Ann’s Background & Approach
Clinician, Researcher, Educator, former Teacher and CPA, Parent, Yoga Teacher, Community Member & Lifelong Learner
These experiences shape the way I understand people: not as isolated individuals with “problems” to fix, but as whole humans living inside families, communities, bodies, histories, identities and systems.
Clinical Foundation
I hold a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and am a Limited Licensed Psychologist in the State of Michigan. I have also completed graduate coursework in a Doctorate of Psychology program.
My clinical training has been shaped by ongoing study in trauma, anxiety, shame, somatic healing, family systems, LGBTQIA+ affirming care, adoption, chronic pain, Long COVID, burnout, tele-health, ethics and anti-oppressive clinical practice.
Before becoming a therapist, I also worked in education and finance. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Hillsdale College, am a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Michigan, and hold a Michigan Teaching Certificate. While these may seem like different chapters, they all inform how I think about people, systems, responsibility, care,and change.
Research & Academic Experience
My clinical perspective is also informed by research experience at the Michigan School of Psychology.
From 2019–2021, I worked as a research assistant with Dr. Johanna Soet Buzolits on projects related to anxiety, trauma exposure, trauma stewardship and trauma exposure response in mental health professionals.
In 2019, I also worked as a research assistant with Dr. Georgios Lampropoulos on ethical compliance in advertising for workshops and non-degree-granting programs.
This research background continues to influence my respect for ethical practice, clinical accountability and the impact of trauma on both clients and providers.
Areas of Ongoing Study
My work is grounded in continued learning. Recent and meaningful areas of training include:
Trauma, the body and nervous system care
Including trauma-informed approaches, somatic stress, consent, shame, burnout, pandemic fatigue, trauma stewardship and body-based healing.
LGBTQIA+ affirming care
Including affirmative therapy with trans and nonbinary clients, family support for trans and nonbinary youth, gender clinic navigation and creating safer spaces for trans inclusion.
Adoption and identity
Including adoptee mental health, family systems, attachment, belonging and the complex emotional realities adoption can hold.
Anti-racism and anti-oppression
Including becoming an anti-racist and anti-oppression clinician, unpacking white privilege, multicultural competence and justice-oriented clinical reflection.
Chronic pain, Long COVID and medical trauma
Including chronic pain, collaboration between physical medicine and mental health providers, Long COVID-related mental health symptoms and the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
Ethics, tele-health and clinical responsibility
Including tele-behavioral health, multi-state licensure, addiction ethics and ethical practice in clinical and educational settings.
Community, Advocacy & Education
Beyond the therapy room, I have been involved in community-based education, equity work and advocacy.
From 2023–2025, I served as a member of the Royal Oak Schools JEDI Committee. In 2024, I was invited to speak at a JEDI meeting, and in Winter 2024, I served as a guest lecturer at the Michigan School of Psychology on adoptees’ mental health.
My past volunteer work has included kids’ yoga in elementary schools, wellness ambassador work through Beaumont Health and restorative yoga offerings for healthcare settings.
Gender-Affirming Care & Community Advocacy
I believe gender-affirming care is essential, compassionate and life-saving.
In 2025, I participated in a documentary created by high school student Ani about the life-saving nature of gender-affirming care. I share this video here because it reflects a core part of my clinical and community values: that trans and nonbinary young people deserve to be believed, supported, protected and met with care.
This commitment also shapes my ongoing training, advocacy and therapeutic approach with LGBTQIA+ clients and families.
SHORT DOCUMENTARY INTERVIEW
GENDER AFFIRMING CARE: It saves more lives than you would think.
Made by Ani Ceccacci in Royal Oak, Michigan as part of a CSPAN StudentCam Competition, in association with PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs. January 2025.
Professional & Community Affiliations
My professional and community affiliations have included:
American Civil Liberties Union
Human Rights Campaign
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Psi Chi International Psychology Honor Society
Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society
Certified Yoga Teacher, RYT-200
At the heart of my work is a belief that people deserve care that honors the fullness of who they are.
That means therapy that makes room for identity, complexity, contradiction, humor, grief, rage, tenderness, culture, family, body, and nervous system. It means moving at a pace that respects your capacity. And it means building a relationship where you do not have to perform, explain everything perfectly, or leave parts of yourself at the door.
If this sounds like the kind of support you are looking for, I welcome you to reach out.