Annie Stewart

My Bio

I believe the therapeutic process is about us journeying together on the path of wholeness and healing. It is in the context of a safe, consistent, secure therapeutic relationship whereby trauma can be processed and adaptively stored, where overwhelming emotions feel safe to be expressed, where that which happened to you becomes part of your story, and no longer the one that defines you. It is my belief that as you do this courageous work of healing, you are then able to experience internal power and strength that once felt unavailable to you. I believe that every human being possesses worth and value and the capacity to heal. It is my greatest honor and calling to bear witness to your growth and healing.                                                                                    As a white, cis-gender, able- bodied heterosexual woman, I hold immense privilege. I am committed to the life and practice of embodied liberation, striving to operate from an anti-oppressive, anti-racist, feminist, intersectional framework. I strive to honor and celebrate all that you are and together we can challenge the systems that have attempted to control your body and quelch your voice. I do my best to live and work from a stance of cultural humility. I seek to learn and grow every day, just as you are.

     I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and hold a Masters in Social Work from Portland State University with a concentration in Children, Youth and Families. As well, I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in Gender Studies from George Fox University, with a concentration in Global and Cultural Studies.  During my undergraduate career, I spent a semester in Thailand, where I was immersed in the reality of economic and social injustice in that region, as well as gained exposure and insight into the trauma of forced migration, poverty, war, and sexual violence. While there, I interned at the Burmese Migrant Center, a school for the children of Burmese migrant workers. Following graduation, I worked abroad for a year with a human rights organization that provides therapeutic services to survivors of sex trafficking, labor trafficking, forced migration, and gender-based violence. These international experiences profoundly shaped me and instilled in me a passion to walk alongside those who have experienced trauma. To this day, I find great fulfillment and passion in working with the refugee resettlement agencies here in Portland, building relationships with our newly arrived neighbors as they adjust to their new home.

            I am passionate about working with individuals across the lifespan who have experienced developmental, childhood trauma, as well as religious trauma. I have experience in working with individuals whose religious trauma stems from Fundamentalist Evangelicalism. Within that framework, I find immense joy in walking alongside survivors of the purity culture movement as well as LGBTQIA+ youth. I also find great joy in working with those who are recovering from eating disorders and disordered eating. I have worked in the eating disorder recovery field for 10+ years in both the micro and macro settings. It is my fervent belief that recovery is not only possible but attainable, given the resources, opportunities, and support to do so.                                       I draw on a variety of orientations and methods in the therapeutic space, depending on the needs, as well as developmental stage of the client. I whole heartedly believe that our minds and our bodies are connected, and healing must be holistic—mind, body, and spirit. As such, I typically draw from Somatic Experiencing, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and expressive therapies such as Sand Tray Therapy and expressive arts. With children, I typically employ Child Centered Play Therapy, Child Centered Yoga, and expressive arts. When providing family therapy and/or parental support, I typically draw on the work of Dan Siegel, believing in the inherit goodness of each child and the importance of providing children with presence, attunement, and consistency. When clinically indicated, I provide caregivers with psychoeducation about how to connect with your child and their magical brains from a strength based, neurological, and developmental perspective.                                                                                                                                         In my spare time, I love to play soccer and tennis and practice barre. I love spending time in nature, finding sweet stillness and serenity in the wonders of our world. I am a voracious reader and typically have a large stack of books by my bed. I have cat named Daisy who loves to provide comfort to all who need it. Daisy has taught me in a deeper way about the importance of wonder and curiosity, and the importance of advocating for oneself.