Online Therapy in Seattle, WA for Anxiety, Burnout, Trauma and Relationships

You may be doing well by most external measures while privately feeling exhausted, anxious, disconnected or unsure how long you can keep going at your current pace.

Maybe you are successful at work but cannot shut your mind off after the day ends. You may be dependable, ambitious and used to pushing through discomfort, yet increasingly aware that the same habits that helped you succeed are beginning to cost you.

I’m Ryan Shannon, LMHCA, MS, MA, a male therapist providing online therapy to adults in Seattle and throughout Washington State. I accept Premera, LifeWise and many Blue Cross Blue Shield plans.

I often work well with high achievers, including executives, managers, technology professionals, healthcare workers, students and people in demanding or rapidly changing careers. Many of my clients are capable, thoughtful people who appear composed on the outside while privately struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, burnout, trauma or recurring relationship patterns.

My approach is warm and exploratory, but it is also practical. I want therapy to help you understand yourself more clearly and make changes that you can actually feel in your daily life.

Online Therapy for People Living and Working in Seattle

Seattle can be an exciting place to build a career, study, create something new or start over. It can also be demanding.

The city attracts ambitious people from across the country and around the world. Many come here to work in technology, healthcare, research, education, business, design or the nonprofit sector. There can be tremendous opportunity, but also pressure to adapt quickly, perform consistently and remain competitive.

Seattle professionals may be navigating:

• High workloads

• Layoffs and reorganizations

• Rapidly changing expectations

• Pressure to remain productive

• Long periods of uncertainty

• Remote or hybrid work

• Difficult managers or workplace cultures

• Fear of becoming replaceable

• Isolation despite being surrounded by people

• The feeling that slowing down could put everything at risk

You may have worked hard to create a stable life and still feel as though stability could disappear unexpectedly.

Therapy can help you make sense of these pressures without reducing everything to a productivity problem. We can look at the beliefs, fears and patterns that influence how you work, rest, relate to others and define your value.

A Little About Me

My path to becoming a therapist was not completely straightforward.

I grew up in Bellingham, Washington, and am native to the Pacific Northwest. I later spent much of my adult life abroad, studying in Italy and Spain.

I earned a bachelor’s degree in Business and Management and later completed a master’s degree in Work and Organizational Psychology. Those experiences shaped the way I understand motivation, workplace dynamics, leadership, stress and the relationship between work and identity.

While studying full time, I was also working.

At different points, I worked at a marketing agency, taught English to children and freelanced as a content manager and marketer. I know what it is like to manage deadlines, clients, coursework, financial pressure and the expectation that you should somehow perform well in every area at once.

I also know what it is like to sacrifice.

There were periods when rest, free time and balance felt like things I would earn later, after the next deadline, project or degree. Many high achievers live this way for years. The problem is that “later” keeps moving.

My professional background also includes work as a psychometrist, where I worked closely with patients completing psychological and neuropsychological assessments. Eventually, I moved into counseling because I wanted to work with people more deeply and help them create meaningful, lasting change.

My own experiences allow me to understand ambitious clients without assuming that achievement is the problem. Success can be meaningful. Hard work can be rewarding. The goal of therapy is not necessarily to make you less motivated.

It may be to help you pursue what matters without destroying yourself in the process.

Therapy for High Achievers in Seattle

High achievers are often praised for traits that can quietly become sources of distress.

You may be:

• Responsible

• Independent

• Persistent

• Detail-oriented

• Highly self-aware

• Good in a crisis

• Able to tolerate discomfort

• Skilled at anticipating problems

• Accustomed to being the person others rely on

These qualities can help you advance professionally. They can also make it difficult to recognize when you are overwhelmed.

You may tell yourself that other people have it worse, that you should be able to manage or that your stress is simply the price of ambition. You may delay asking for support until you are exhausted, emotionally detached or struggling to function outside work.

High-achieving clients often come to therapy because they:

• Cannot relax without feeling guilty

• Feel anxious when they are not being productive

• Overprepare for meetings and decisions

• Replay mistakes for days

• Feel like a fraud despite strong performance

• Tie self-worth to achievement

• Struggle to tolerate criticism

• Avoid asking for help

• Feel responsible for preventing every possible problem

• Reach goals and immediately focus on the next one

• Appear successful but feel empty or disconnected

Therapy can help you understand what drives these patterns and decide which parts of your ambition still serve you.

Therapy for Seattle Tech Workers

Seattle’s technology sector can offer meaningful work, strong compensation and opportunities to solve complex problems. It can also involve frequent change, intense performance expectations and uncertainty.

Whether you work for a large technology company, a startup, a consulting firm or as an independent professional, you may be dealing with:

• Layoffs or fear of layoffs

• Reorganizations

• Ambiguous job expectations

• Difficult performance reviews

• Competitive promotion processes

• Imposter syndrome

• Long hours

• Work that follows you home

• Pressure to constantly develop new skills

• Isolation in remote work

• Difficulty separating identity from your role

• Anxiety about artificial intelligence and employment changes

• Uncertainty about whether to stay, leave or change careers

Employment volatility can be especially destabilizing for people who have relied on work as a source of identity, safety or self-esteem.

Even when your position is secure, watching colleagues lose their jobs or seeing an industry change rapidly can create chronic tension. You may feel that you need to constantly prove your value.

In therapy, we can examine how workplace uncertainty affects your thoughts, relationships and nervous system. We can also work on boundaries, burnout, decision-making, confidence and the beliefs that make rest feel dangerous.

Therapy for Executives and Managers

Leadership can be lonely.

Executives and managers are often expected to remain calm, decisive and available while handling pressure from multiple directions. You may be responsible for employees, deadlines, financial outcomes, difficult conversations and decisions that affect other people’s lives.

At the same time, you may have few places where you can speak openly without considering how your words might be interpreted.

Therapy can provide a confidential space to address:

• Leadership stress

• Difficult workplace relationships

• Fear of failure

• Decision fatigue

• Conflict avoidance

• Perfectionism

• Imposter syndrome

• Burnout

• Anger or irritability

• Difficulty delegating

• Emotional disconnection

• Work-related strain in your personal relationships

• The feeling that you always have to be composed

We can also explore the personal patterns that influence how you lead.

For example, a fear of disappointing others may make it difficult to provide direct feedback. A strong need for control may make delegation uncomfortable. Past experiences with criticism may make ordinary workplace feedback feel much more threatening.

Greater self-awareness can improve both your well-being and the way you relate to the people around you.

Therapy for Healthcare Professionals in Seattle

Seattle is home to major hospitals, research centers and healthcare organizations, including Harborview Medical Center, Swedish, Virginia Mason, UW Medicine, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and Seattle Children’s.

Healthcare professionals may experience a combination of emotional intensity, high responsibility, administrative pressure and chronic exposure to suffering.

You may be very good at caring for patients while struggling to recognize or communicate your own needs.

Therapy may help with:

• Burnout

• Compassion fatigue

• Difficult patient experiences

• Moral distress

• Secondary trauma

• Anxiety before or after shifts

• Emotional numbness

• Workplace conflict

• Perfectionism

• Fear of making mistakes

• Difficulty transitioning out of work mode

• Relationship strain caused by demanding schedules

Online therapy can also reduce some of the practical burden of finding care. You can attend from a private location without adding another commute to an already full day.

Therapy for University Students and Early-Career Professionals

Students and recent graduates in Seattle may be navigating academic pressure, financial uncertainty, changing relationships and difficult questions about the future.

I provide online therapy to eligible adults attending institutions such as the University of Washington, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University and Seattle Colleges.

You may be dealing with:

• Academic stress

• Fear of falling behind

• Uncertainty about your career

• Social anxiety

• Perfectionism

• Family expectations

• Relationship changes

• Identity development

• Loneliness

• Difficulty adjusting to Seattle

• Anxiety about entering a competitive job market

Some students are working while studying full time and feel as though they cannot afford to slow down.

I understand that experience personally. Balancing work, education and daily responsibilities can require real sacrifice. Therapy can help you decide which sacrifices are necessary and which ones are slowly becoming unsustainable.

Anxiety Therapy in Seattle, WA

Anxiety often hides behind preparation, productivity and control.

You may not think of yourself as an anxious person because you continue functioning. Instead, anxiety may show up as overthinking, irritability, difficulty sleeping, physical tension or the need to anticipate every possible outcome.

You might:

• Rehearse conversations in advance

• Revisit decisions repeatedly

• Assume small mistakes will have major consequences

• Avoid situations where you cannot control the outcome

• Struggle to feel satisfied with your work

• Feel tense even when nothing is immediately wrong

• Worry that relaxing will cause you to fall behind

• Constantly monitor how others perceive you

In therapy, we can work on identifying the thoughts, beliefs and behaviors that maintain anxiety.

This may include reducing avoidance, building tolerance for uncertainty, challenging unhelpful assumptions and learning to respond differently to physical symptoms of stress.

The goal is not to eliminate every anxious thought. It is to help anxiety have less control over your decisions and your life.

Therapy for Burnout and Chronic Stress

Burnout is not always dramatic.

Sometimes it develops slowly. You may continue performing while becoming less patient, less motivated and less connected to the people and activities that once mattered to you.

Signs of burnout can include:

• Emotional exhaustion

• Irritability

• Cynicism

• Difficulty concentrating

• Reduced motivation

• Trouble sleeping

• Feeling detached from work

• Feeling detached from your relationships

• Dreading ordinary responsibilities

• Fantasizing about quitting or disappearing

• Becoming increasingly dependent on distraction

• Feeling like rest never fully restores you

Many people attempt to solve burnout by becoming even more efficient.

They create better schedules, use new productivity systems or tell themselves they simply need more discipline. These strategies may help temporarily, but they do not always address the beliefs and circumstances that created the burnout.

Therapy can help you understand your limits, identify unsustainable patterns and make decisions about work without reacting entirely from exhaustion.

Perfectionism Therapy for Seattle Professionals

Perfectionism is often mistaken for having high standards.

High standards can help you produce good work. Perfectionism tends to make your sense of safety or worth depend on avoiding mistakes.

You may feel that ordinary errors reveal something unacceptable about you. You may procrastinate because beginning a task creates the possibility of failing. You may spend excessive time refining work that is already good enough.

Perfectionism can also affect relationships.

You may hold yourself to impossible standards and then become frustrated when others do not operate the same way. You may avoid vulnerability because you do not want to be seen struggling, uncertain or in need of support.

In therapy, we can work on:

• Separating self-worth from performance

• Responding differently to mistakes

• Reducing overpreparation

• Recognizing unrealistic standards

• Becoming more flexible

• Addressing fear of criticism

• Completing tasks without endless revision

• Allowing other people to see you as human

The goal is not to stop caring about quality. It is to make excellence less punishing.

Trauma and EMDR Therapy in Seattle

Trauma can affect people who are otherwise highly functional and successful.

You may perform well at work while continuing to experience shame, intrusive memories, emotional numbness, relationship difficulties or strong reactions to situations that remind you of the past.

Difficult experiences may include:

• Childhood abuse or neglect

• Bullying

• Relationship trauma

• Loss or abandonment

• Medical experiences

• Accidents

• Workplace mistreatment

• Rejection

• Exposure to violence

• Experiences related to identity or discrimination

• Situations in which you felt trapped or powerless

I use EMDR to help clients process distressing experiences and reduce the emotional intensity connected to them.

I may also integrate Cognitive Processing Therapy-informed strategies and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address beliefs that developed after trauma.

The goal is not to erase what happened. It is to help the experience feel less present and less controlling.

Relationship Therapy for Individuals

Many people come to therapy because they are tired of repeating the same relationship patterns.

You may understand that a relationship is unhealthy while still feeling unable to leave. You may repeatedly choose emotionally unavailable partners or become anxious when someone begins to pull away.

You might struggle with:

• Fear of rejection

• Fear of abandonment

• Difficulty trusting others

• People-pleasing

• Conflict avoidance

• Jealousy

• Difficulty setting boundaries

• Staying too long in unsatisfying relationships

• Pulling away when intimacy increases

• Feeling responsible for another person’s emotions

• Recovering from betrayal or a breakup

Individual therapy can help you understand where these patterns originated and how they continue to influence your choices.

We can work on changing your role in relationships even when the other person is not present in therapy.

LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy in Seattle

I work frequently with gay men, lesbian women, bisexual people and adults questioning their sexuality.

Seattle may be more accepting than many communities, but LGBTQ+ people can still experience shame, rejection, family conflict, body-image pressure, isolation and complicated relationship dynamics.

Therapy can help you:

• Explore identity

• Navigate coming out

• Process religious or family experiences

• Build healthier relationships

• Address body image

• Work through rejection

• Set boundaries

• Feel more comfortable being yourself

• Understand patterns in dating and intimacy

You should be able to discuss your life without feeling that you first need to explain or defend your identity.

How I Approach Therapy

My work is informed by Adlerian and psychodynamic therapy.

I believe that many of our current behaviors began as attempts to adapt, protect ourselves or secure connection. These patterns may have made sense at one point but become limiting over time.

When we understand where a pattern came from, it often becomes easier to change.

At the same time, therapy with me is not limited to insight.

I tend to be action-oriented. Between sessions, I may suggest behavioral challenges that I call “missions.” These are collaborative opportunities to practice something new, approach an avoided situation or test an assumption in everyday life.

A mission might involve:

• Setting a boundary

• Having a direct conversation

• Allowing a task to be good enough

• Asking for help

• Doing something without overpreparing

• Approaching a situation you usually avoid

• Responding differently to a familiar trigger

These challenges are personalized and discussed together. They are meant to help therapy extend beyond the session.

Therapy Approaches I May Use

Depending on your goals and needs, I may integrate:

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR

• Cognitive Processing Therapy-informed interventions

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

• Adlerian therapy

• Psychodynamic therapy

• Motivational Interviewing

• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

• Mindfulness

• Guided imagery

• Behavioral challenges between sessions

You do not need to decide which approach you want before contacting me. During a free consultation, I can explain how I work and discuss whether my style may be a good fit.

Online Therapy Across Seattle

I provide online therapy to adults throughout Seattle and the surrounding area.

This includes people living in neighborhoods such as:

• Capitol Hill

• Queen Anne

• Ballard

• Fremont

• Wallingford

• Green Lake

• Phinney Ridge

• Magnolia

• West Seattle

• Beacon Hill

• Columbia City

• Rainier Valley

• Belltown

• South Lake Union

• the University District

• Northgate

• Lake City

• and surrounding communities

Online counseling allows you to attend from home, a private office or another confidential location.

It may be especially helpful if you work remotely, travel within Washington, have a demanding schedule or simply do not want to add another commute to your week.

Insurance and Therapy Costs

I accept:

• Premera

• LifeWise

• Many Blue Cross Blue Shield plans

Coverage depends on your individual plan. Benefits should be verified before your first appointment so that you understand your deductible, copayment, coinsurance and other possible costs.

Limited sliding-scale appointments may also be available to clients who qualify.

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Therapy in Seattle

Do you provide in-person therapy in Seattle?

No. My practice is fully online. I provide secure telehealth therapy to eligible clients located in Seattle and throughout Washington State.

Do you accept Premera in Seattle?

Yes. I accept Premera, LifeWise and many Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. Exact coverage varies by plan.

Do you work with Amazon, Microsoft and other tech employees?

Yes. I work with technology professionals, managers, executives and other high-achieving clients experiencing anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, career uncertainty or relationship concerns.

Do you provide therapy for burnout?

Yes. I work with clients experiencing chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, reduced motivation, perfectionism and difficulty separating work from personal life.

Do you provide EMDR online?

Yes. EMDR may be provided through telehealth when clinically appropriate. We will first discuss your history, symptoms, goals, coping resources and treatment options.

Can university students work with you?

Yes. I provide online therapy to eligible adult students who are physically located in Washington during their sessions.

Do I need to be in crisis to start therapy?

No. Many clients begin therapy while they are still functioning well but recognize that their current patterns are no longer sustainable.

What happens during the free consultation?

A consultation gives us an opportunity to briefly discuss what is bringing you to therapy, what you hope will change and whether my approach may be a good fit. You can also ask questions about insurance, online sessions or the therapy process.

Schedule Online Therapy in Seattle, WA

You do not need to wait until you are completely burned out, your relationship is falling apart or work becomes unmanageable.

Therapy can help you better understand the patterns that brought you this far and decide which ones you no longer want to carry forward.

I provide online therapy for adults in Seattle and throughout Washington State. I accept Premera, LifeWise and many Blue Cross Blue Shield plans.

Contact me to schedule a free consultation and learn more about beginning online therapy.