Meet Angie Hanson
she/her, MA, LPCA
It’s possible to trust yourself.
I’m Angie. I’m a trauma-informed mental health therapist and body image photographer in Louisville, KY. I work with folks who are tired of fighting themselves and need a break.
I’ve sat in the client chair. I have felt disoriented, powerless, confused, and ashamed of my own feelings. It doesn’t have to stay that way. I know in my bones that self-trust can be both taught and learned, because I’ve done both.
What It’s Like to Work With Me
Therapy with me is collaborative and paced according to your needs. I tend to show my cards (when requested) and talk like a real person, but I try to only do 10% of the talking in our sessions. I figure the truly unique value of therapy is being able to say and feel what you need to without being judged or shamed, so this is what I prioritize.
As we talk about what’s going on for you, we pay close attention to your nervous system. That means…
We move at a speed your body can tolerate. We don’t want to stay stuck, but we don’t want to rush the process either. Sometimes you need to be challenged, sometimes you need to rest. Your nervous system will help us discern when to do what.
We don’t bulldoze past reactions that feel inconvenient. Internal chaos may likely be a part of your experience, but healing comes with integration. If you are saying one thing but feeling the opposite, we need to slow down to recalibrate.
I’m not here to tell you what you should feel. I’m here to help you understand what’s happening internally and decide what to do with that information without ignoring your other priorities.
You don’t need to have everything figured out to explain before you come in. We can sort it out together.
My Approach
I view symptoms and feelings as data, and our thoughts are the interpretation of the data points.
It could be that your body needs more movement, stimulation, nutrition, or rest. It could be that you are in an environment or relationship that isn’t aligned with your core values. It could be that there’s a chapter of your story that needs to be processed, witnessed, or understood in order to settle.
Expecting the worst, feeling stuck, being unable to trust in relationships, ignoring your feelings until you can’t… whatever it may be. These tendencies didn’t appear randomly. They developed in a context for a reason. They made sense somewhere. Even if they’re not working anymore.
Our work isn’t about erasing those parts of you. It’s about understanding them. When we understand, then we can create intentional and caring solutions. Then you don’t have to keep fighting yourself in order to function; you can add meaningful support to the way your body already knows to function.
I use attachment, somatic, and mindfulness-based approaches, including accelerated experiential dynamic psychotherapy, internal family systems or “parts work,” somatic experiencing, and other eclectic trauma-informed therapies based on your preference and responsiveness. In all of these body-based and relational counseling approaches, I prioritize your comfort, autonomy, and pace. Still, the most important thing is not the modality, but how it feels be in the room together.
Areas I Specialize In
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Relationship anxiety
Co-dependency or people pleasing
Adult children of emotionally immature parents; adult children of alcoholics and dysfunctional families
Masking for neurodivergent folks or codeswitching for marginalized folks
Religious trauma and spiritual abuse
Religious deconstruction
Reclaiming spirituality after spiritual injury
Chronic illness and medical trauma
Adjusting to a life-altering diagnoses
Managing chronic illness
Emotional healing from a medical trauma
Body image and embodied self-trust
Sexual and gender identity
Body dysmorphia
Self-esteem and self-acceptance
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We could talk for a long time about what a diagnosis means and the philosophy behind a term like “mental health disorder,” but to be brief, I have experience treating the following types of mental health disorders:
Depressive disorders
Anxiety disorders
Trauma and stressor-related disorders
Dissociative disorders
Somatic symptom and related disorders
Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)
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I will never know what it’s like to be you.
I am mindful of generalizing my knowledge and experience of various cultural identities by focusing on the guiding question, “how did this person’s experience as XYZ affect them?” rather than assuming you fit my limited idea of what I assume it means to be affected by XYZ.
I have listed group identities that I have substantial familiarity, training and/or professional experience with so you can know that you won’t have to spend an entire hour translating and teaching me about it. Like you, I personally belong in some of these groups and not others.
However, if you do not see yourself here, feel free to ask me about the extent of my knowledge with your group identities if that’s important to you (some folks prefer their therapist to have extensive knowledge on a subject, some prefer they have no pre-conceived notions). I want to help you find a good fit, regardless of that being me.
First and second generation immigrants to the United States
BIPOC folks
Folks using English as a second language
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Neurodivergent folks
Folks with physical disabilities
Caretakers of loved ones
Christian faith traditions
Buddhist faith traditions
High-control religions
Spiritual/mystic beliefs
Healthcare professionals
Entrepreneurs and small-business owners
Queer or LGBTQ+ folks
Kink and/or poly folks
Credentials
Licensed professional counseling associate in Kentucky (LPCA 297663); practicing under regular clinical supervision per state regulation
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Concordia University Irvine
Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Linguistics from Liberty University