Yesenia Cortez
I help high-achieving adults who seem to have it all together. They have promotions, busy schedules, and always say, "I'm fine," but still feel anxious, tense, or quietly worn out. You might be the person everyone counts on. Maybe your life looks impressive from the outside, but it leaves you feeling drained inside. My approach is direct, approachable, and warm. I ask honest questions, share what I notice, and avoid vague therapy language. You don’t have to put on a front or worry about my feelings during our sessions. Together, we’ll figure out what’s really behind your anxiety, such as perfectionism, taking on too much, fear of falling behind, people-pleasing, or burnout, and practice real skills you can use right away.
Together, we’ll figure out what’s really behind your anxiety, such as perfectionism, taking on too much, fear of falling behind, people-pleasing, or burnout, and practice real skills you can use right away.
I also help with trauma and depression, even when it doesn’t look like the usual idea of "struggling." Sometimes, what seems like anxiety is actually a nervous system that’s been on high alert for a long time. It’s important to understand this, not just try to manage it. I draw on psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapy to help us understand how your patterns started and why they continue. I also use CBT to give you practical tools you can use now. I’m trained in Brainspotting (Phase 1), which can help when anxiety or tension shows up in your body and talking hasn’t helped enough. I help high-achieving adults who seem to have it all together. They have promotions, busy schedules, and always say, "I'm fine," but still feel anxious, tense, or quietly worn out. You might be the person everyone counts on. Maybe your life looks impressive from the outside, but it leaves you feeling drained inside..
First session
In our first session, it’s a real conversation, not someone reading questions from a form. We’ll start by talking about what brought you in, what’s been happening, what’s been weighing on you, and what you hope will change. I’ll ask questions to understand the bigger picture, like how long this has been going on, what you’ve already tried, how it affects your body and relationships, and what your life is like outside of this issue. You can also ask me anything, including how I work and whether I think I can help. By the end of our session, I’ll share my honest thoughts about what’s going on and how I would approach it. I’ll also give you at least one or two practical things you can start using right away. You’ll know whether I’m the right fit for you, and if I’m not, I’ll let you know and suggest someone who might be a better match. You won’t have a session where you talk for fifty minutes and leave unsure about what happened. If you’re new to therapy, it’s normal to feel nervous or not know what to say. You don’t need to prepare or have everything organized. Just showing up is enough to begin.
Strengths
I'm direct, steady, and genuinely curious. I don't shy away from difficult or uncomfortable topics, and you don't need to soften things for me. Many clients tell me they feel relieved they don't have to handle tough conversations alone. I'll share my observations, ask deeper questions, and always keep things warm and supportive. I'm comfortable with complexity. High achievers are often intelligent, articulate, and skilled at explaining themselves, which can make therapy feel like another performance if not challenged. I notice the gaps between what you say about your life and how it actually feels, and I'll gently and consistently help you explore that. I also keep the big picture in mind. My training helps me focus on what's happening in your nervous system right now, as well as patterns that have built up over time, even before you started therapy. Most anxiety therapy is either all insight or skills, but ours combines both. Psychodynamic and psychoanalytic work help us understand where your patterns come from and why they stick around. For many high achievers, anxiety was once a useful strategy. CBT gives us tools to break these cycles now. Brainspotting helps when tension is held in the body and talking alone hasn't helped. You're not looking for someone to tell you to breathe more. You're looking for someone who can keep up with your thinking, take you seriously, and still help you make real change.
Ideal clients
My ideal client is someone who's been competent and driven for as long as they can remember and is now realizing that the strategies that got them where they are are actually costing them. They may be a professional who looks successful on the outside and feels anxious, flat, or constantly on edge on the inside. They may be the person that everyone turns to and who has never actually had any care at all. They're usually there with issues of chronic anxiety and overthinking, perfectionism, burnout, people-pleasing, difficulty in setting boundaries, and a general sense of never being enough no matter what they do. There's often trauma underneath it all (some of it quite obvious, some of it the more subtle kind which gets brushed aside as "nothing that bad ever happened"). Their mindset is far more important to me than their diagnosis. I work with people who are inquisitive about themselves, prepared to be honest (even when it's not the most pleasant), and open to being challenged rather than just affirmed. They're not looking for symptom management per se; they're looking to understand why they are the way they are, and they're prepared to do the work. Their aims are generally some mix of: to feel calmer without in any way compromising on ambition, to stop viewing rest as something they have to 'earn', to have relationships in which they're not always the strong one, and simply to feel that their life is their own rather than something they're just managing.
Treatment methods
Brainspotting
Brainspotting helps with stress and trauma that talking alone doesn’t always reach. The basic idea is that where you look can change how you feel. Sometimes, an uncomfortable feeling seems to sit in a certain part of your vision, and by keeping your eyes there, the feeling can shift and settle. Here’s how it works in a session. We start by choosing what you want to focus on, like a memory, a fear, or a tight feeling in your chest at work. I’ll help you slowly scan your field of vision as you notice your feelings, and together we’ll find where the feeling is strongest. You keep your attention there, and I support you while your brain does its natural work. I won’t direct the process or tell you what to think. I’ll stay with you, check in, and help you stay present if anything feels overwhelming. Sessions are usually quiet. You don’t need to explain everything or search for the right words. This can help if you’re used to talking things through but feel like you’ve reached a limit. Brainspotting can also help when tension shows up in your body, like in your jaw or shoulders, or when you’re always bracing yourself and talking hasn’t helped release it. I’m trained in Phase 1 Brainspotting and use it as one of several tools, not the only approach. We’ll only use it if it fits your needs and you want to try it. You’re always in control of whether we keep going.
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- CaliforniaLicense LMFT127069
- FloridaLicense TPMF2216