Getting Here

Suite 25, Level 1, 100 New South Head Road, Edgecliff NSW 2028. A 5-minute walk from Edgecliff Station (train). Close to bus routes along New South Head Road. Limited metered street parking — Westfield Bondi Junction parking nearby.

Edgecliff Hours

Thursday: 10am – 5pm
This is a dedicated Edgecliff-only day.
Telehealth sessions may be available on other days by arrangement.

Edgecliff Fees

Medicare rebate: $181.05
Private: $280
60-minute sessions. GP Mental Health Plan required for Medicare.

The Hidden Struggle of High-Functioning Anxiety

Many of the clients I see at my Edgecliff practice would never describe themselves as "anxious." They're the ones other people lean on — successful in their careers, involved parents, socially engaged. Yet beneath the surface, there's a relentless inner monologue of self-doubt, a fear that one wrong move could unravel everything they've built.

High-functioning anxiety isn't a formal diagnosis, but it's something I encounter constantly in the Eastern Suburbs. The culture of performance and appearance here — looking polished, staying ahead, maintaining a certain lifestyle — can amplify the pressure enormously. Imposter syndrome thrives in this environment.

The irony is that anxiety often masquerades as a strength. It makes you thorough, hyper-prepared, always on. But the cost is significant — chronic tension, difficulty switching off, relationships that feel transactional because you're too depleted to be fully present. Recognising this pattern is where meaningful change begins.

Signs you might recognise in yourself:

Overworking — staying late, checking emails at midnight, unable to stop "doing"
People-pleasing and an inability to say no, even when you're drowning
Difficulty delegating because nobody else will do it "right"
Perfectionism that turns every task into an exhausting ordeal
Decision paralysis — agonising over choices others seem to make effortlessly
Physical tension from chronic stress — jaw clenching, tight shoulders, headaches

Tim Carey – Psychologist at Edgecliff, Eastern Suburbs Sydney

Meet Tim Carey, Your Edgecliff Psychologist

I'm Tim Carey, a registered psychologist who works with driven, high-performing individuals navigating anxiety. My Edgecliff practice at Suite 25, Level 1, 100 New South Head Road — just a short walk from Edgecliff Station — is designed for professionals who need discreet, expert support without disrupting their schedule.

With over 20 years of clinical experience, I hold full registration with the Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA) and membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS). I specialise in the kind of anxiety that hides behind success — the perfectionism, overthinking, and relentless self-pressure that high achievers rarely talk about.

My Edgecliff rooms are available on Thursdays from 10am to 5pm, and I also offer telehealth sessions for clients across the Eastern Suburbs and beyond who prefer the flexibility of remote appointments.

AHPRA Registered APS Member Medicare Provider Telehealth Available

High Performance Shouldn't Mean High Anxiety

If anxiety has become the engine driving your success, it's time to find a better fuel. Book a session at my Edgecliff practice — steps from the station, completely confidential, and built around your professional life.

Book Your Anxiety Session Ask Tim a Question

Medicare rebates available with a GP Mental Health Care Plan · Thursdays 10am–5pm · Telehealth offered

How I Treat Anxiety at Edgecliff

My approach at Edgecliff is tailored for people whose anxiety coexists with ambition. The goal isn't to eliminate drive — it's to untangle it from fear so you can perform from a place of clarity, not compulsion.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

MBSR teaches you to notice anxious thoughts and physical tension as they arise — without reacting automatically. I guide clients through structured mindfulness practices that build a calmer relationship with their own minds, even during high-pressure moments at work or home.

Values-Based Living (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps you get clear on what actually matters to you — separate from what anxiety demands. Many high-achievers discover they've been chasing goals set by fear rather than purpose. ACT reconnects you with your authentic values so your energy goes toward what's meaningful, not just what feels urgent.

Cognitive Restructuring

This structured process identifies the distorted thinking patterns that maintain anxiety — black-and-white thinking, catastrophising, mind-reading, personalisation. We examine the evidence together and develop more balanced, realistic perspectives that reduce the grip of anxious cognition.

Stress Inoculation Training

Originally developed for high-stress professionals, SIT builds your resilience to anxiety triggers through a three-phase process: education, skill acquisition, and real-world application. It's particularly effective for performance anxiety, presentations, and high-stakes decision-making situations.

Telehealth Sessions

For clients whose schedules don't accommodate Thursday in-person visits, I offer secure video sessions. Telehealth delivers the same evidence-based treatment from wherever you are — your office, home, or even between meetings. Many of my Eastern Suburbs clients alternate between in-person and telehealth as suits them.

Workplace Anxiety Strategies

I work extensively with professionals navigating workplace-specific anxiety — boardroom presentations, leadership pressure, conflict with colleagues, imposter syndrome in senior roles. We develop practical, discreet strategies you can deploy in real time without anyone around you noticing.

Anxiety Conditions Treated at Edgecliff

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Persistent worry about career trajectory, financial security, your children's future, or the business you've built. GAD keeps your brain in overdrive — scanning for problems even when things are objectively going well. Treatment focuses on breaking the cycle of anticipatory dread.

Panic Disorder

Intense episodes of physiological alarm — racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness — often striking in settings where you feel pressure to appear composed. Many high-functioning individuals experience their first panic attack after years of internalising stress. I teach you to decode and disarm the panic response.

Social Anxiety

Not just shyness — social anxiety among professionals often shows up as dread before networking events, avoidance of client dinners, over-rehearsing presentations, or declining leadership opportunities that require visibility. Treatment helps you engage authentically without the crippling self-consciousness.

Specific Phobias

Fear of flying limiting your business travel, needle phobia delaying medical care, height anxiety affecting property inspections — specific phobias often have outsized impacts on professional and personal life. Evidence-based exposure protocols produce lasting change, typically within a focused course of sessions.

Other Services at My Edgecliff Practice

Anxiety rarely exists in isolation. I offer comprehensive psychological support across these related areas at Edgecliff.

Anxiety Treatment in Edgecliff, Eastern Suburbs Sydney