My Approach to Helping
Good to meet you! Please, call me Annita. To begin with--therapy means something is "right" with you, as you listened to your heart asking to be heard by someone in a safe, non-judgmental place of acceptance. Now let me ask: anxiety or depression, histories or memories of childhood or adult traumatic events, grief and loss of a beloved family member, friend, or pet to whom you were closely connected, navigating chronic illness--have any of these challenges disrupted your life so it feels intolerable? Let me hear your heart--not with a stethoscope, but by listening to you. My 30+ years of previous career in nursing taught me that 'listening' to words from the heart is one of the most important aspects of a relationship--not just hearing the words but feeling the emotional impact as well. Having worked in adult and pediatric populations, I understand that all ages and populations deserve respect, kindness, and compassion. I have worked as a mental health clinician with adolescents, teens, transitional age youth, young adults, and older adults. From a nursing perspective, I am very aware of medical issues that often affect our mental health and may need assessment by a physician to provide the best treatment, while I offer the skills that increase abilities to cope with those needs. I provide experiences in your session to help you realize your worth, build coping skills, regain confidence as well as compassion for all you have experienced in life, continue to grow through challenges, and progress toward the goal you desire. I have flexible hours, as needed for work schedules.