Reconnect with your needs, reclaim your energy, and stop running on empty.
Therapy for Stress and Overwhem in South Florida
Online Mind-Body Support Across Florida and Illinois
You’re showing up every day, but the stress is taking a toll.
Maybe the stress built slowly, or maybe you’ve felt this way for years.
You might feel wired but exhausted, tense for no reason, or like you’re constantly bracing for the next thing. When life feels like too much, it’s hard to even notice what you need. Let alone make space for it.
The pressure to keep going, be available for everyone, and hold it all together leaves many people running on fumes.
Stress doesn’t just affect your thoughts. It shows up in your body - your sleep, your focus, your digestion, and your relationships.
If you're feeling disconnected, worn down, or confused by your own reactions, you’re not alone. I work with people who look like they’re holding it together on the outside but feel overwhelmed on the inside, and are ready for something to shift.
Through somatic and integrative therapy, including optional listening tools like Safe and Sound Protocol and Rest and Restore Protocol, I help support your nervous system in ways that feel grounded and doable.
South Florida Stress and Overwhelm Therapist
Hi, I’m Amy Hagerstrom, LCSW.
I’m so glad you’re here.
I know how heavy it can feel to carry everything, day after day, without a real pause. You’ve kept things going, done what needs to be done, and held it together for everyone around you. But inside, it’s wearing you down.
Maybe you’ve noticed your body feels different, your stress is harder to shake, or you just feel off. You know something deeper is going on, but it’s hard to put your finger on what it is or where to start.
The constant stress, pressure, and lack of space for yourself are taking a toll. You’re not just tired. It’s harder to focus, to feel connected, and to show up in your life the way you want to.
You don’t have to keep pushing through on your own. I help people work with the toll that chronic stress takes on both mind and body so you can feel more present, capable, and clear.
You’ve built a meaningful life, and you deserve to feel strong enough to fully live it.
Common Stress and Overwhelm Symptoms I Help With
Many of the people I work with are carrying a combination of the following:
Physical Signs of Stress
Tension in your shoulders, jaw, or stomach that doesn’t seem to go away
Headaches, fatigue, or pain that get worse during stressful times
Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or feeling rested after sleeping
Digestive issues that flare up or feel unpredictable when under pressure
Feeling physically drained or wired, even when you're trying to rest
Mental and Emotional Patterns
Trouble focusing, staying present, or following through on tasks
Feeling easily irritated, emotionally raw, or checked out completely
Constant second-guessing, self-criticism, or fear of dropping the ball
Struggling with decisions, too many tabs open in your mind all the time
Noticing you don’t feel like yourself but unsure how to shift things
How Stress Affects Your Life and Relationships
Snapping at loved ones or withdrawing when you feel overwhelmed
Feeling responsible for everything and everyone, with no room to breathe
Avoiding plans or situations you used to handle with ease
Struggling with changes, transitions, or last-minute demands
Losing touch with your own needs
Inside a Session: Somatic Therapy for Stress and Overwhelm
No two people are the same, and no two sessions are the same. Each session meets you where you are. Some days you may feel tired and shut down, other days restless or tense. However you arrive is welcome.
Sometimes the work is quiet and reflective. Other times it’s more active. We follow what’s present, whether that means staying with a challenging sensation and seeing what shifts, exploring a pattern that feels stuck, or bringing in movement or grounding when your system feels full.
When it fits, I may guide you through gentle somatic practices such as pressing into something solid, adjusting your posture, or noticing your breath. These moments are not about technique but about helping your nervous system respond differently when stress feels unmanageable.
Because your body and mind are connected, we also consider what happens between sessions. As a certified integrative mental health provider, I look with you at daily rhythms that influence how you feel. We might explore how sleep, nutrition, light exposure, movement, or screen habits affect your energy and focus. This is done collaboratively and with curiosity, not pressure.
We move slowly enough for your system to stay engaged without becoming overwhelmed. This helps your nervous system build capacity and flexibility over time.
Even in conversation, I pay attention to how your body is responding. We may pause to notice a breath, a reaction, or a moment of settling. These pauses often become the doorway to change, when your body learns that it can meet stress in a new way.
This process is gentle and practical. It supports your nervous system, your lifestyle, and your ability to feel more capable, connected, and alive in your everyday life.
My Mind-Body Approach to Stress and Overwhelm
Stress and overwhelm don’t just live in your thoughts. They show up in your body, your habits, and how you move through daily life. That’s why the support I offer addresses all of it. In our work together, we combine somatic therapy with lifestyle awareness, helping your nervous system recover from chronic overload and build more capacity for what life brings.
This is work that helps you feel different, not just think differently.
Here are some of the methods we may use together, depending on what fits best for you:
Somatic Experiencing (SE): SE helps you understand and work with what your body is holding. When you’re stuck in a state of overwhelm, you may feel on edge, drained, checked out, or like you’re holding your breath. Somatic therapy helps you come back into connection with your body in small, manageable ways. As your nervous system learns that it no longer has to brace or shut down, you begin to feel more choice, more strength, and more clarity.
Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP): Chronic stress can keep your system in a constant state of alert, even when the danger has passed. SSP uses filtered music to support your nervous system in the background, making it easier to feel settled and connected. This can be especially helpful when you’re used to being in go-mode or struggle to relax around others. You don’t have to talk during SSP. You simply listen while I guide the process.
Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP): When you're running on empty but still feel restless, RRP offers a gentle way to reconnect with your body’s natural rhythm. These sessions use sound to support restoration and regulation. If you feel caught in a wired-but-tired cycle or find yourself exhausted with no time to reset, this approach can help.
A developmental lens: Stress patterns often have roots in early experiences. If you grew up with unpredictability, pressure to perform, or little space for your needs, your body may have learned to stay activated or to push through. By bringing awareness to those early imprints, we can work with how they continue to shape your reactions and help you shift into something new.
Integrative mental health strategies: Nervous system regulation isn’t just about processing feelings. It’s also about caring for the body in daily life. We’ll explore how habits like sleep, movement, sunlight, and nourishment impact your capacity. This isn’t about perfection. It’s about tuning into what your body needs and supporting it in sustainable ways.
These approaches work together. Somatic Experiencing is foundational to this work, and we build from there, adding in listening protocols or lifestyle strategies as needed. This process doesn’t ask you to manage your stress better. It helps you relate to it differently, with more capacity and choice.
Understanding the Roots of Your Stress and Overwhelm
When you’re overwhelmed, stretched thin, and constantly juggling, it’s easy to wonder why everything feels so hard.
The truth is, your body may be carrying stress from years of having to stay strong, show up, and push through without much space to pause or be cared for yourself. Sometimes, this pattern goes back even further. You might have grown up in a family where the adults were always stressed or overextended, where emotions weren’t talked about, or where you learned early on to take care of others before yourself. Maybe your stress wasn’t taken seriously, or you went through something overwhelming that your body never had a chance to recover from.
You might notice patterns like:
Always feeling pressure to be productive
Taking care of others but not yourself
Feeling guilty when resting or saying no
Staying tense even when nothing is going wrong
Overreacting to small disruptions or requests
This isn’t about blaming your past. It’s about understanding how your nervous system learned to stay in overdrive and finding new ways to support yourself now.
Together, we’ll explore how these old patterns show up in your body, your relationships, and your choices—and help your system relearn what it feels like to truly rest and respond with more ease.
What to Expect from Therapy for Stress and Overwhelm
As we work together, many people begin to notice shifts like:
Physical Relief
Fewer stress-related symptoms like headaches, tension, or trouble sleeping
Breathing that feels less restricted, and muscles that feel less braced
More energy throughout the day
A body that feels less stuck in survival mode
Mental and Emotional Support
A clearer sense of what’s yours to carry—and what isn’t
Less urgency and pressure in your day-to-day
Feeling less guilt around rest or saying no
Greater awareness of what your body is telling you
Day-to-Day Impact
More capacity to handle last-minute changes or competing demands
Improved focus and follow-through without so much inner pressure
Feeling more present with the people who matter
An easier time setting boundaries that support your wellbeing
How Relief Can Start to Feel in Your Body and Your Life
As we move through this work together, you may begin to notice:
Less tightness in your shoulders, chest, or stomach
Fewer signs of overload like brain fog, restlessness, or sleep issues
A better sense of what helps you feel supported and restored
More steadiness, even when the pressure builds
Feeling more like yourself again in your relationships
More clarity, energy, and capacity for the life you’ve built
You don’t have to keep pushing through, bracing for the next thing, or ignoring what your body’s been trying to tell you.
With the right support, it becomes easier to feel more present, more connected, and less like everything depends on you holding it all together.
Where I Offer Therapy for Stress and Overwhelm
I provide online therapy for stress and overwhelm throughout Florida, including South Florida cities like West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, and Fort Lauderdale. You can join sessions from wherever you feel most comfortable—your home, office, or another private space that helps you settle in and focus on the work.
This mind-body approach to stress support is available across the entire state of Florida. Whether you’re dealing with chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, or nervous system dysregulation, you don’t have to face it alone.
I’m also licensed in Illinois and offer virtual sessions for clients in Chicago and throughout the state.
Therapy for Stress and Overwhelm FAQs
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Therapy gives you space to slow down, tune into what your body and mind are holding, and respond in a way that supports your health. Rather than pushing through or ignoring signs of burnout, we’ll work to understand the deeper patterns contributing to your overwhelm. Through somatic therapy and integrative support, you’ll learn to recognize what helps you feel more capable, more connected, and less reactive.
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If stress has started to affect your sleep, digestion, relationships, or ability to focus, you’ll likely benefit from working with a therapist trained in both somatic and integrative approaches. I draw from Somatic Experiencing, nervous system support, and lifestyle strategies to help you address stress in both the body and the mind. This combination can be especially helpful when other approaches haven’t been enough.
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Yes. Long-term stress affects your entire system—physically, emotionally, and mentally. You might be used to pushing through, but that doesn’t mean your body has adjusted in a healthy way. Therapy can help shift patterns that have built up over time, even if they started years ago. Many clients I work with were raised in high-stress environments or had to be the strong one in their families. It’s never too late to get support.
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Yes—and this work goes far beyond tools.
You’ll learn practices that support your nervous system directly, such as tuning into safety signals, interrupting stress cycles, and exploring what brings more ease. In our sessions, we won’t just talk about stress—we’ll work with it in real time.
I'll guide you through somatic practices that help your body release pressure and return to balance. We’ll also identify which tools are actually helpful for you, so you can use them in everyday life. The goal is not to power through, but to build more space inside yourself to meet stress differently.
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Absolutely. Online therapy allows you to be in a space that already feels safe—your home. When we’re working with the nervous system, this matters. You can settle into your favorite chair, have your pet nearby, and avoid the stress of traffic or parking. I offer online therapy for residents of Florida (including West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, and Fort Lauderdale) and Illinois.
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Every person and nervous system is different. That’s why we start with weekly sessions, which allow us to build trust and create the momentum needed for lasting change. This consistent support helps us track what’s happening in your body and mind, so we can gently work with what shows up rather than pushing through.
Therapy isn’t a quick fix, and for most of the people I work with, the stress they’re carrying has built up over time or is tied to more complex life experiences. These patterns often need longer-term support. That said, many clients begin to notice shifts in the first few months—less tension, more clarity, and a stronger ability to respond instead of react.
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My fee is $200 per 55-minute session. Payment is due at the time of the session and can be made via credit card, debit card, ACH transfer, or Zelle.
If you're interested in the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) or the Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP), there are additional costs associated with those services. You can learn more on their individual pages.Item description
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I’m an out-of-network provider, which means I do not bill insurance directly. However, I can offer a monthly superbill (an itemized receipt) that you can submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement.
Please check with your insurance provider about your out-of-network mental health benefits, as coverage varies widely.
Important Note: I am not able to provide superbills for clients who have Medicare due to federal restrictions, even if you’re hoping to pay out-of-pocket.
As required by law, you’re entitled to a Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act. This outlines the expected cost of therapy services. I’ll provide this to you before we begin our work together.
Get Help from a Florida Stress Therapist
When you're always juggling, always bracing, always trying to hold it together—it takes a toll. The tightness in your shoulders, the constant fatigue, the times you snap or shut down before you even realize it’s happening.
You’ve gotten really good at functioning. But that’s not the same as feeling fulfilled, connected, or at ease.
With somatic and integrative therapy, we’ll work together to understand what’s weighing on you and how it’s showing up in your body and mind. We’ll create space for real healing—not just managing symptoms, but helping you feel more clear-headed, more grounded, and more capable of moving through life without the constant pressure.
If you’re ready to stop pushing through and start feeling better from the inside out, I’d be honored to support you.