Anna Stearn, LMSW

HOLISTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, & ADULTS | KAP |
SLIDING SCALE THERAPY

Anna Stearn (she/her/hers) has been working in the mental health field over the past six years. Before pursuing a career as a therapist, Anna worked in clinical research at the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research where she served as a psychedelic session facilitator on clinical trials exploring the effects of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in Major Depressive Disorder and Anorexia Nervosa under the direction of Roland Griffiths, Ph.D. Anna received clinical mentorship and training from clinicians in the psychedelic field, such as, Mary Cosimano, MSW, Natalie Gukasyan, MD, and Bill Richards, Ph.D, amongst many others. Aside from her training at Hopkins, Anna has received ‘Psilocybin Clinical Facilitator Training’ from the Usona Institute, as well as training in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) at Inner Path when she was a Graduate MSW Intern under the supervision of Lauren Going, LMSW-C.

Through these endeavors, Anna has witnessed the embodied therapeutic insights psychedelic experiences can occasion when administered in combination with supportive therapy, which has motivated her to specialize in psychedelic-assisted modalities.

Anna has years of experience working with children, teens, and adults. Her therapeutic approach is influenced by both psychodynamic and cognitive perspectives. She believes in a collaborative and client-driven process, valuing the healing capacity within each individual, while also acknowledging the systemic context in which personal challenges arise. She recognizes the importance of acknowledging identity and culture in the therapeutic relationship and strives to make her sessions a safe place to do so.

In her work with children, she takes a more non-directive, play therapy approach. While with teens and adults, she incorporates techniques from modalities such as Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Informed Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Interventions, and Internal Family Systems, to help adult clients increase self-awareness and cultivate self-compassion.

Personally, Anna thrives when she is on the dance floor with her friends, spending time with her cat, or listening to one of her favorite comedy podcasts. In her free time, Anna loves to spend time in nature, travel, and make art in various mediums.