Anna Kraft, LPC Get to Know Me

By Anna Kraft, LPC

Entering my junior year of high school I started to feel depressed, and anxiety often left me feeling like a completly different person. As my mom noticed these changes she set up a therapy session and I begrudgingly went. Truthfully, I didn’t want to go to therapy because, in my mind at the time, this meant I needed help.

That what was happening was too big for me to handle on my own, and worse it meant what I was going through wasn’t just going to pass. 

That first session changed my entire view of therapy. As I sat across from this stranger, I found myself able to open up and lay my troubles on the table without fear of judgment. She offered a warm, secure base from which I could better understand myself and what I was experiencing. I started feeling that my struggles were much smaller when I wasn’t facing them alone.

Through that experience, I knew I wanted to be that for others.

As I entered college, I did all that I could to better understand the human experience and what impacts us. I pushed myself to better understand my identities, both privileged and marginalized, and how my identities made my experiences different from people of other identities. I came to recognize how being a white, queer, bisexual, able-bodied woman shaped my story and how I navigated social systems. It’s a core understanding and learning I bring into each of my sessions.

I completed my internships during the COVID-19 pandemic. I met with most of my clients virtually and noticed the devastating impacts of being disconnected from other people. Navigating these times for myself along with supporting my clients was a challenge. But it consistently reminded me that we find our greatest healing when we feel connected and understood.  My clients experienced the greatest healing when they felt connected and understood. 

As I have moved through my career one thing has always stayed true to me. I take a collaborative approach to understand your unique contexts, identities, and strengths. I firmly hold that you are the expert of your situations and you hold the tools for their own healing. I know, it probably doesn’t feel like it right now, but I can hold that knowing until you are ready to see it too. I use different tools and techniques that support you, but first and foremost our relationship is what will start the healing process.

I constantly feel honored and humbled to join my clients on their journeys and to witness their healing.

Outside of work, I enjoy physical activity, spending time with loved ones, and reading. I engage in a range of joyful movements, including walking outside, exercising at my local gym, and hiking. I can often be found visiting bookstores and coffee shops. I’m always listening to music or podcasts

I’m incredibly excited to be part of the Empowerment Within team. I feel that this team shares several of my values, including authenticity, curiosity, compassion, and integrity.