Counseling for Children - Nurturing Hearts, Growing Minds

With a deep commitment to fostering growth, resilience, and empowerment, I strive to create a warm, non-judgmental, and collaborative therapeutic environment where clients feel heard, valued, and supported on their path toward healing and self-discovery. Whether you are seeking support for anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, or navigating life transitions, I am here to accompany you on your journey toward greater well-being and fulfillment. I am committed to creating a safe and validating space for my clients, empowering them to navigate and overcome. My passion for mental health advocacy and continuous professional development underscores my commitment to providing the highest quality care.

My ideal client is ready to explore the depths of their emotions, even if it feels intimidating or uncertain. You don't have to have it all figured out. Whether you're moving at your own pace or taking things step by step, I'm here to walk alongside you. I believe that true courage isn't the absence of fear; it's acknowledging all those tough feelings like anxiety, insecurity, and doubt, and still moving forward with them. Together, we'll embrace the complexities and find beauty in the journey. I strive to create a relaxed, down-to-earth atmosphere, and I like to use humor when it feels right. Therapy with me isn't about being scrutinized or treated like a project; this is about two people working together to build a safe and supportive environment. We'll approach your healing as a partnership, and I'll be here to help you go as deep as you feel ready to. It's about both of us showing up with openness and courage to do the work that truly matters to you.

Hello and welcome to your healing journey! My name is Anna, and I am a licensed social worker with 6 years of experience working in the field of mental health. In my practice, I value collaboration, curiosity, and compassion in a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship where healing and growth can flourish. I center my clients’ unique lived experiences, highlight their strengths, and feel it is a privilege to walk alongside you in your healing journey. I wholeheartedly believe that every person holds the capacity within them to forge meaningful pathways towards change and find your calm amid life’s storms. I have worked with individuals of all ages in a variety of settings including hospitals, community-based clinics, and private practice. I have extensive experience working with teenagers and young adults and am well versed in the unique challenges present in these life stages. In addition to my experience as a dedicated mental health therapist, I also have experience with the neuropsychological evaluation process and hold a continued passion for appreciating how our neurochemistry can impact our emotional states and behaviors. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, being active, and spending time outside.

I've been fortunate to practice as a therapist since my internship/practicum as a therapist in 2011 and graduating with my Master of Arts in Professional Counseling in May of 2012. My career began in a practice that specialized in general mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, parenting support, and couples counseling to treating abuse survivors of varying ages and degrees of severity. After a few years in that practice, I began work as a Clinical Coordinator and Counselor who's caseload consisted of mostly children, teens and their families with the goal of healing trauma and building a safe, loving and respectful environment for all. Over the course of the last decade I have run my own private practice where I've done work with couples, grief and loss, relationship difficulty, divorce, trauma, teens, parenting support, chronic illness and managing various life challenges and mental health concerns my clients need support with. At present, I am in the final stages of completing my Doctorate of Education in Community Care and Counseling with a Traumatology emphasis. This has created opportunity for me to learn even more in the field of trauma and therapeutic treatments that support sustainable healing. I have an eclectic therapeutic approach that has been developed by my 14+ years of therapeutic experience, trainings/practice and my own personal experience as a wife, mother, woman and person navigating life. My treatment style is tailored to what the client needs, honesty in facing the pain or difficulty that client may be managing, while holding hope for healing and a better future. I am a big believer that trauma and life experience wounds can be managed/soothed and no-one is beyond redemption if they choose to start the process of healing. I am looking forward to working with you, your family and your significant others.

While therapy can feel intimidating or uncomfortable, it is my priority to create a safe environment where clients can feel authentically themselves. I approach the therapeutic process as walking alongside you as we work toward the areas you feel are most important to you. I value warmth, genuineness, empathy, learning, and our relationship as the most essential components of therapy. From my experiences working with adults, I have witnessed the capabilities of therapy and the unwavering resilience of humans. You deserve to live a life free of the weights you carry. If you are willing to have me by your side, I would be honored to support you.

If you find yourself here, take the next step for yourself and allow me to help you achieve the peace and growth you deserve to move past a difficult time. Whether you’re navigating loss, anxiety, stress, or other challenges, I am here to provide support tailored to your unique needs. I utilize a variety of evidence-based tools and methods, working collaboratively with you to identify and build on your strengths as you overcome obstacles. My approach is compassionate and client-centered, ensuring that you feel heard, valued, and respected throughout your journey. I am deeply committed to creating a safe, nonjudgmental, and validating space where you can explore your emotions and experiences freely. My passion for mental health advocacy drives me to stay informed on the latest research and therapeutic practices, ensuring I can offer the highest quality care. Together, we can work toward building resilience, fostering self-awareness, and empowering you to lead a more fulfilling life.

As an emerging therapist, I specialize in helping individuals navigate grief, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. With experience working with adults, adolescents, and children, I am deeply committed to providing compassionate care tailored to each person’s unique journey. My approach is rooted in understanding, empathy, and a belief in the resilience of the human spirit. As a proud Latina woman, my decision to pursue therapy was inspired by my own life experiences and the encouragement I received from students I had the privilege of working with. I believe in creating a safe, supportive space where people can feel empowered to explore their emotions, heal, and ultimately embrace their true selves. My mission is to guide clients toward self-discovery and help them reclaim their inner strength to navigate life’s challenges.

With a deep-rooted passion for human connection and well-being, I have dedicated my life to supporting individuals on their path to self-discovery and healing. I have had the privilege of working with diverse individuals, and I've come to understand that while each person's journey is unique, we all share the universal need for understanding and compassion. In our sessions, you'll find a judgment-free zone where every emotion, thought, and experience is welcomed. My therapeutic approach is grounded in the belief that every individual carries within them the potential for growth and transformation. By integrating a variety of techniques tailored to your specific needs, we'll collaboratively explore the intricacies of your inner world. Emphasizing the power of empathy, active listening, and genuine care, my goal is to empower you to reconnect with your authentic self, navigate life's challenges, and cultivate a life of meaning and purpose. Remember, therapy is a partnership, and I'm here to support, guide, and bear witness to your journey, celebrating every milestone along the way. Your well-being is my utmost priority, and together, we'll pave a path toward healing and self-discovery.

My passion for helping others was seeded at an early age and has developed with time and experience. Since my service as a medic in the military and throughout various roles over the years in the behavioral health field, my passion has evolved into a calling and has granted me the opportunity to help others all across the lifespan who experience difficult and complex challenges, such as mental health, criminal justice involvement, trauma, grief and loss, adjustment issues, among other life stressors and challenges. My education and experience have sharpened my skills, broadened my understanding, and enhanced my sense of empathy which helped enrich my personal and professional development as a counselor. Through this development, I gravitated to an Adlerian theoretical orientation which centers on goal-oriented and holistic approaches that foster social connectedness and personal growth to help maximize one's ability to find and experience their true potential. This orientation supports evidence-based strategies that strengthen harm reduction and wellness models to improve quality of life. As eloquently stated by Berne Brown: "Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path."

Therapy may seem like a daunting, unsettling, and frightening concept. It might feel vulnerable to confront problems and sometimes safer to internalize our hurt and lock it away, and finding a solution is not always a linear or easy endeavor. I intend to meet you where you are on this journey and provide a safe space that embraces vulnerability to help you become more self-aware. My approach to therapy focuses on allowing yourself to release the hold that your lived experiences have placed on you and begin to identify how those experiences shape your present capacity for coping and making choices true to your inner self. In guiding you through your present experiences, I want to understand how your past experiences manifest internally and externally. I strive to show up as my authentic self—present, compassionate, open-minded, curious, receptive, and adaptable. Our time together is for you to explore how you can use your experiences to foster an environment in which you feel comfortable growing, and I will walk with you as you heal from inner hurt. I provide individual, group, and emotion-focused family therapy (EFFT). I am committed to using a humanistic approach, recognizing that individuals always strive to do their best with the resources available to them, and that their maladaptive coping mechanisms represent their most resilient efforts to navigate life's challenges.