Annie Handley
Maybe you already know the pattern. You know you need better boundaries, but you still feel guilty when you say no. You know the relationship isn't good for you, but you keep getting pulled back in. You know you don't have to be perfect, yet one mistake can send you into hours of overthinking. You can understand exactly where your reactions come from—and still feel unable to change them.
I specialize in EMDR therapy and work with adults who feel stuck in patterns of anxiety, people-pleasing, perfectionism, self-doubt, difficult relationships, grief, and experiences from the past that continue to show up in the present.
Sometimes insight isn't the problem. You already know. But your nervous system hasn't gotten the message. That's where our work can go deeper. I specialize in EMDR therapy and work with adults who feel stuck in patterns of anxiety, people-pleasing, perfectionism, self-doubt, difficult relationships, grief, and experiences from the past that continue to show up in the present. Rather than only asking, “How do I stop doing this?” we can become curious about another question: “What taught me that I needed to do this in the first place?” EMDR can help us work with experiences and beliefs that continue to carry an emotional charge—even when you logically know you're safe, capable, worthy, or allowed to make a different choice. Therapy with me is active and collaborative. I'll support you, but I'll also challenge you to notice the patterns that keep you stuck. You are the expert on your life; my role is to help you understand what's happening beneath the surface, build trust in yourself, and begin responding to your life from where you are now rather than from what you've had to survive before.
First session
The first session is about getting to know you—not trying to unpack your entire life in 50 minutes. We’ll talk about what brought you to therapy, what feels stuck right now, and what you’d like to be different. I’ll ask questions about your history, current stressors, relationships, and the patterns you’ve noticed in your life. We’ll also talk about what has and hasn’t worked for you in therapy before. If you’re interested in EMDR, we’ll begin exploring whether it may be a good fit and what experiences, beliefs, or patterns we might eventually want to target. We won’t jump straight into trauma processing. Building an understanding of you, your needs, and your goals comes first. You don’t need to arrive with the “right” thing to say or a perfectly defined therapy goal. Come as you are. We’ll figure out where to start together.
Strengths
I bring curiosity, compassion, humor, and honesty into the therapy room. I’m not a therapist who will just nod and ask, “How does that make you feel?” We’ll slow things down, get curious about the patterns that keep showing up, and look at what may be happening underneath them. One of my strengths is helping clients connect the dots between what they understand intellectually and what they continue to feel emotionally. You may know you’re good enough, know you’re allowed to set a boundary, or know the past is over—and still not feel that way. That gap is often where our work begins. I use EMDR along with a practical, collaborative approach to help you understand your reactions, challenge long-standing beliefs, and work through experiences that may still be influencing how you see yourself and relate to others. I’ll meet you with compassion, but I’ll also challenge you when it’s helpful. I believe therapy can hold both: acceptance of who you are today and honest exploration of what you’re ready to change. You don’t have to come to therapy knowing exactly what you need. Part of my job is helping us figure that out together.
Ideal clients
I work especially well with adults who are insightful and self-aware but still find themselves stuck in the same patterns. You may understand why you people-please, overthink, struggle with boundaries, doubt yourself, or react strongly to certain situations—but understanding it hasn’t necessarily changed how it feels. Many of my clients are ready to go beyond simply talking about what’s wrong. They want to understand what keeps the pattern going, work through experiences that may still be affecting them, and begin responding differently. I especially enjoy working with clients who are curious about themselves and open to approaches like EMDR to help create change that feels deeper than “I know better, so why can’t I just do better?”
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients understand how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact — and to create new, healthier patterns. By gently challenging unhelpful beliefs and practicing new coping strategies, clients often find more balance, relief, and hope.
EMDR
I use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to help clients gently process painful experiences, so that memories of loss and trauma no longer feel overwhelming. EMDR doesn’t erase the past — instead, it allows your brain and body to integrate those experiences in a healthier way.
Location
Virtual sessions