HIGH ACHIEVERS, LEADERS & PROFESSIONALS · MISSOURI & ILLINOIS
Therapy for High Achievers & Leaders in Missouri and Illinois
You don't need to try harder. You need something that actually works.
Free 15-minute consult · In-network with most major insurance · 100% online · Early morning and evening times
93% of new clients come back after their first session.
You're excellent at your job. From the outside, nothing looks wrong. That's part of the problem, because it means nobody around you knows how depleted you actually are underneath the performance.
Therapy and leadership coaching at CLS is for high achievers, leaders, and professionals who've already tried pushing harder and are ready for a different approach.
Book a free consult with Cassandra →
CLS Counseling & Consulting offers online therapy for high achievers, executives, and high-stakes professionals, including physicians, nurses, engineers, first and oldest daughters, and formerly gifted kids, anywhere in Missouri and Illinois. Sessions are with Cassandra Sissom, LPC (MO), LCPC (IL), who focuses on burnout, perfectionism, ADHD, and the pressure of being the reliable one. Leadership and organizational coaching is also available in any state, since coaching isn't therapy, and each engagement comes with a practical implementation plan. We're in-network with most major insurance plans for therapy.
Is this you?
This covers two related things: individual support for high performers, and leadership or organizational coaching.
You're a leader, executive, or high-stakes professional, like a physician, nurse, or engineer, who performs well and quietly feels like you're failing anyway.
You've already tried working harder, managing your reactions, and pushing through, and it hasn't fixed the exhaustion underneath.
You're the oldest daughter, the formerly gifted kid, the reliable one, and you're running on empty.
You can't remember the last time you felt like yourself outside of what you're good at.
Your job requires you to stay composed no matter what, and that skill doesn't turn off when you get home.
You're leading a team or organization and want support building a healthier culture, not just managing your own burnout.
What keeps people from reaching out
High performers often wait the longest to get support. You've probably told yourself one of these:
“I don't have room in my schedule for therapy that meanders.”
“If I admit this is hard, it feels like admitting I can't do my job.”
“I've already tried harder. That's supposed to be the answer.”
“Nobody would believe I'm struggling. I don't look like I am.”
Willpower got you this far. It's not going to get you further on its own.
Sound familiar? Start with a free 15-minute consult. Book with Cassandra →
What it can feel like to stop running on empty
You're still good at your job, and it stops costing you everything else.
You can be off the clock without feeling guilty about it.
Composure is a skill you choose, not a switch that's stuck on.
You lead your team without carrying every outcome alone.
You remember what you like outside of what you're good at.
What Therapy for High Achievers Looks Like at CLS
Sessions are efficient and structured, because you don't have the bandwidth for therapy that wanders. Think less "and how does that make you feel?" and more "here's what's actually going on, and here's what we're trying this week."
In 2025, 41.9% of physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout, according to the American Medical Association's national survey of nearly 19,000 physicians. Even as that number improves, high-stakes professionals remain at higher risk than most. If this is you, it's an occupational reality, not a personal failing. And if you're one of the only women, people of color, or LGBTQ+ people at your level, you may be carrying extra pressure to prove yourself. We get that, and we'll factor it in. Not sure if it's burnout or something more? Read our guide to burnout vs. depression.
Individual therapy: stay good at what you do without it costing your sleep, your health, or your relationships. Anywhere in Missouri or Illinois.
Leadership & organizational coaching: build a team that doesn't run on your exhaustion, with a practical plan you can put in place. Available in any state.
Why this works
Perfectionism responds to targeted work. In a review of 15 randomized trials, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for perfectionism reduced perfectionism along with symptoms of anxiety and depression (Galloway et al., 2022). And the "here's what we're trying this week" approach has research behind it: in CBT studies, clients who practice skills between sessions get substantially better results (Kazantzis et al., 2016).
Clinically reviewed by Cassandra Sissom, LCPC, LPC, clinical director · Last reviewed October 2026
Related: Anxiety & burnout therapy · ADHD therapy
Getting started
1Book a free consult with Cassandra
15 minutes to share what's going on and see if Cassandra is the right fit.
2
Get a plan
Your first session maps out where the pressure is coming from and what to change first.
3
Build skills that stick
Efficient, structured sessions with something to use right away. As things improve, sessions space out.
Wondering about cost? We're in-network with most major insurance plans, and we'll verify your benefits before your first session.
Meet your therapist
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Cassandra Sissom, LCPC, LPC
LPC (MO) · LCPC (IL) · Therapy & leadership coaching
Best fit for high-achieving women and LGBTQ+ leaders, executives, and high-stakes professionals who are excellent at their jobs and running on empty underneath it. Also offers leadership and organizational culture coaching for building healthier teams. Sessions are direct and structured, not open-ended processing.
Insightful, candid, and grounded.
Common Questions
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Both are available. Individual therapy addresses your own burnout, identity, and wellbeing, for clients in Missouri and Illinois. Leadership and organizational coaching is more practical and team-focused, and is available in any state. Your free consult helps figure out which fits what you're looking for.
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Yes. Cassandra works with professionals in high-stakes fields where composure is a job requirement, including healthcare, leadership, engineering, and similar roles.
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Yes. Organizational culture and leadership coaching is available for teams looking to build a healthier working environment, not just individual support.
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Sessions are structured and action-oriented. You'll leave with something specific to try, not just an hour of open-ended conversation.
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For therapy, yes. We're in-network with most major insurance plans, and self-pay and superbills are available too. Coaching isn't a medical service, so it isn't billed to insurance. We'll walk you through what applies on your free consult.
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Sessions are kept efficient and focused. Most clients start weekly or every other week and space out as things shift, with a clear sense of progress along the way rather than indefinite processing.
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It's a free 15-minute consultation or chat to see if it's a good fit, for you and for Cassandra. No commitment, just a chance to ask questions and get a feel for how she works.
If you're in crisis right now, call or text 988, or call 911 if you're in immediate danger.
Related: Anxiety & burnout therapy · ADHD therapy · Identity & life transitions
Stop running on empty.
A free 15-minute consultation or chat with Cassandra. No pressure, no commitment.
