Services: Creative, Collaborative Counseling Psyche in Action Groups Dreamwork Groups Women's Circle Compassionate Coaching for Classical Musicians The Epiphany Project: Sacred Musical Performances Creative, Collaborative Counseling My role as your counselor is that of companion and guide as you: Embrace healthy selfishness Free the artist child Release the power of unexpressed emotion Dream up your future Create reciprocal, loving relationships My goal is to make the counseling process as unintimidating as possible. I embrace my role as a counselor with authenticity, sensitivity, and warmth, providing the space for my clients to learn about themselves in a safe yet dynamic way. My approach is fluid and based on each individual's needs. In the first few sessions we will get to know each other by discussing what has brought you in, what you might be struggling with, what's working in your life and what you'd like to see change. In each session we will check in to see how you're doing, both in the "big picture" and in the moment. After we have a sense of the direction you'd like to go, I may invite you into more creative, action-oriented ways of working through, like drawing, role play, guided imagery supported by music, or dreamwork. My first priority is that you feel safe to explore at your own pace, knowing that I will be by your side for the journey. People experiencing a wide range of symptoms and issues may be helped with this work. Symptoms like anxiety and depression are often signs that you need to make changes in your life, or that you need to work through and release a past hurt. Transitions like a change in marital/partner status, career or lifestyle change, launching a creative endeavor, starting a family or dealing with an empty nest to name a few, may bring up feelings and fears you never knew were there. Perhaps you're ready to explore some of life's deeper questions. The great thing about creative, collaborative therapy is that it meets you exactly where you are and we work from there, whether individually or within a group.     "I've thought a lot about the work we did together and who I was when we first met versus who I am now. My goodness. Thank you for helping to open up my world and change my life." - Client Psyche in Action Groups Action oriented group work is a powerful and effective means to improve relationships, increase spontaneity,  develop confidence and self esteem, and learn to express yourself in a supportive, contained environment. As a group member witnessing other's struggles and successes, sorrows and joy, you will get warmed up to your own issues that need attention. By having a cohesive, supportive group to participate with you, you have the remarkable and unusual opportunity to access and express aspects of yourself that may otherwise have lain dormant in the shadows, shed old roles and behaviors that no longer serve you, and claim more and more of your true and authentic self.     "I feel safe and confident in Anna's ability to lead us."     "This experience was so eye opening to me. Things that I had never brought to      consciousness have begun to perk."     "It was a profound experience."      -Group Members Dreamwork Groups Working from the depth perspective, we invite the symbols, scenes, and landscapes of our dreams to unfold as they will. We avoid applying rote analyses to dream interpretation, but rather seek to create an environment where the dream can come into the light to shed its unique and particular wisdom. In a supportive, collaborative group we use our creativity and intuition, artwork and enactment, to gather clues and glean guidance from these nightly gifts of the unconscious. Women's Circle Borrowed from the Native American tradition of the talking circle, this powerful group form provides the space for you to listen and be heard in a sacred, respectful, allowing way. This is a space where you get to speak your truth, to be heard without any pressures to fix things, and to experience the power of a group of women telling their stories in an environment of support and safety. As this ongoing group evolves, members begin to see each other through the seasons of their lives, and to connect deeply with the greater rhythms of life itself. Compassionate Coaching for Classical Musicians Learning an instrument and performing classical music can be one of the most rewarding pastimes imaginable. To work hard on a skill and hear it come to fruition gives both performer and audience a great feeling of satisfaction. However there is an unfortunate shadow side in a genre where fitting in with the group and playing perfectly are the only perceived paths to success. This dynamic has the potential to set the more sensitive performer up for feelings of shame and for an unhappy, it's-never-good-enough pursuit of perfection. The pressures to sound good can also lead to debilitating stage fright, sabotaging even the most gifted musician's ability to freely express him or herself. Drawing from my years as a professional musician, psychotherapist, and improvisational comedienne, I work with you to: Use the power of your nerves to enhance your performance Decrease reliance on beta blocking drugs Recover authentic passion and delight for the process of music making Claim your unique and spontaneous musical voice The Epiphany Project: Sacred Musical Performances Having been a professional symphony orchestra violist for 17 years, I am now pleased to offer spontaneously inspired, one-of-a-kind musical ceremonies to enhance sacred events of all kinds. The occasion may be as big as a community peace vigil, as joyous as a wedding or commitment ceremony, or as intimate and personal as playing at the bedside of a loved one who is ill or dying. I am able to tap into the subtle emotions of an event, becoming an instrument of expression through wordless music, and helping people connect to the deep and sacred space within themselves. Recent performances have included: Vigil for 1000 Soldiers at Dorothy Shrunk Plaza Wise Women Speak book warming at The Core Source Summer Water Music Festival in La Conner, WA with Native American musician     Arlie Neskahi     "The music that moved through you last night couldn't have created a more sacred space for us to be, to mourn, and to send out vibes of peace and hope."  - Vigil participant