Meet Anna.
Hey There.
So glad you stopped by to say hello. Let me introduce myself, I’m Anna. I believe in finding hope in our stories, yours included by honoring our lived experiences, unpredictable seasons of life and giving meaning to the human experience.
Anna holds a bachelor's degree in Social Work and Religious Studies from East Carolina University and an MSW from East Carolina University. Anna began her career working in the anti-trafficking nonprofit she co-founded. The organization was multifaceted, providing services for male-identified survivors and addressing the need for more knowledge among practitioners by producing a full-length documentary. Following her nonprofit position, Anna worked in private practice with adult individuals experiencing complications with self-identity and relationships, abuse survivors, symptoms of intergenerational trauma, anxiety and depression, and a history of being raised by parents who had severe and persistent mental health disorders.
Anna is interested in researching the lived experiences of families with parents/caregivers with a severe and persistent mental health disorder and how various forms of oppression, resilience, and healing are experienced and expressed within these units.
Anna hopes to gain an understanding of their protective and risk factors to create interventions that reduce vulnerabilities and promote healing and resilience across these families' lifetimes and forthcoming generations. Anna has taught as an Adjunct Faculty at UNC Chapel Hill School of Social Work and Metropolitan State University of Denver Department of Social Work.
Love Always,
Anna Marie Smith