Hi!  I offer codependency therapy for the overworked and unappreciated.  Is that you?

I’m Ann Stoneson—I’m a licensed professional counselor in Austin, Texas, and I specialize in codependency therapy and counseling for new moms.  I have been working in my private practice, Labyrinth Healing, since 2011.

I knew I wanted to be a therapist ever since I was 13 years old.

Middle school was hell for me, and I hated myself and pretty much everyone else, too.  So, I ended up in therapy.  And there I was, at 13, sitting in a therapist’s office, looking at her big shelf of books and thinking,

“Really?  Some people get to do this for a living?  Listen to and help others solve their problems and heal?  It’s like nursing, but without the blood and vomit.  I’m in!  Counseling’s the job for me!”

And that vision to become a therapist has never wavered.  In college, I got to combine my two big loves—psychology and women’s studies.  I meandered through Georgia and Pennsylvania for undergraduate and grad school to prepare me as a counselor before eventually ending up back in Austin, Texas.

I believe that systemic oppression is a form of collective trauma that impacts everyone.  I believe that #blacklivesmatter.  I am LGBTQ+ affirming.  I am committed to practicing therapy in a way that is socially aware, anti-racist, and mindful of systems that oppress some and privilege others.  Our mental health is shaped by the systems that we participate in, from families to societies.

People of all races, genders, faiths, sexualities, abilities, and sizes are all welcome in my practice. 

If you’re really curious about all the nitty-gritty of my education and general geekery, you can look at my professional collaborations as a counselor or these testimonials.

Or, you can get started by booking a free consultation with me, if you’re ready.

Codependency therapy & feminist therapy

Photo by Rochelle Brown on Unsplash.

I began offering codependency therapy in Austin in 2009 while still completing my post-graduate internship.

People-pleasing is a subject near to my heart, as my blog will often tell you.  We call the problem by many names– people-pleasing, codependency, anxious attachment… they describe similar problems, all ones that I am very comfortable with and capable of addressing in my practice.

I’m also a feminist, and I offer feminist therapy.

What does that mean?

I provide counseling that’s sensitive to the needs of women, aware of dynamics of power in relationships and the world at large, wise to the pressures we face, and challenging the cultural beliefs and systems that make us unhappy and exhausted all the time.

The intersection between my love of feminist therapy and codependency therapy isn’t a coincidence.

The social, familial and personal pressures that women face in relationships creates the perfect storm for overwork and overwhelm, and I believe that codependency therapy can be one way out of that broken system.

My work with new moms emerged naturally from these interests.  Mothers are especially vulnerable to people-pleasing– that is, disappearing within their roles and responsibilities to others.

As I continue my learning, I understand more and more how American culture rests on historical bedrock of racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination.  These forms of oppression cause lasting trauma that spans generations in the bodies and minds of marginalized groups.

As a trauma therapist, my job is to hold awareness of this in the room, to facilitate conversation and healing around these pieces, and to be aware of my own identity work so that I do not impose my values or my own learning process on my clients.

I aspire in my learning to cultivate a safe space for clients from all walks of life in my practice.  It is a work in progress, always.

EMDR therapy & trauma recovery

Photo by Ashley Batz on Unsplash.

I began looking at the impact of trauma on teens and adult women in 2003, through a series of independent research projects in college and graduate school.  Trauma recovery has always been a personal and professional interest of mine.

And so, I offer EMDR because I am a trauma-focused therapist, and EMDR is a powerful method of trauma recovery.

I first began practicing EMDR therapy in Austin in 2009 after completing Rick Levinson’s EMDR basic training.

Trauma is a part of life, and it’s my life’s work to help people heal from these hardships.  So it’s probably no surprise that I have a soft spot for providing therapy to therapists. Vicarious trauma is a real thing!

I enjoy offering EMDR therapy in my counseling practice because it is an especially effective and gentle way of working with trauma.

I provide individual therapy, and I don’t work with couples, families, or teens.  I can offer you referrals for therapists in Austin offering those services, if you like.

Why I founded Labyrinth Healing

I launched my private practice, Labyrinth Healing, in 2011 in Austin, Texas after years of working in community mental health clinics.

I wanted to have a place to practice that would enable me to do my best work by supporting a good work/life balance, a theme that comes up often in my sessions with my clients.

In essence, I knew I needed a counseling practice that would allow me ample room to practice and also research and study deeply, so I could remain in touch with the latest developments in therapy.

I first trained in a Ph.D program and while I was never meant to be a researcher, I have remained committed to studying research so that my work is always supported by the latest science.  

I have spent years studying interpersonal neurobiology, an interdisciplinary body of work that helps me practice my craft more effectively, as I have a deep understanding of the profound and complicated relationship between mind, body, and relationships.

Photo by Daniel Hjalmarsson on Unsplash.

Why did I choose the name Labyrinth Healing for my practice?

I’ve had people ask me if I just really loved David Bowie in Labyrinth.  

(I did, by the way, but that’s not why I named my practice Labyrinth Healing.)

I chose the symbol of the labyrinth in my practice because unlike a maze, it has no dead ends. 

As long as you continue walking, you will find your way into the center and back out again.

It is a comforting symbol for me.  And yet, one’s healing journey can be long, and difficult to do alone.  As your counselor, my goal is to accompany you through the twists and turns.  We can bear so much more when we have others there to support us.  My life, my research, and my clients have taught me that.

I saw my first client back in 2005, so I’ve been doing this work for a while.  My practice continues to evolve and grow as I do, and I maintain that my clients are my greatest teachers.

My wish for you in your codependency therapy

I am here to help you remember that you do not have to come last in your own life.

I am here to help you do the hard work of setting boundaries and keeping them, so that you retain some sense of selfhood regardless of the relationship you’re in, the work you do, or the people you care for each day.

And I am here to be with you when things are hard and you are struggling, when all the planning and support in the world just can’t touch the heartbreaking stuff that life sometimes brings.

I’m here for all of these pieces, to share and hold them tenderly with you.

My counselor street cred

Photo by Easton Oliver on Unsplash.

My name is Ann Stoneson, but you might know me by my previous name, Ann Stonebraker.

Why are the last names so similar?  Is there some sort of story behind that?  Yes, there absolutely is– feel free to ask me about it if you’re curious.

I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) in Austin, Texas, License #65595.  I have an MS in Clinical Psychology from Pennsylvania State University.

I earned my BA in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies at Emory University.  I wrote a thesis—twice—for undergrad and grad school, looking at the impact of trauma on women and how they adapt from that hardship.  High honors with both of those (yes, I’m a total nerd and I have no shame about that.)

I’ve done a lot of my own individual therapy… I estimate I’ve been in counseling off and on for 7-8 years of my life, with several different therapists.  I walk the walk and I’ve learned a lot through participating in my own healing.  Generally speaking, I won’t elbow you in the eye with my “stuff” and if I do, I’m usually quick to catch and own it.

I use talk therapy, EMDR, and feminist therapy in my work.  My biggest theoretical influences are interpersonal neurobiology, attachment theory, mindfulness, feminism, and more recently, body-based ways of working.  Bonnie Badenoch, Dan Siegel and Juliane Taylor Shore are my biggest guides and academic crushes.

In addition to running my own private practice, I direct a sliding scale clinic of counselors-in-training that I supervise over at Counseling South Austin.

I teach beginning therapists how to start their own practices at a local training clinic.

Right now, I live in Austin, Texas with my husband, son, and two very mouthy cats.  When I’m not at work, I’m probably at home playing video games or eating chocolate in the bathroom so I don’t have to share it.

Choosing the right therapist in Austin for you

Choosing a therapist can feel like an intimidating process, but it doesn’t have to be.  I offer free consultations for anyone who’s thinking about working with me in therapy.

It’s a nice way to sit down together and talk a bit about what’s going on, answer any questions you may have about rates and scheduling, and to see if we make a good fit!

Do you want to add your story to mine?  Call me at 512-850-6781 or send me a quick email to set up your free consultation.