Therapy for Overthinkers: Why Your Mind Won’t Shut Off and What to Do About It.
- Laura Malandrino
- May 29
- 4 min read
Updated: May 29
If your mind races at night, replays conversations from earlier in the day, or panics about the future—you’re not alone. Overthinking can feel like being stuck in a mental hamster wheel with no off-switch.
As a therapist who works with overthinkers and intellectual overachievers, I often notice a recurring pattern: individuals who are bright, caring, and successful on the outside—but overwhelmed by a relentless internal dialogue on the inside. Many of my clients say things like:
“It’s like I can’t turn my brain off.”“I lie awake thinking about everything I could’ve done better.”“Even when nothing’s wrong, I can’t relax.”
Sound familiar?
What It Feels Like to Be an Overthinker
Overthinking isn't just a mental annoyance—it takes a real emotional and physical toll. You may feel:
Exhausted from constantly analyzing every detail
Irritable or impatient with yourself and others
Disconnected from your body and emotions
Worried that you’re missing something or not doing enough
Lonely, because your inner world feels too overwhelming to share
Even when life looks good on the outside, many high-functioning professionals find their minds constantly scanning for what could go wrong. It’s a quiet kind of tension—always anticipating, always preparing. This pattern often brings people into therapy, where they can finally pause and explore what’s driving that inner pressure.
What’s Really Happening in Your Brain
From a neuroscience perspective, overthinking often stems from an overactive prefrontal cortex, combined with a dysregulated amygdala, the brain’s threat detector.
When you overthink, your brain is often:
Scanning for potential danger (real or imagined)
Replaying past mistakes to avoid future ones
Forecasting outcomes to maintain control
Your nervous system may be stuck in a low-grade fight-or-flight state, even if there’s no actual threat. This keeps your stress hormones elevated and makes it harder to access the calm, regulated parts of your brain—like the ventral vagal system, which supports connection, rest, and clarity.
That’s why overthinking feels so hard to stop: your body thinks it’s protecting you.
What Causes Overthinking?
Overthinking is often a coping mechanism that develops in response to:
Unpredictable or critical environments growing up
Trauma or chronic stress
High-achieving expectations at work or school
A deep desire to please others or avoid conflict
Low self-worth, where your inner critic runs the show
Overthinking is a form of hypervigilance—constantly scanning yourself and others to avoid mistakes, rejection, or shame. For many people struggling with low self-worth, this mental looping becomes a way to stay in control and protect against perceived failure or disconnection. Therapy can help uncover and gently shift those deeper beliefs.
Overthinking in High-Functioning Individuals
You might be someone who others admire for your thoughtfulness, intelligence, or productivity. But deep down, you may:
Struggle to relax or switch off
Replay conversations for hours
Feel responsible for keeping others happy
Overprepare, overanalyze, or procrastinate out of fear of failure
This is especially common in those seeking Deep Oriented therapy for high-functioning individuals in Hermosa Beach.
Many say:
“I’m doing fine, but I know I’m not okay.”
That quiet knowing is often the catalyst for reaching out.
What Helps? Therapy for Overthinkers
You don’t need to think your way out of overthinking. You need a new relationship with your mind and emotions.
In therapy, we work together to:
Process the deeper fears and stories driving the mental loops
Identify emotional triggers and patterns rooted in past relationships
Build self-compassion and resilience through inner reparenting work
Learn body-based strategies to calm your nervous system and reconnect to the present
This work is especially powerful for those who are smart, sensitive, and emotionally aware—but feel stuck in their heads.
For many, EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can also be an effective way to reprocess overwhelming thoughts and reduce the intensity of anxiety that fuels overthinking.
Quick Tips to Interrupt Overthinking
Here are a few grounding techniques that can offer immediate relief:
Name it. “I’m overthinking because I’m feeling [scared/anxious/unsure].”
Drop into your body. Try a long exhale, a cold splash of water, or pressing your feet into the ground.
Limit the loop. Give yourself 10 minutes to think something through, then write it down and let it go.
Talk to your inner child. Ask: “What part of me feels unsafe or unloved right now?” with yourself.
You don’t have to live with a mind that constantly questions your worth.
Overthinking and Self-Worth
Many overthinkers carry internal narratives like:
“If I make a mistake, I’ll lose everything.”
“I have to be perfect to be loved.”
“I can’t trust myself.”
These beliefs often begin in childhood and get reinforced over time. Therapy helps you build a more trusting, compassionate relationship with yourself.
You don’t have to live with a mind that constantly questions your worth.
Recommended Reading
If this blog resonates with you, you might also enjoy my post on
For more on anxiety and the nervous system, you can also explore this article from the American Psychological Association.
Quick Summary
Overthinking is often linked to anxiety, perfectionism, and early emotional wounds.
Biologically, it’s connected to a dysregulated nervous system and hyperactive threat response.
Therapy helps uncover root causes and build emotional and somatic regulation.
Overthinking impacts high-functioning professionals, sensitive individuals, and those with low self-worth.
Modalities like EMDR and depth-oriented talk therapy can be especially helpful.
FAQs
1. Is overthinking a mental health issue or just a personality trait?Overthinking is often a sign of underlying anxiety, trauma, or low self-worth—not just a quirk. It can be addressed effectively through therapy.
2. How does therapy help stop overthinking?Therapy helps you understand the root of your thoughts, calm your nervous system, and shift your self-talk. It’s about more than “just think positive”—it’s deep, sustainable change.
3. Is this type of therapy good for professionals or high-achievers?Yes. I work with many professionals who are high-functioning but mentally overwhelmed. Therapy helps them feel more centered, emotionally attuned, and at peace.
4. What’s the connection between overthinking and low self-worth?Overthinking is often a symptom of internalized pressure to be perfect. Therapy helps uncover where these beliefs came from and how to release them.
You Deserve Peace of Mind
If your mind won’t shut off and you feel stuck in loops of anxiety or self-doubt, you’re not broken—you’re just coping with stress the best way your system knows how.
Let’s find a new way.
If you're ready to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and quiet the noise inside, I’d love to support you.
Therapy for Overthinkers in Hermosa Beach - Laura Malandrino.
