As we move into the second half of the year, it’s a meaningful time to pause and reflect. We are not pausing to measure productivity, but to reconnect with your sense of self-worth.
So many of us in New York City live in a culture that equates value with performance. You may find yourself asking:
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Have I done enough?
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Am I keeping up?
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Why does rest feel so hard to justify?
These questions are familiar to Courtlyn Shimada, a psychotherapist at Holistic Psychotherapy NYC. Courtlyn specializes in helping clients unpack perfectionism, self-criticism, and the internalized pressure to “push through” at the expense of their own well-being.
How You Talk to Yourself Matters
Many of Courtlyn’s clients come to therapy navigating anxiety, burnout, and a deep sense of disconnection from their emotions. They’re often high-functioning, high-achieving individuals who struggle to feel “good enough” unless they’re constantly producing or performing.
Courtlyn brings a warm, grounding presence to the therapy room. With a background in psychodynamic therapy, somatic practices, and mindfulness-based approaches, she helps clients slow down, tune inward, and reconnect with their internal experience—especially their self-talk.
Her relational, collaborative style creates space for people who are used to self-silencing or who fear being “too much.” Together, she helps them build self-compassion and explore how their early experiences shape their present patterns of self-worth.
A Mid-Year Self-Worth Check-In
This July, take a moment to reflect on what’s been guiding your choices this year—not through the lens of achievement, but through the lens of alignment.
Consider asking yourself:
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What have I been prioritizing—and is that still serving me?
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Can I change direction if I need to?
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Do I need more play, joy, or rest?
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How am I doing with boundaries?
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Where am I noticing burnout?
These are the kinds of reflective questions Courtlyn explores with her clients—not to judge or fix, but to help them live with more authenticity, agency, and ease.
Therapy for Perfectionism, Burnout, and Self-Worth in NYC
If you’re noticing that your inner critic is running the show—or that your self-worth feels tied to how much you’re doing—it might be time for support. Therapy can help you build a more compassionate relationship with yourself and create space for rest, joy, and intentional change.
To learn more about working with Courtlyn Shimada, LMSW, visit her profile here.
