Annie Poage, MA

I’m not going to tell you how to live your life. But I am going to ask some questions.

Sometimes uncomfortable ones.

I'm a therapist who believes you deserve more than someone who listens, nods, and tells you your feelings are valid for 45 minutes.

Don't get me wrong. Your feelings matter. A lot.

But feelings aren't always facts. Understanding why you do something doesn't necessarily mean it's working for you. And sometimes the thing keeping you stuck is something you haven't even realized you're doing.

That's where I come in.

I'm here to help you make sense of yourself, recognize patterns, question old beliefs, and figure out what you actually want your life to look like.

And yes, we'll probably laugh along the way.

What therapy with me actually looks like

First things first: I'm a real person, and I want therapy to feel like a conversation with one.

I'm pretty direct. I ask a lot of questions. I use humor, occasionally swear, and I'm not afraid to point out something you might not want to hear.

But I'm also not interested in making you feel judged, telling you what to do, or pushing you somewhere you're not ready to go.

I want to understand you before I start challenging you.

That means getting to know more than your symptoms or whatever happened this week. I want to understand how you think, what matters to you, what you've been through, and how you've learned to navigate the world.

Some sessions we'll dig into something painful. Some we'll work on practical skills. Some we'll explore a pattern you've repeated a hundred times and still can't quite figure out.

And sometimes we'll talk about a book, a trip, or something ridiculous that happened over the weekend.

All of that can be part of building a relationship where you feel comfortable enough to do the harder work.

Because there's no one-size-fits-all version of therapy.

Some people need structure. Others need room to figure things out as they go. Some appreciate being challenged in the moment. Others need time to process before we revisit something.

We'll figure out what works for you. Together.

I’m not interested in making you someone you’re not.

One of my favorite parts of being a therapist is watching people find their voice.

Especially people who've spent years trying to be who everyone else needed them to be.

Maybe you've gotten really good at keeping the peace, meeting expectations, or making decisions based on what everyone else wants.

Maybe you know exactly what you're supposed to do, but you're not entirely sure what you actually want.

Or maybe you keep finding yourself in the same situations, having the same reactions, and wondering why the hell you can't seem to do something differently.

I'm interested in those patterns.

Where did they come from? What purpose do they serve? Are they still helping you? And what might happen if you tried something different?

I don't believe everything about you needs fixing.

But I also don't believe understanding yourself means you never have to change.

You can have compassion for why you are the way you are and still take responsibility for what you do next.

That's a big part of the work we do together.

A few things I believe about therapy

The relationship matters. You can find a therapist with all the right credentials and still not click with them. Therapy is a little like dating in that way. Not everyone is going to be the right fit, and that's okay.

You don't have to agree with me. Actually, I appreciate clients who question things. I'm bringing clinical knowledge and perspective. You're bringing your lived experience. Both matter.

Insight is great. Change takes practice. Figuring out why you do something can be incredibly helpful. But sometimes we also have to work on what happens the next time you're tempted to do it.

Two things can be true. You can love someone and be angry with them. You can understand why something happened and still be hurt by it. You can be doing your best and still have things to work on.

Progress doesn't have to be dramatic. Sometimes the most useful question we can ask is, "How can we make this just 5% better?"

And perhaps most importantly, you get to have a say in your own therapy. This is a collaborative relationship. My job isn't to take over. It's to help you find your way forward.

Who I work with

I provide virtual therapy for adults navigating anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, and the complicated process of figuring themselves out.

Some of the things we might work on include:

• Anxiety, overthinking, and self-doubt

• Trauma and difficult past experiences

• People-pleasing and boundaries

• Relationship and attachment patterns

• Perfectionism and harsh self-criticism

• Emotional regulation

• Grief, burnout, and major life changes

• Self-worth, identity, and finding your voice

My approach is trauma-informed and draws from several evidence-based therapies, including EMDR, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

But I'm not particularly interested in squeezing you into a specific therapeutic formula.

I want to understand what you're experiencing and find an approach that makes sense for you.

A little about me outside the therapy chair

I didn't take the most traditional path into counseling. I spent nearly a decade navigating adulthood before earning my master's degree, and those experiences shaped a lot of how I see people, relationships, and change.

Outside of work, I'm a wife, a mom to two sons, and a dog mom to Henry and Jules.

I'm an introvert who loves a good adventure. I'll happily plan an entire vacation down to the smallest detail, but I'm equally happy spending a quiet day at home with a book, a cup of tea, and a dog curled up next to me.

I love traveling, exploring new places, reading, cooking, and finding creative projects to get into. I'm usually planning the next trip or figuring out what book to read next.

I love getting to know people and hearing how they see the world. And I genuinely believe there's something to learn from just about everyone.

I also don't have everything figured out.

I'm human. I have my own blind spots, frustrations, and things I'm still working on.

Being a therapist doesn't exempt me from any of that.

So, are we a good fit?

Maybe.

I know, not exactly the most convincing sales pitch. 😂

But I genuinely believe finding the right therapist matters more than convincing someone I'm the right therapist for them.

If you're looking for someone who will listen without judgment, get curious about what's underneath the surface, challenge you when it makes sense, and work with you rather than tell you what to do, we might be a good match.

You don't need to have everything figured out before you reach out.

That's kind of the point.

Let's talk and see if we're a good fit.