If you’ve never experienced professional therapy before, you may be wondering, “Is executive counseling worth it?” Working with a knowledgeable therapist can provide many benefits, but your unique situation and goals will determine what executive therapy can do for you.

What are the benefits of therapy for executives? What can I expect?

Based on past patients’ most common issues, we’ve compiled a list of the potential benefits of executive counseling. If any of these scenarios resonate with you, there’s a good chance that executive therapy will be worth it for you.

Working with an experienced NYC therapist for executive therapy can help you…

1.) Uncover hidden obstacles

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Unless you’ve done deep, introspective work with a licensed therapist, you may be unaware of hidden issues that are holding you back. For example, you might have picked up messages during childhood (and during adulthood!) that discouraged you from being assertive and ambitious. Alternately, imposter syndrome could be eroding your confidence. Or perhaps perfectionism is hurting your productivity. An executive coach can help you identify the issues underlying your professional challenges, empowering you to overcome them.

2.) Practice relying on others

You probably wouldn’t be where you are today if you weren’t so incredibly adept at handling things on your own. However, the downside of self-reliance is that it can make it hard to delegate/accept help when you have too much on your plate. An experienced counselor can help you determine whether this is an issue for you and, if so, encourage you to practice letting others support you a little from time to time.

3.) Vent your frustrations about occupational burnout

It can be lonely at the top! And, occupational burnout affects executives, too. You may feel like discussing your concerns and frustrations with subordinates would be unprofessional, and sharing them with peers would be uncomfortable. If you’re like many executives, you don’t have anyone in your personal life who you can vent to, either. Even if you have a family or partner to talk to, they probably have no idea the kind of stress you’re under. When you start working with an executive therapist, you’ll find a sympathetic outlet for your fears and worries.

4.) Get a fresh perspective on work stress

The business world is highly competitive. The ambitions of your peers and subordinates might cloud their judgment or prevent them from giving you honest feedback. Conversely, an executive counselor is not held back by the need to impress or the desire to please. Therapists offer an unbiased perspective that can help put things into clearer focus. Even more importantly, they can help you tune into your intuition and learn to trust it when making decisions.

5.) Explore feelings of dissatisfaction/incompleteness

The professionals we work with tend to be highly accomplished. While they are proud of everything they’ve achieved, they sometimes feel like something is missing. They wonder whether professional success is all there is to life— or whether there may be something else they should be working towards. If you’re unsure why you feel incomplete or how to fix it, an executive therapist is an ideal person to talk to.

6.) Manage work stress and anxiety that lead to occupational burnout

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Many of our patients have a complicated relationship with anxiety. There’s often a part of them that wants to feel less stressed. At the same time, another part worries they might be less successful without anxiety pushing them along. A knowledgeable counselor can help you explore your relationship with stress and make any needed adjustments.

7.) Establish professional boundaries to prevent occupational burnout

Long hours are just part of the job for many people, but at some point, working too much can become counterproductive. If you don’t draw the line somewhere, your self-care will go out the window. You won’t be at your best if you’re exhausted, hungry, and un-showered half the time. But it’s hard to know where to draw the line. And how can you set boundaries in a way that other people will respect them? Teaching you how to set boundaries is just one of the many things executive therapy can do for you.

8.) Balance professional and romantic goals

Your mindset at work—one of constantly delegating and directing—is totally different from the mindset you’ll need to adopt when dating. Finding the right partner and cultivating a relationship requires an open, connecting mindset and a willingness to compromise. It also requires time, energy, and passion—something busy executives usually reserve for their career goals. If you’re single, learning how to balance your professional and love life may be one of the most life-changing benefits of executive therapy.

9.) Balance work and family

Personal-professional balance is elusive for many executives—especially those who happen to be parents. Finding equilibrium is always a struggle for working professionals, and it can feel impossible for parents affected by COVID lockdowns. If the lines between work and parenting have become blurred, you may feel like you’re being pulled in a million different directions. An experienced therapist can help you manage guilt, reduce imposter syndrome, and find balance.

10.) Figure out who you are outside of work

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Here’s a common scenario among busy professionals: They feel perfectly at home when they’re at work, but they don’t know what to do with themselves when they take time off, spend time with friends/family, or try to unwind after work. If this sounds familiar, an experienced executive therapist can offer tips and strategies for exploring and nurturing other aspects of your personality.