Hi, I’m Anna.
I'm a licensed psychodynamic psychotherapist based in Newport Beach — and I'll be honest with you: I didn't become a therapist because I had everything figured out. I became one because I know what it feels like when emotions are too big, too confusing, or completely shut down.
I work with children, teens, and adults who are doing their best — and still feeling stuck. My job is to help them understand what's actually going on underneath, not just manage what's showing up on the surface.
If you're a parent wondering whether your child is okay, or an adult who's tired of circling the same patterns — you're in the right place.
Why Psychodynamic Therapy?
CBT can teach you tools. Psychodynamic therapy helps you understand why you needed those tools in the first place.
Because most of what drives our emotions and behavior lives below the surface — outside of our awareness.
That's the difference between managing life and actually changing it.
I'm dual-licensed — which is genuinely unusual.
I hold a California LCSW license and a German state license as a Child, Adolescent and Young Adults Psychodynamic Psychotherapist (KJP) — the result of four years of intensive clinical training in the psychoanalytic tradition in Germany.
Before moving to California, I worked in child and adolescent psychiatry, psychological assessments, addiction therapy, and school-based counseling across several clinical settings in Germany. I've sat with a lot of kids, teens, and adults in a lot of different kinds of pain — and that breadth genuinely shapes how I work.
I also speak German fluently. If you'd feel more comfortable in a session auf Deutsch — that's completely an option.
My Background
My Clinical Credentials
State Licensure (LCSW) as Licensed Clinical Social Worker, California · License #126411
Master of Arts in Therapeutic Social Work, University of Applied Sciences, Nordhausen, Germany
State Licensure (Approbation) as a Child, Adolescent and Young Adults Psychotherapist (KJP), Germany
Four years of clinical training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at the Academy of Psychotherapy, Erfurt and Wiesbaden
Where I've worked
A breadth of experience that genuinely shapes how I work today.
Addiction & Mental Health Therapy
Red Cross, Reichenbach, Germany
Provided psychotherapy for individuals struggling with alcohol, drug, and gaming addictions.
Child & Adolescent Psychological Assessments
Medical Diagnostic and Therapy Center, Würzburg, Germany
Conducted comprehensive psychological assessments for children and adolescents and adults.
Psychotherapy for Children & Adolescents
Kitzberg Clinic Center for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Bad Mergentheim, Germany
Delivered individual and group therapy for children and adolescents facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and behavioral disorders.
Psychological Assessment, Family & School-Based Counseling and Therapy
Practice for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Schalkhaußer, Regensburg, Germany
Conducted psychological assessments to evaluate cognitive and emotional development and provided counseling for school-related challenges, academic performance, and parenting concerns.