Anna Thomison in Las Colinas

Why I Became a Therapist

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved to look for patterns. When I began studying family systems, I was struck by a big observation that changed the course of my work forever. While working with groups of adolescent girls in middle and high school in an outcome-based program, I noticed that the girls’ self-esteem and motivation scores varied widely. Digging deeper, I noticed a connection: the girls’ scores were deeply influenced by the challenges and conflicts within their families. I was researching Master’s Degree programs at the time. This moment changed my path forever. I immediately decided to specialize in family and marital systems. Relationships have a huge impact on quality of life and lived experience for children. The couple is the foundation of the family unit.

Today, as a marriage and family therapist, I combine my nerdy love of neuroscience with a lifelong passion for helping people. It’s a perfect match for me. I’m endlessly fascinated by how people interact, and I love to uncover the hidden influences for people’s interactions and behaviors with each other. It’s like unveiling the wizard behind the curtain! There’s nothing more gratifying than helping people make active and informed choices regarding how they interact with others.

From that initial moment of connection -- where I saw firsthand how important family and couple dynamics can be for a person’s quality of life -- I’ve dedicated my career to helping people to achieve breakthroughs, make changes, and arrive at moments of awareness. Helping people build more fulfilling relationships is my life’s calling.

Interested in exploring how you can modify your existing relationships? Click here to schedule an appointment.

Who I Am & How I Practice

I have been married since 2000. My spouse and I enjoy opening our home and hearts to exchange students from a variety of countries. Our former students and their families have helped nurture and feed my interest in understanding how culture shapes our sense of identity.

I have had a lifelong journey with physical challenges and chronic pain. I have learned to utilize hobbies such as crochet, swimming, photography, travel, water aerobics and meditation to manage stress and pain and to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

I love to learn, and never stop trying to improve, update, and upgrade my therapeutic skills. Through workshops & conferences, I continue to feed my nerdy interest in neuroscience and systemic treatment options for coping with chronic illness. I am always learning new techniques through these workshops and conferences to bring back and enrich my clients’ lives and relationships. I’m fascinated by how chronic pain influences families, and how it changes the way we relate to and interact with the people around us.

I was primarily trained in postmodern therapies and particularly work from the Narrative Therapy model -- exploring narratives, shaping stories, and creating change through the telling of stories. I am also trained in and borrow interventions from Solution Focused, Collaborative Languaging, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy models. When working with issues of coping with chronic illness or pain, I borrow from the Biopsychosocial Model.

Areas of Particular Expertise

It’s important to find a therapist who makes you feel comfortable, heard, and understood. When starting the counseling process, it’s critical to find a therapist that you “click” with and makes you feel comfortable.

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who uses techniques like storytelling, modeling, and role play. I teach my clients skills like effective communication, active listening, and mindfulness. We focus on techniques derived from neuroscience and medical family therapy model, to name a few.

Below is a brief overview of a few techniques we employ in our session:

Neuroscience: Understanding the role that your brain chemistry plays in relationships
Pain management: Exploring the unique challenges people face when chronic illness & pain become part of the family dynamic
Mindfulness: Using consciousness strategies to bring about change

I am focused on helping families strengthen their bonds. I specialize in helping couples get their best friend back.

Do you want to explore how marriage and family therapy can help you? Click here to begin the conversation.