Online Therapy for Overwhelmed Adults in Portland, Oregon
Helping you stop running on empty so you can feel more grounded and connected to yourself again
Therapy for overwhelmed adults in Portland and across Oregon navigating anxiety, burnout, people-pleasing, and life transitions.
Does it feel like you’ve lost yourself somewhere between the worry, the to-do list, and everyone else’s needs?
You’re used to being the dependable one. An invaluable employee at work, the one who keeps everything running at home, and the person everyone else relies on.
On the outside, it looks like you’re handling it all. But underneath, your mind rarely slows down. There’s a constant hum of worry, exhaustion that doesn’t go away with rest, and a growing sense that you’ve lost touch with yourself somewhere along the way. It can feel like you’re constantly anticipating everyone else’s needs while quietly exhausting yourself in the process.
Deep down, something in you knows this isn’t the life you were meant to be living.
I believe therapy works best when we understand the patterns that keep you stuck in over-responsibility, anxiety, and burnout.
I’m Stephanie Schaefer, Psy.D., the founder of OtterWell Mental Health LLC and a psychologist specializing in helping adults who feel overwhelmed by the demands of daily life and exhausted from constantly holding everything together.
Many of the people I work with appear high-functioning on the outside, but internally feel anxious, stretched too thin, and like there’s never enough space to care for themselves.
Together, we’ll understand the patterns keeping you stuck while building practical, sustainable ways to respond differently.
Over time, this helps you feel more grounded, present, and connected yourself again.
We are a good fit if you…
- Want an active, engaged therapist
- Want both insight and practical tools
- Value honesty, collaboration, and real connection
- Appreciate humor in the therapeutic process
- Want therapy that connects insight to real-life change
We are not a good fit if you…
- Prefer therapy that stays mostly reflective without much active feedback
- Are looking for quick fixes
- Don’t value engaging in the work outside of session
- Prefer rigid, highly structured sessions
- Prefer therapy that stays focused mostly on in-session processing
Anxiety & Overwhelm
Your mind won’t turn off and it feels impossible to relax. We’ll work together to slow your overthinking and help you feel more calm and grounded.
Burnout & Stress
You’ve always been an overachiever, but it’s starting to take a toll. We’ll focus on easing the pressure and creating more realistic ways to move through daily life.
People-Pleasing & Boundaries
You put others first and struggle to set limits, even when it costs you. In our work together, we’ll begin to understand what’s behind these patterns so you can start saying “yes” to yourself.
Life Transitions
Life is changing, and somewhere along the way, you’ve started to lose touch with yourself. We’ll navigate those shifts while helping you feel more grounded in who you are and where you want to go next.
Support is closer (and simpler) than you think–here’s how to get started.
- Schedule a free consultation
We’ll have a brief, low-pressure conversation about what’s been weighing on you, what kind of support you’re looking for, and whether we feel like a good fit.
- Build a plan together
In your intake session, we’ll take a deeper look at your patterns, responsibilities, and the pressure to keep showing up for everyone else at your own expense. Together, we’ll create a plan that feels realistic and doable in your actual day-to-day life.
- Start showing up with more clarity and control
Over time, you’ll begin to quiet the constant sense of urgency, set boundaries with less guilt, and move through life with more clarity and intention.
Online therapy that fits into your life
All sessions are provided online through secure video for clients located in Oregon, making it easy to access support without sacrificing extra time to commuting and parking.
Many people appreciate being able to attend therapy from the comfort and privacy of their own space–whether that’s at home, in a quiet office, or somewhere else they feel at ease.
The goal is to make support easier to access so you can focus your energy on feeling better.
You don’t have to keep living in a constant state of pressure and depletion.
It’s possible to feel more steady, more present, and more connected to yourself–without always feeling like you’re falling behind or carrying everything on your own. Instead, you can move through life feeling steadier, clearer, and less weighed down by constant pressure.
