About Cheryl Groskopf, LMFT, LPCC | Anxiety & Trauma Therapist in Los Angeles
Helping high-functioning adults navigate anxiety, overthinking, and trauma in Los Angeles. Using somatic therapy, IFS, and attachment theory to get to the root of your anxiety.
Specialized Treatment for
Anxiety| Attachment | Trauma
You’re Not “Too Much” — You’re Overthinking to Survive
If you’re here, I’m guessing your mind doesn’t really shut off.
You replay things. You predict things. You try to stay ahead of every possible reaction, outcome, or misunderstanding — even when nothing’s technically wrong.
It’s not just that your thoughts are loud. It’s the way your chest tightens when you hit send. The way you lie in bed rehearsing what you said and wondering if it was “too much.” The way you feel the need to explain yourself, cushion your words, or mentally check every detail twice before you rest..
About Cheryl Groskopf, LMFT, LPCC
I’m Cheryl — a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Professional Clinical Counselor in Los Angeles specializing in overthinking, anxiety, attachment wounds, and trauma (including complex trauma).
Before becoming a therapist, I spent a lot of time trying to “make sense” of things. But what actually helped me (and now helps my clients) wasn’t logic — it was learning how the nervous system works, how early roles shape our adult relationships, and how to stop living on autopilot.
I bring an integrative lens to the work — combining Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic therapy, and trauma-informed nervous system science — but mostly, I bring presence. The kind that helps you actually feel seen, not just analyzed.
This work is personal to me. And it’s why I built Evolution to Healing — a place for high-functioning, emotionally aware humans who are ready to stop overthinking and start coming home to themselves.
Who I Help as an Anxiety and Trauma Therapist in Los Angeles
High-Functioning Doesn’t Mean You’re Not Struggling
You might be the one who holds it all together. The one people turn to. The one who always seems “fine” — even when you’re barely holding on.
You’re smart. Insightful. Responsible. You know how to show up.
But inside, it’s constant. The mental rehearsal. The second-guessing. The overexplaining. The need to be five steps ahead so nothing goes sideways.
You might not even call it anxiety. But you feel it in your body — the tension, the urgency, the way your mind never actually rests.
As a therapist in Los Angeles who specializes in overthinking, this is who I work with: people who’ve been functioning like this for years, sometimes decades — and are just now starting to wonder if it’s not supposed to be this hard.
My Approach: Somatic Therapy, IFS, and Attachment-Focused Healing
I use IFS therapy (aka “parts” work in Internal Family Systems) to help you get to know the parts of you that think they have to overanalyze everything in order to stay safe. We don’t try to shut them up. We work with them — gently and respectfully — so they don’t have to carry that burden alone anymore.
I bring in somatic therapy to help you notice what your body is doing while your brain is racing — the held breath, the tight chest, the clench you don’t even realize is there until you’re exhausted.
And we use nervous system work to help your system stop scanning for what might go wrong. Not through force. Through safety. Through repetition. Through actually feeling what it’s like to not be in survival mode all the time.
This isn’t a one-size-fits-all plan. That’s why I use a holistic approach to see the whole you.
How Somatic Therapy Helps High-Functioning Adults Heal Anxiety and Trauma
You can know something’s over — the relationship, the danger, the job that broke you — and your body can still be stuck in it. That disconnect? It’s not resistance. It’s survival.
Somatic therapy works where words usually stop. It helps you notice how your body’s been trying to keep you safe — by tensing, freezing, checking out — even when you’re not in danger anymore. Not because you’re broken. Because at some point, those responses worked.
We don’t force anything. We slow it down. We get curious about your breath, your pacing, the way you can’t quite relax even when everything’s “fine.” And we build capacity — not to push through, but to actually feel safe inside yourself again.
It’s not about fixing your thoughts. It’s about not having to clench your jaw just to get through the day. Not having to be on all the time. Somatic therapy helps you shift out of survival mode — slowly, safely — so your body stops treating rest like it’s a threat. It’s not overnight. But over time, things soften. You breathe a little deeper. You stop bracing for the next thing. And for once, “I’m okay” actually feels true.
Understanding Internal Family Systems (IFS) for Overthinking and Emotional Healing
You know that feeling when part of you wants to move on — but another part keeps replaying it all at 2 a.m.? Or when you know what you should do, but you freeze or spiral or say yes anyway? That’s not sabotage. That’s parts work.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps you make sense of the different parts inside you — the ones that panic, perform, numb out, shut down, overthink, or overextend. Not to get rid of them. But to understand why they showed up in the first place.
Because those parts? They’re not the problem. They were just trying to protect you.
IFS therapy gives you space to actually meet those parts instead of fighting them. We work with the protective ones that feel like they can’t ever rest. The hurt ones that got stuck in the past. The parts of you that have been carrying way too much, for way too long
Healing Attachment Wounds: Building Secure Relationships Through Therapy
You didn’t just “turn out this way.” You adapted.
Maybe you learned early that being too much got you in trouble. Or not being enough meant getting left. Maybe love felt like a reward for good behavior — or something you had to earn by reading the room, fixing the vibe, taking care of everyone else first.
Attachment work is about unlearning that.
It’s not about blaming your parents or dissecting your childhood forever. It’s about gently tracing the patterns that still live in your body — the ones that show up when someone doesn’t text back, when a boundary feels like a threat, when connection feels terrifying and necessary.
In session, we explore how your earliest relationships shaped the way you protect yourself now. Not to shame those strategies — they helped you survive. But to make space for new ones. Ones that don’t leave you stuck in guilt, shutdown, or people-pleasing just to stay connected.
It’s slow, and real, and honestly… kind of a relief. To stop contorting yourself into who you think you need to be — and start feeling safe enough to just be you.
Most people don’t come to therapy saying, “I think I have overthinking symptoms.”
They say things like:
- “I replay every conversation and still don’t feel clear.”
- “I know it’s not really a big deal, but I can’t stop thinking about it.”
- “My brain just… won’t ever STFU.”
A lot of this gets mistaken for being “sensitive” or “too much.” But I see it for what it really is: protection. Learned roles. And if you’ve been wondering whether there’s a way out of these patterns, the answer is yes — but not through more willpower. That’s why overthinking therapy can’t just be mindset work — it has to meet your body where it already is.
What Overthinking Symptoms Actually Feel Like
- Rehashing what you said 3 days ago, wondering if it came off wrong
- Obsessively planning for every possible reaction before you send a text
- Thinking so hard about what to do that you end up doing nothing
- Mentally preparing for worst-case scenarios — just in case
- That subtle jaw clench you don’t notice until it hurts
- Shallow breath, tight chest, tense shoulders — even during rest
- Trouble falling asleep, or waking up feeling like you already ran a marathon
- Gut issues that flare up the second someone says “we need to talk”.
- Feeling guilty for saying no — even when you know it’s reasonable
- Taking on responsibility for other people’s feelings
- Trying to “do it right” so no one gets upset
- Being the one who fixes, explains, smooths things over
You Don’t Have to Be in Crisis to Deserve Help
Here’s something I hear a lot:
“It’s not that bad.”
“Other people have it worse.”
“I’m just sensitive.”
“I’ve done therapy before — it didn’t really help.”
If that’s you, I want to say this gently but clearly:
Just because you’re functioning doesn’t mean you’re fine.
And just because your pain wasn’t obvious on the outside doesn’t mean it wasn’t real.
Ready to Finally Feel Better? Therapy for Overthinking Starts Here.
Overthinking therapy in Los Angeles isn’t about giving you a new tool you’ll forget by Tuesday. It’s about helping your brain — and body — finally slow down.
It’s about creating a space where your system can finally stop bracing — where you get to show up as you are, without having to explain or earn your right to be there.
If you’re curious what this work could look like, schedule a free 15-minute consultation. No pressure. No prep required.
Just a real conversation to see if this feels like a good fi!.
Client Testimonials for Anxiety, Trauma, and Overthinking Therapy in Los Angeles
FAQ: Overthinking Therapy in Los Angeles
What is overthinking therapy?
Overthinking therapy is a nervous system-based approach to anxiety. We’re not just changing thoughts — we’re helping your body stop bracing. I use IFS therapy, somatic therapy, and nervous system work to shift the patterns underneath the spirals — so your mind doesn’t have to work so hard to stay safe.
Is overthinking a trauma response?
In many cases, yes. Overthinking is often your brain’s way of trying to prevent something from going wrong — because in the past, being prepared helped you avoid pain. It’s not “just anxiety.” It’s survival. In anxiety therapy, we work with that protective response in your body — not against it.
What if I’ve already tried therapy and it didn’t help?
That’s actually one of the most common things I hear. You might’ve been in talk therapy that focused on insight — but skipped the body. Or maybe you were never shown how to work with your nervous system directly. What I offer is holistic therapy that integrates your mind, body, and inner parts — so healing actually sticks.
Do you offer online therapy for anxiety and overthinking?
Yes — I offer online therapy across California. You can work with me from your laptop, couch, or wherever you feel most grounded. If you’re navigating overthinking, anxiety, or burnout, you don’t have to leave home to start feeling better. Click here to schedule a free consultation.
Overthinking Therapy in Los Angeles
Some Things I’ve Shared in the Media (That Might Sound Familiar)
I’ve been lucky to contribute to articles that reach people where they are — in the scroll, in the chaos, in the “why am I like this?” moment. Here are a few pieces that might help you feel more seen (and maybe explain a few things your brain won’t stop analyzing):
Real Simple | What Is Oxidative Stress—and Why It Feels Like You’re Always Tired
If your burnout feels less like a bad week and more like your body’s just… not bouncing back, this article breaks down how stress lives in your system — and why rest isn’t always as simple as sleeping more.
Well+Good | The Anxious-Avoidant Dating Trap
If you keep dating people who make you feel crazy (or distant), this article might help. I talk about why we repeat these patterns — and how they’re not random.
Men’s Journal | This Breathing Hack Reverses Anxiety Symptoms Almost Instantly
I talked about how breathwork can help anxious systems regulate in real time — not because it’s trendy, but because it actually shifts the way your body reads safety.
Well+Good | Is My Anxiety Ruining My Relationship?
This one dives into what happens when you know your partner’s not mad… but your nervous system still doesn’t believe it. I shared how anxiety often shows up in connection — not just conflict.
MindBodyGreen | Why People-Pleasing Can Be a Survival Response
If “being easygoing” has always felt safer than speaking up, this one’s for you. I unpacked how people-pleasing isn’t a flaw — it’s your nervous system’s old strategy for staying connected.
Want the full list? You can check out all my media features here.
