Show up powerfully when it matters most—without the panic
Therapy for Performance Anxiety
Does Your Mind Go Blank When the Pressure's On?
Your heart races and your mind goes blank the moment you step up to present, or perhaps you choke during competitions even though you excel in practice. You may be avoiding opportunities for advancement because they require public speaking, or simply underperforming on tests despite knowing the material cold.
Whatever it is that you're experiencing, you're beginning to notice the impact of this in every facet of your life:
Turning down promotions, leadership roles, or speaking opportunities because the anxiety feels like too much
Spending hours overpreparing for presentations, only to freeze up or rush through them when it's time to perform
Watching your athletic or academic potential go unrealized because you can't perform under pressure like you do in practice
Feeling frustrated and defeated because you know you're capable—you just can't access that capability when it counts
Beyond Performance Tips—Beyond Positive Thinking—Beyond Talk Therapy
You've probably tried the standard approaches: visualization exercises, positive self-talk, breathing techniques, even understanding why you get anxious. These might help a little in the moment, but they don't stop your body from over reacting when it matters most. That's because performance anxiety doesn't live in your thinking brain. It lives in your nervous system.
This is why I use Brainspotting and EMDR—
therapies that go beyond traditional approaches to work at a completely different level.
These powerful, brain-based methods help access deeper parts of your brain and nervous system, shifting your body’s stress response in ways that talk therapy, mental skills training, or cognitive strategies alone can’t reach.
Brainspotting and EMDR help your body stops treating performance as danger.
Therapy for performance anxiety helps you do 3 things:
Identify what's triggering your performance anxiety—whether you’re worried what someone thinks of you, have perfectionism, past failures, or underlying trauma that's hijacking your nervous system
Rewire your stress response using Brainspotting and EMDR, so your body stops treating performance situations as threats and you can access your skills under pressure. Using eye positions or bilateral stimulation we will desensitize the stress response.
Build mental strategies and confidence that allow you to channel nervous energy into peak performance rather than panic. Using “expansion” eye positions we instill confidence and calm focus to help you get in the zone so you can shine.
I'll guide you every step of the way, helping you relax into your competence and reconnect with the joy of being in the zone.
You’re probably not lacking talent, and you probably don’t need to prepare more—your nervous system just needs to learn how to feel safe in these high-pressure moments.
It may feel impossible now, but you can perform at your best when the stakes are high. You can speak confidently in front of others. You can stay calm and focused during tests and competitions.
I’d love to help you get there.
Brainspotting and EMDR can Help You Access "The Zone" Naturally
Elite performers talk about "the zone"—that state where everything flows, your mind quiets, and you perform effortlessly. But when you're in fight-or-flight, the zone is impossible. Your nervous system is too busy protecting you to let you access your full capacity.
By calming your nervous system's threat response at a deep level, Brainspotting and EMDR help you naturally access flow states. Not through trying harder or more mental preparation, but by addressing the root cause—not just the symptoms
Many people with performance anxiety have experienced:
Past failure that created fear of failing again
Perfectionism that makes anything less than perfect feel catastrophic
Trauma around being judged, criticized or humiliated
Instead of just teaching you to manage anxiety symptoms during performance, Brainspotting and EMDR help you process and release what's causing the anxiety in the first place.
When you heal performance anxiety at its root, you don't have to keep psyching yourself up or managing panic every time—the panic simply doesn't show up anymore.
Imagine what it would feel like to
Wake up feeling more excited than nervous about your upcoming presentation
Feel relaxed, confident and able to retrieve that exam information when you need it most
Score that shot, nail that landing, and perform in competitions and games as well as you do in practice
Peak performance is possible-without the anxiety
Ready to Perform at Your Best When It Matters Most?
You don't have to keep choking under pressure and feel frustrated with yourself. Let's talk about how I can help you find the grounded confidence you need to excel.
Schedule your free 20-minute consultation today.
Questions?
FAQs
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A: Our sessions focus on rewiring your body's response to performance pressure. We use Brainspotting and EMDR to process the anxiety at its source—helping your nervous system stop treating presentations, competitions, or tests as emergencies. Sessions might involve recalling high-pressure situations while we work to neutralize the fear response. We also address any underlying beliefs like "I'm not good enough" or past experiences of failure or humiliation that may be fueling your anxiety. Many clients notice they feel calmer and more focused in performance situations within just a few sessions.
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A: Many clients with performance anxiety see significant improvement within 6-10 sessions, though this varies based on the severity of your anxiety and how long you've been struggling with it. Because Brainspotting and EMDR work directly with your nervous system to change your stress response, results often come faster than with traditional talk therapy or skills-based approaches alone. My goal is to help you perform confidently and consistently as quickly as possible—so you can get back to achieving your goals.
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A: If you perform well in low-pressure situations but struggle when the stakes are high—whether that's public speaking, athletic competitions, important tests, auditions, or other high-visibility moments—you're an excellent fit for this work. Performance anxiety therapy is especially effective for people who are capable and well-prepared but whose nervous system gets in the way. Brainspotting and EMDR help you access your abilities under pressure by calming the fight-or-flight response that blocks your performance. During our free consultation, we can discuss your specific situation and create a plan to help you show up at your best when it matters most.
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A: Schedule a free 20-minute consultation call. We'll talk about the specific situations where you experience performance anxiety, what happens in your body and mind when the pressure's on, and what performing at your peak would look like for you. I'll explain how Brainspotting and EMDR can help you stay calm and focused under pressure, answer any questions, and determine if we're a good fit. There's no pressure—just a conversation about how I can help you unlock your full potential. If we decide to move forward, we'll schedule your first session and begin building the confidence you need to excel.