You don't have to stay stuck in survival mode FOREVER.
Long before I became a Reiki practitioner, I learned what it meant to move through hard things.
As a child, I underwent two brain surgeries that required my body to relearn how to function in many ways. Looking back, those experiences shaped my understanding of healing long before I had language for it. They taught me resilience, but they also gave me a deep appreciation for the connection between our bodies, our emotions, and our nervous systems.
I've always been drawn to helping people. Even as a kid, I was often the one checking in on everyone else, trying to make sure the people around me were okay.
The funny thing is, while I've spent much of my life supporting others, I've never been the picture-perfect version of wellness. I've always been a little quirky, occasionally sarcastic, deeply feeling, and very human.
Truthfully, younger Annie could have benefited from a nervous system reset, a long nap, and an emotional support iced coffee.
The HEART behind the healing
I pursued social work because I've always been fascinated by people's stories.
For more than twelve years, I've worked alongside individuals and families navigating grief, trauma, crisis, caregiving, burnout, and major life transitions. Again and again, I noticed the same pattern: people carrying extraordinary amounts of stress while convincing themselves they were doing just fine.
Social work taught me how resilient people can be. It also taught me that resilience isn't the same thing as endless capacity.
At some point, constantly giving without receiving support catches up with you.
For me, burnout became a wake-up call. It forced me to pay attention to my own well-being instead of treating self-care like something I'd get around to eventually.
01. REIKI PRACTITIONER
02. MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK
03. ANIMAL LOVER
About ANNIE.
Finding REIKI.
Before Reiki entered my life, I was deep in survival mode.
From the outside, things looked perfectly manageable. I was working, helping others, meeting responsibilities, and checking all the boxes. But internally, I felt disconnected from myself. My nervous system was constantly on high alert, my mind never stopped running, and I was carrying far more stress than I realized.
I often joke that I was functioning on caffeine, chaos, and pure determination, but there was more truth in that than I'd like to admit.
Then I experienced Reiki for the first time.
What struck me wasn't some dramatic spiritual moment. It was the feeling of safety that followed. For the first time in a long time, I felt grounded in my own body. I felt calm. Present. Connected to myself again.
It felt like a deep exhale after holding my breath for years.
That experience stayed with me, and eventually it led me to this work. Today, I have the privilege of creating that same kind of space for others.
What HEALING means to me
Healing isn't about becoming a different person.
It's not about being positive all the time, fixing every flaw, or reaching some imaginary finish line where life suddenly becomes easy.
To me, healing is about creating a sense of safety within yourself. It's learning how to listen to your body, extending compassion to yourself on hard days, and giving yourself permission to rest without feeling guilty for it.
Most importantly, healing is personal.
There's no universal timeline. No perfect roadmap. No gold star waiting at the end.
There is only your journey, your pace, and your relationship with yourself.
You're welcome HERE.
If you're wondering whether you need to have your life together before working with me, the answer is a very enthusiastic no.
You don't need to arrive with the perfect morning routine, a regulated nervous system, or a color-coded planner. Whether you're in a season of growth, burnout, transition, healing, or simply trying to remember the last time you drank water before your coffee.
My role isn't to tell you who you should be. It's to support you as you reconnect with who you already are.
Sometimes that means talking through what's weighing on you. Sometimes it means tears. Sometimes it means laughter, venting about life, or sitting quietly for a few moments without needing to explain anything at all.
Whatever you bring into the room is welcome.
You get to be human here.