Therapy for
Stress Management:
Reclaim Your Life From the Pressure
Stress Management Therapy in Menlo Park, CA
You're Running on Empty - And Everyone Expects You to Keep Going
From the outside, you're crushing it. The promotions keep coming. Your team depends on you. Your calendar is packed with important meetings, critical deadlines, and responsibilities that can't wait.
But here's what no one sees:
You're checking emails at 11 PM because you can't disconnect. You're lying awake at 2 AM with your mind racing through tomorrow's to-do list. You're snapping at your partner over small things because you have nothing left to give by the time you get home. You're skipping lunch - again - because there's just too much to do.
Maybe you're also managing aging parents while climbing the corporate ladder. Or navigating a major reorganization at work while your teenager is struggling in school. The demands keep multiplying, and you keep saying yes because that's what successful people do. That's what's expected.
You've become so good at pushing through that you've forgotten what it feels like to not be stressed.
The truth? You're not just busy. You're burned out. And the cost is higher than you realize.
The Real Cost of "Just Powering Through"
Here's what's actually happening: You're operating in survival mode, and it's affecting every area of your life.
Professionally, stress is sabotaging the success you've worked so hard to build:
You're making mistakes you normally wouldn't because your brain is overloaded
You're taking longer to complete tasks because you can't focus
You're avoiding important decisions because you're mentally exhausted
You're turning down opportunities for advancement because you literally can't handle one more thing
You're starting to resent work that you once found meaningful
Physically, your body is sending distress signals:
Tension headaches that won't quit
Digestive issues that seem to come out of nowhere
That tight feeling in your chest that makes you wonder if something's seriously wrong
Constant fatigue, no matter how much coffee you drink
Getting sick more often because your immune system is compromised
Personally, stress is stealing your life:
You're missing your kid's games and recitals because work always comes first
Your relationships are strained because you're irritable, distracted, and unavailable
You can't remember the last time you did something just for enjoyment
You feel guilty when you try to rest because there's always something you "should" be doing
You've lost touch with hobbies, friends and the parts of life that used to bring you joy
Maybe you've tried the usual advice. Download a meditation app - you did, but never found time to use it. Set boundaries - easier said than done when your boss texts at 9 PM and clients expect immediate responses.Maybe you need a vacation, but let’s face it, when you do you will spend much of the time the whole time checking email and worrying about what you were missing.
The self-help books tell you to "just say no" and "prioritize self-care," but they don't understand the reality of your life. The high-stakes projects that can't wait. The team depending on you. The financial responsibilities. The professional reputation you've built. The expectations - from others and from yourself - that feel impossible to let go of.
You're caught in an impossible situation: The very traits that made you successful - your drive, your commitment, your ability to handle pressure - are now working against you. You've pushed so hard for so long that you don't know how to stop. And the thought of slowing down feels terrifying because everything might fall apart. Stress management therapy in Menlo Park can help you learn to slow down, rebuild balance, and feel more like yourself again.
When Stress Starts to Take Over Every Part of Your Life
The worst part? Stress doesn't stay contained to work hours.
You're bringing it home, where your family gets the exhausted, irritable version of you. You're bringing it to bed, where sleep feels impossible because your mind won't shut off. You're bringing it to the mirror, where you barely recognize the tense, tired person staring back.
You might also be dealing with:
The sandwich generation squeeze: Caring for aging parents while raising your own children, managing their medical appointments and emotional needs on top of your demanding career
Invisible labor: The mental load of managing household logistics, family schedules, and emotional well-being for everyone else - work that never ends and no one sees
Always-on culture: The expectation to be available 24/7, where boundaries feel impossible and disconnecting feels like career suicide
Imposter syndrome amplified by stress: The exhaustion making you doubt your capabilities, wondering if you're actually good enough or just fooling everyone
Perfectionism on overdrive: The belief that if you just work harder, plan better, and do more, you'll finally get ahead of the stress - except that moment never comes
And if you're a high-achieving teen or college student? The pressure looks different but feels just as suffocating:
Maintaining a perfect GPA while juggling AP classes, SAT prep, and extracurriculars
The college admissions race where everything matters and nothing feels like enough
Social media showcasing everyone else's highlight reel while you're drowning in deadlines
Parental expectations that feel impossible to meet
The constant message that your entire future depends on decisions you're making right now
You know something has to change. But you have no idea how to make that happen when the external pressures aren't going away, and everyone is counting on you to keep performing at this impossible level.
There's a Better Way Forward - And It Doesn't Involve Adding More to Your Plate
What if the solution wasn't about managing your time better, but about fundamentally changing your relationship with stress?
What if you could handle high-pressure situations without sacrificing your wellbeing? Make difficult decisions without second-guessing yourself? Set boundaries that actually stick? Come home with energy left for the people who matter most?
At Choice Point Counseling, stress management therapy in Menlo Park isn't about quick fixes or surface-level coping strategies. It's about understanding what's really driving your stress response and developing practical tools that work in your actual life - the life with demanding bosses, impossible deadlines, and responsibilities that don't disappear.
A Different Kind of Therapy for People Under Real Pressure
I'm Dr. Lorraine Wong, and I understand the world you're navigating because I've been there. Before becoming a board-certified clinical psychologist, I worked in the corporate world. I know what it's like to manage office politics, lead teams, make high-stakes decisions, and feel the constant pressure of demands.
I bring over 16 years of specialized experience helping high-achieving professionals break free from the stress cycle. My approach combines evidence-based methods proven to work:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you clarify what matters and make choices aligned with your values - even when stress is present
TEAM-CBT to rapidly identify and shift the thought patterns keeping you stuck in stress cycles
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills to regulate emotions, tolerate distress, and navigate difficult situations without being overwhelmed
This isn't generic therapy. This is practical, results-oriented work designed for people like you who are dealing with real pressures that aren't going away - but who refuse to keep sacrificing their health, relationships, and sense of self.
Dr. Lorraine Wong is a board-certified clinical psychologist (ABPP) with over 16 years of experience specializing in stress management, burnout, and work-life balance for high-achieving professionals and teens. Former Clinical Director of The Feeling Good Institute and Certified Level 5 TEAM-CBT Trainer and Therapist.
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
You've spent your life solving complex problems. But you can't think your way out of chronic stress - and you shouldn't have to manage this alone.
If you're exhausted from trying to do everything perfectly, tired of feeling like you're barely keeping your head above water, or ready to stop sacrificing your well-being for external achievements, let's talk.
Stress management therapy provides practical tools for handling the real pressures in your life - not by adding more to your plate, but by fundamentally changing your relationship with stress itself.
Contact Choice Point Counseling today to schedule your free 15-minute consultation.
Your path back to balance, presence, and a life that feels sustainable starts with a single choice.
How We'll Work Together
Individual Therapy offers personalized sessions where we'll:
Identify your specific stress patterns and what's really driving unsustainable behavior
Understand the perfectionism, people-pleasing, or fear underneath the stress
Develop practical skills that work in your real life - ACT for values-based living, TEAM-CBT for rapid thought shifts, DBT for emotional management
Build boundaries that people actually respect - because you respect them first
Create sustainable change aligned with what truly matters to you
Sessions move at your pace, focusing on what you need most - whether that's learning to disconnect from work, managing competing responsibilities, or fundamentally reshaping your relationship with achievement.
Intensive Therapy is for those who want accelerated results:
Extended 2-8 hour sessions that maintain momentum and allow for breakthrough moments
Weekend retreats or concentrated multi-day intensives that fit your schedule
Deep, focused work without the constraints of 50-minute appointments
Achieve in weeks what might take months in traditional therapy
Stress Management for Teens: If you're a parent watching your teen struggle under impossible pressure - studying until 2 AM, having panic attacks before tests, sacrificing sleep and social connection for academics - I work with teens (ages 13-17) using age-appropriate approaches that address academic stress, perfectionism, social pressure, and future-focused anxiety.
What Changes When Stress Doesn't Run Your Life
Imagine making clear decisions without second-guessing yourself for hours. Leaving work at work instead of bringing it home every night. Setting boundaries that people actually respect. Feeling energized by challenges instead of drained by them.
Coming home with energy for family instead of just exhaustion. Being fully present instead of distracted and depleted. Sleeping through the night with a quiet mind. Having space in your life for spontaneity, rest, and joy.
The goal isn't to eliminate stress - that's not realistic. Stress is part of growth and meaningful work. The goal is to develop lasting skills that help you navigate pressure without sacrificing your health, relationships, or sense of self.
You'll learn to experience stress without being controlled by it. To make values-based choices even when you feel overwhelmed. To build a life that's fulfilling, not just impressive from the outside.
-
If stress is interfering with your ability to function, affecting your relationships, causing physical symptoms, or making you feel like you're just surviving instead of living - it's worth addressing. You don't have to wait until you're completely burned out. In fact, getting support earlier can prevent more serious issues down the road. During your free consultation, we can discuss whether therapy is right for you.
-
This is exactly the mindset that keeps people stuck. Therapy isn't about adding to your plate = it's about creating space in your life by addressing what's keeping you overwhelmed. Many clients find that after just a few sessions, they're actually more productive and have more time because they're not spinning in stress cycles or wasting energy on ineffective coping strategies. Think of it as an investment that pays dividends in every area of your life.
-
No. While mindfulness can be one tool, evidence-based stress management therapy goes much deeper. We'll use ACT to identify values-based living, TEAM-CBT to rapidly shift thought patterns fueling your stress, and DBT skills for practical emotional management. You'll develop skills tailored to your actual life circumstances - not generic advice that sounds good but doesn't work when you're facing real pressure.
-
Yes. While we can't change toxic workplace cultures or impossible demands, therapy helps you change your relationship with those stressors. You'll learn to set boundaries even in difficult environments, make values-based decisions about your career (using ACT), develop skills to handle pressure more effectively (using DBT), and clarify what's within your control versus what isn't (using TEAM-CBT). Many clients find this empowering - they realize they have more agency than they thought.
-
This varies based on your specific situation and goals. Some clients notice significant improvement within 8-12 sessions, particularly with TEAM-CBT's rapid approach. Others benefit from longer-term work to address deeper patterns and build comprehensive skills. The tools you learn - whether ACT's values clarification, DBT's distress tolerance, or TEAM-CBT's cognitive techniques - provide lasting benefits you'll use throughout your life.
-
Teen-focused stress management isn't about lowering standards - it's about building healthier relationships with achievement and stress. Using age-appropriate versions of ACT, TEAM-CBT, and DBT, teens learn to handle pressure without sacrificing their well-being, develop realistic perspectives on success and failure, and build emotional regulation skills they'll use throughout life. The goal is helping them thrive, not just survive, through challenging times.
-
Individual therapy sessions are $400 for 50 minutes. I'm considered out-of-network for insurance, but I provide receipts you can submit for reimbursement. Use the Mentaya tool on my contact page to check your out-of-network benefits. Given the significant impact chronic stress has on your health, relationships, career, and overall quality of life, many clients find that specialized treatment is a worthwhile investment in their wellbeing.
-
Complete the contact form to schedule your free 15-minute consultation. We'll discuss your specific stress challenges, your goals for therapy, and whether we're a good fit to work together. From there, we'll schedule your first session and begin your journey toward a more sustainable, fulfilling way of living.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stress Management Therapy in Menlo Park
Contact Us Today.
Ready to take the first step? Fill out the form below to connect with
Dr. Lorraine Wong at Choice Point Counseling. Whether you’re facing anxiety, stress, or feeling stuck, I’m here to help. Let’s work together towards clarity and a fulfilling life.