful nights. This includes support for:
Insomnia: Identifying and modifying the behavioral and cognitive factors that contribute to difficulty falling or staying asleep.
Circadian Rhythm Issues: Helping you realign your natural sleep-wake cycle to improve energy levels and overall well-being.
Nightmares: Exploring the underlying causes of distressing dreams and developing coping strategies.
Hypersomnia: Providing skills and support for a misunderstood condition
Chronic Pain: Providing therapeutic support to navigate the emotional and psychological impact of persistent pain, helping you develop coping mechanisms and improve your quality of life.
RODBT (Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy): Employing this innovative therapy to address issues of emotional overcontrol, rigid thinking, and difficulty with self-expression, helping you cultivate greater flexibility and openness.
Ready to Embrace a More Spacious Life?
If you are ready to explore a more spacious and easeful way of living, one where your dedication serves you without confining you, I invite you to connect. Let's work together to loosen the grip of the "shoulds" and cultivate a life where your inherent drive is balanced with joy, self-compassion, and a profound sense of inner freedom.
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0:02 You figure. If you can just do everything, like, just exactly right. You'll get what you're looking for. You'll be sleeping through the night. You’ll feel truly connected with others.
0:17 You won't be plagued by those what-if thoughts every step of the way. You wish you could loosen the grip. But you're afraid of what might happen if you do.
0:27 So what would a life without all that effort look like? Because I will be willing to bet you are working harder than everyone around you.
0:36 But they all seem to be managing with, like, half the effort? How is that? So I like to do this demonstration with my pen.
0:48 How tight do I need to grip my pen to be able to hold it. So if I grip it as tightly as I possibly can, it hurts.
0:59 It hurts my hand. My fingernails are digging into my palm. My hand cramps up. And it's excessive. I don't actually need to grip it that tightly.
1:08 But at the same time, I'm not asking you to just be like, you know, completely let everything go, stop trying, stop caring.
1:17 What if you could just loosen the grip just a little bit, just enough so that you've still got to hold on it, but it's not any tighter than necessary.
1:29 So, hi, my name is Jessica. I'm a therapist and I have been helping people who hold life too tightly for close to two decades down.
1:40 My specialties are sleep issues, PTSD, chronic pain, radically open DBT, and OCD. So I have pages for each of these specialties, so feel free to click around and explore based on what you're looking for.
1:57 I live in the Austin area, so Georgetown to be exact. But my practice is a hundred percent virtual, so I can see anybody located in the state of Texas.
2:07 So, uh, welcome to my therapy office. This is exactly what therapy with me will look like. So if you want to take the next step.
2:15 You can go to my contact page. There's a button at the top. I think it's the top right. It should be the top right, uhm, of your screen.
2:24 Uh, there's a button that says contact. Click on that. It’ll take you to my contact page. You’ll give me a little bit of your information, and then I'll get back with you about scheduling a free 15-minute phone consultation.
2:36 Or if you're still thinking about it, um, again, click around, visit my specialty pages. You can also go to my blog.
2:42 Which there's a link to it up at the top. I post about all my different specialties, and hopefully there's some useful information in there for you.
2:50 So, um, thank you so much for watching this, and I hope to hear from you. Thank you. You
Most Popular Blog Posts
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Flip Upside Down for Better Sleep?
Some people find they sleep better if they flip around. Why?
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What is maladaptive overcontrol?
You CAN have too much self-control. Learn more here.
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DBT vs. RODBT: How are they different?
Despite having similar names, RODBT is really different from DBT. I explain how.
Frequently Asked Questions for a Therapist in Austin
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Not all therapists are psychologists but some are. Not all psychologists are therapists but some are. A psychologist has earned a PhD in Psychology (or some variation like an Ed.D or a Psy.D. but you didn’t click this to get into the academic weeds so I’ll get back on topic.) Some do therapy and some do research. Therapist is a broad term that covers multiple professions including Social Work, Professional Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Psychology. I have a blog post where I go into detail about the differences in mental health professionals. I am a social worker so I am a therapist who is not a psychologist. A psychologist can offer diagnostic testing; the other therapist professions can’t offer that service. Psychologists get more training in diagnosis. Other than that, I believe your therapeutic needs can be met by any of these licensures.
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This depends on a lot of factors. The first is whether you are using your insurance vs. paying out of pocket. If using your insurance, you will pay a copay and maybe other momey depending on whether you have a deductible and/or co-insurance. Fees for therapists vary based on years of experience and specialized training. Lower fees are typically students under supervision or newly-graduated therapists. Sliding scale fees are more common in nonprofit settings than in a private therapy practice. My fee is $175 for a 45-minute session, $200 for a 60-minute session, and $60 for a group session.
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Most therapists will chuckle at this question and reply that “everyone needs therapy.” Maybe that’s true, maybe it isn’t. I would say seek out therapy if your functioning and/or quality of life is impaired or just not what you want it to be.
