MEET ANNA
For the people who are really good at saying, "I'm fine."
I'm Anna, a Registered Psychotherapist and the founder of Oak House Therapy Co. I've focused much of my career on working with people who spend their days helping, protecting and caring for others - and who often find it much harder to make room for what they're carrying themselves.
My work is primarily, though not exclusively, with first responders, military veterans and other helping professionals navigating trauma, cumulative stress, emotional overwhelm and the impact of years spend compartmentalizing and pushing through.
WHAT THERAPY WITH ME LOOKS LIKE
You don't have to be good at therapy.
A lot of the people I work with are much more comfortable doing something than talking about how they feel. You may be used to staying composed, solving the problem and moving on - even when something is still sitting underneath it.
Therapy with me is collaborative and active. We'll get curious about the patterns you've developed, where they came from and whether they're still serving you. Sometimes that means slowing things down and making sense of what's happening. Sometimes it means processing trauma, challenging stuck beliefs or practicing new ways of responding.
I'll meet you with warmth and compassion, but I'll also ask questions, notice patterns and be honest with you. The goal isn't to make you dependent on therapy. It's to help you understand yourself, trust yourself and feel more capable of navigating your life outside of it.
AREAS OF FOCUS
I do some of my best work with people who have learned how to keep going.
Much of my clinical work has focused on trauma and the experiences that can come with careers built around helping, protecting and responding to others. I have particular experience working with first responders and military veterans, including people navigating cumulative trauma, PTSD, moral injury and the impact of years spent compartmentalizing what they've experienced.
I'm especially interested in the ways our experiences before, during and outside of work shape how we respond to stress and trauma. Together, we can look beyond symptoms to understand the patterns underneath them - including how they affect relationships, trust, identify, emotions and the way. you move through everyday life.
CLINICAL FOCUS
Some of the things we might work through together.
TRAUMA & CUMULATIVE TRAUMA
PTSD & C-PTSD
Moral injury
Anxiety & chronic overwhelm
Emotional regulation
Burnout & occupational stress
Substance use & other coping behaviours
TRUST & RELATIONSHIPS
Compartmentalization & emotional suppression
Identity & life transitions
Return-to-work & reintegration
Rebuilding safety & self-trust
TRAINING & EXPERIENCE
Grounded in evidence. Shaped by experience.
My approach is informed by years of clinical work in mental health, including experience as both a Recreation Therapist and Psychotherapist, as well as in clinical leadership. I draw from evidence-based trauma therapies while keeping treatment individualized, collaborative and connected to the realities of your everyday life.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Post-Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Recreation
Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology
REGISTERED PSYCHOTHERAPIST
College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
CLINICAL APPROACHES & TRAINING
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Exposure-Based Interventions
Somatic Interventions
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Mindfulness-Based Interventions