Annabeth chickering

Therapeutic Approach

Annabeth provides relational, soulful and somatic psychotherapy to individuals and couples. 

RELATIONAL

Annabeth believes that the relationship formed between therapist and client is at the core of therapy; it is her privilege and responsibility to listen to her clients’ experiences with respect and without judgment. She works together with her clients to create a relationship that serves as a base to help clients learn to: trust their voice, honor their inner wisdom, strengthen their personal insight, listen to their bodies, access their story, bring meaning to their past experiences, and find hope for the future. 

SOULFUL

We all carry potentially harmful messages from our families of origin, our communities, and the world at large. Often clients come to therapy intimately connected to these messages and disconnected from their core selves. Annabeth believes in listening to the core, with the intention of hearing the seeds of self that she feels are always present. It is in the space between the client and the therapist, when the soul of the client and the soul of the therapist collide, that healing begins. 

SOMATIC

Annabeth trusts that people have a great ability for insight; often times as a result of life’s circumstances, insight and trauma reside inside the body and have not yet had the opportunity to be processed. Through a partnership between therapist and client, the client can begin to process their trauma non-verbally and ultimately find new pathways toward greater understanding and personal fulfillment. 

Annabeth utilizes her dance background to move with clients in space when wanted, appropriate and therapeutic, encouraging each person to find their own non-verbal movement vocabulary. She also uses the Trauma Resiliency Model to help clients calm their nervous system, process trauma, and rewire their brains toward wellness and resiliency.

Areas of focus

As a psychotherapist, Annabeth works with both individuals and couples and stresses not only the importance of individual expression, but also the importance of exploring systems the client is a part of and how these potentially impact overall wellness.

Annabeth has extensive experience, expertise and passion for working with marginalized groups, including the Jewish community; people who are exploring identity development, including gender and sexual identity; those who are working towards making meaning in their life; people struggling with anxiety and depression, including postpartum depression and anxiety; childbirth; childhood abuse; trauma, including medical trauma; loss; parenting; relationships; work/life balance; and family conflict.