Anna Hanson

Anna brings a thoughtful, creative, and trauma-informed approach to her work with children, teens, and caregivers. She creates a therapeutic space that feels safe, human, and grounded, where young people can process their experiences, explore their identities, and build emotional understanding at their own pace.

Anna is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) with a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. Her clinical foundation is in relational psychodynamic psychotherapy, supported by training in child-centered play therapy. Other models she draws from include internal family systems, attachment theory, and multicultural and systems-based approaches. She completed her graduate clinical practicum at Monarch Children's Justice and Advocacy Center, where she worked with child, adolescent, and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. This experience shaped her strong clinical focus on trauma, abuse, PTSD, and the long-term impact of early life experiences on emotional development and relationships.

At Modern Youth, Anna specializes in working with youth who are navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, identity exploration, and relational challenges. She is attuned to children and teens who feel overwhelmed, misunderstood, or are trying to make sense of complex emotional experiences. With younger children, Anna utilizes child-centered play therapy, recognizing that play is a child’s natural language for expressing and processing life experiences. With older children and teens, she integrates reflective dialogue, emotional insight, and attachment-focused work to support trust, communication, and emotional growth. Overall, she approaches therapy with integrity, curiosity, and respect for each client’s lived experience.

Anna is a queer, cisgender, mixed-race clinician with Japanese, Finnish, and Norwegian cultural roots. Prior to her clinical training, she worked in the nonprofit sector, where she developed a strong awareness of systemic influences on mental health and the importance of ethical, compassionate care. Outside of her clinical work, Anna is a musician and watercolor artist who enjoys poetry, language learning, and spending time with loved ones.