Hi, I’m Annabelle
I absolutely love the deeply gratifying and moving work of being a therapist.
I’ve made it one of my personal missions to support other therapists.
I want to help you remember what it felt like to be inspired to be a therapist, to feel confident in making decisions and exploring innovation in your work, to tap into the deep inner resources that will sustain you and guide you.
I hope you will join me in cultivating your vitality and thriving in your work as a therapist.
Early Inspiration
Two of my greatest childhood joys were playing outside in nature and dancing, dancing, dancing. Absorbed in these activities, I felt alive and vibrant. Things were right in my world, and I had a sense of timelessness and being fully engaged in the moment. Of course, I didn’t think about it with those words as a child, but that is how I have since come to understand what I felt then.
The sense of vitality and presence that I experience in those and other pursuits that I have developed over time has provided refuge in difficult times and brought me back to myself time and time again. They are qualities that I hope to help my clients cultivate in their own lives, and they are at the heart of my approach to therapy.
Discovering Therapy
In a way, you might say I stumbled upon the profession of therapy quite by accident. I have always had diverse interests; while dance continued to be a serious pursuit, my love of nature and fascination with how things work led me to a degree in biology. The field of dance/movement therapy (DMT) grabbed my attention shortly before graduating as an undergraduate as a possible option for combining my love of dance and my interest in helping people. I went on to earn my MA in DMT and counseling psychology.
Since that time, I have continued to expand my knowledge and expertise in experiential and integrative approaches to therapy. I am intrigued by neuroscience, especially interpersonal neurobiology, mindfulness, somatic psychology, connections between physiology and psychology, and creativity and the arts in therapy.
Developing my Work
Having worked with adults and adolescents in residential, outpatient and college settings, and holding clinical roles ranging from staff therapist to clinical director, I was excited to form my own private practice, Movement Matters Integrative Psychotherapy . I am particularly drawn to working with women who feel restricted in their ability to be authentically themselves and who have barriers to moving with ease through their lives, and who know they are ready to work on growth and transformation.
I have discovered that I do my best work when I approach therapy as a creative process and trust in the innate wisdom of my clients. My clients have described me as balancing just the right kind of compassion with the ability to be frank and challenging in a way that helps them make real change. Humor and lightness are important to me, and I greatly value both the science and art of therapy.
In addition to working with clients, I love supporting therapists to rekindle their inspiration and nurture their vitality as professionals. I do this through supervision and consultation, presenting workshops, teaching, and involvement and service in professional organizations.
I am happy to share my work as the as lead author of “Trauma-Informed Dance/Movement Therapy in the Age of Telehealth”, a chapter in Dance/Movement Therapy for Trauma Survivors: Theoretical, Clinical, and Cultural Perspectives (forthcoming, March 2022) and author of “Returning Home: One Woman’s Journey from Depression to Joyous Living Using Body-Centered and Creative Approaches in Dance/Movement Therapy,” a chapter in The Use of the Creative Therapies in Treating Depression (2015).
I still love being in nature, and I still love dancing. And I’m very happy to share these joys with my husband and kids in the beauty of the Berkshires of Massachusetts.
Professional Credentials
- MA: Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling Psychology, Antioch University, New England
- BA: Biology, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, MA
- LMHC: Licensed Mental Health Counselor (MA)
- LCMHC: Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (VT)
- BC-DMT: Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist
- Certified Advanced Practitioner, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
- NCC: National Certified Counselor
- Certified Social Justice Mediator
