ClaraGrace Pavelka, LMSW
Associate Therapist
NOW IN-NETWORK WITH AETNA
Specialties: Body Image & Disordered Eating, Perfectionism, Anxiety & Overthinking, Relationship Challenges, Identity Exploration, Life Transitions
Clients: College Students, Young Professionals, & Adults
Hi, I’m ClaraGrace.
YYou're someone who works hard to keep it together — and most days, you do. You show up for everyone and everything. You meet the deadlines, maintain the relationships, and hold yourself to a standard that leaves little room for error. But somewhere beneath the surface, you keep asking yourself: "There has to be a better way."
Maybe you've been caught in a complicated relationship with food and your body — one that's gotten louder the more pressure you're under. Maybe the voice telling you you're not thin enough, productive enough, or just enough follows you from the mirror to the boardroom to the dinner table. Maybe you've been people-pleasing, shrinking yourself, or pouring into everyone else while quietly running on empty.
Perhaps you've noticed the same patterns showing up again and again — in how you eat, how you work, how you love, and how you talk to yourself when no one's watching. And you might find yourself wondering, "Why does this keep happening?" or "Why do I still feel stuck?" — and not having an answer can be exhausting.
That's where our work begins.
I work with women navigating the real and often invisible weight of perfectionism, body image struggles, and disordered eating — experiences that are rarely just about food or appearance. They're about the impossible standards society places on women, and how deeply those messages can take root in the way you see yourself, treat your body, and move through the world.
Many of the women I work with are high-functioning on the outside and quietly overwhelmed on the inside — excelling at work, holding their families together, keeping up appearances — while carrying a level of self-criticism and exhaustion that never seems to fully let up.
Together, we'll explore:
The patterns shaping your relationship with yourself, your body, and food
How perfectionism and self-criticism may be driving anxiety, burnout, or disconnection
The ways societal pressure, gender expectations, and life demands have shaped how you see yourself and what you believe you deserve
The stress and nervous system signals your body has been sending — and what they're trying to tell you
How life transitions — career shifts, relationship changes, motherhood, loss — are affecting your sense of identity and stability
Practical tools for emotional regulation, self-compassion, and self-trust
Our work goes beneath the symptom to the pattern underneath — because once that pattern becomes visible, real and lasting change becomes possible.
This is therapy for women who want more than coping.
It's for the woman who has spent years holding it all together and is ready to finally put herself on that list. For those who want a healthier relationship with their body, food, and themselves. A steadier nervous system. A life that doesn't just look good from the outside — but actually feels like yours.
Not just to function. But to relate, live, and love with clarity.
My Approach
I believe the patterns bringing you into therapy make sense. Perfectionism, anxiety, body image struggles, and disordered eating often develop for a reason — as ways to cope, protect yourself, or manage overwhelming pressure.
Trained at Columbia University and grounded in CBT, DBT, and trauma-informed care, my approach is warm, collaborative, and deeply human.
For women navigating perfectionism, body image concerns, and disordered eating, therapy is never one-size-fits-all. The pressure you may feel in your career, relationships, and your relationship with your body is real, and it deserves to be treated with care and nuance.
Together, we work to understand the patterns keeping you stuck, build practical tools for change, and help you feel more grounded, confident, and at home in yourself.
I also integrate:
Trauma-informed therapy — Many struggles with food, body image, perfectionism, and self-worth often have deeper roots. Together, we explore how early experiences, relationships, and cultural messages may still be shaping how you think, feel, and relate to yourself today. This work is thoughtful, compassionate, and never rushed.
CBT for anxiety and perfectionism — We identify and gently challenge the thought patterns keeping you stuck, including the inner critic, all-or-nothing thinking, and perfectionist beliefs that fuel anxiety, burnout, and disconnection. This helps create more flexibility, self-compassion, and relief in everyday life.
DBT skills + mindfulness tools — Alongside insight, you’ll gain practical tools for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and staying grounded in the present moment. These skills help make life feel more manageable outside of session, especially when emotions feel overwhelming.
What Working With Me Feels Like
Therapy with me feels warm, collaborative, insight-driven, and grounded in real life.
I move at your pace. Some sessions are about slowing down, making sense of patterns, and going deeper into the relationships, experiences, and emotions that have shaped how you move through the world. Other sessions are more practical, focused on skill-building, structure, and direct feedback so you leave with tools you can actually use in your everyday life.
I believe therapy can hold both depth and levity. There is space here for honesty, reflection, humor, and genuine connection. We can explore hard things while still making room for lightness, relief, and the moments that remind you you’re human.
Above all, therapy is a partnership. I bring clinical expertise, insight, and support. You bring your lived experience, your questions, your patterns, and the goals you’re working toward.
Together, we approach your healing with curiosity instead of judgment, helping you better understand yourself, strengthen self-trust, and move through life with more clarity, confidence, and ease.
What We Work On Together
Credentials
Education
Masters in Social Work — Columbia University
B.A. Psychology and Women and Gender Studies — University of Texas at Austin
Clinical Experience
New York State Psychiatric Institute
NYC Public Schools
My Toolkit
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Nervous system regulation and mindfulness practices
Trauma-Informed Care
CBT for Psychosis
Working with Families and Family Dynamics
Eating Disorder Psychoeducation
Current Role
Associate Therapist—Gluck Psychology Collective
Let’s Work Together
If you’re feeling stuck, disconnected, or ready to make space for your own healing—I’d be honored to walk alongside you. Click the link below to get started.