ABOUT ME

Hi, I'm Annalise John, LCSW, and I almost quit before I really got started.

A year into practicing, I was ready to walk away from therapy entirely. Not because I didn't love the work, I did. But because nobody had actually prepared me for it. I was sitting across from adolescents in crisis, young women carrying stories that broke my heart, and I kept thinking "why do I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing?"

Then I found my first training outside of grad school. And everything changed.

That one experience cracked something open. Suddenly I had language for what I was seeing, tools for what I was feeling, and, maybe most importantly, the reassurance that the gap between graduation and competence is real, it's normal, and it's survivable.

That's why I built Therapist Launchpad.

What I actually believe about this work:

Therapy is most powerful when it's genuine. I show up with my whole self, playful, curious, and deeply committed to meeting people where they are. I've spent the last several years learning everything grad school forgot to teach me so I can hand it straight to you.

I also believe imposter syndrome isn't a character flaw. It's practically a rite of passage. Nobody told me that on day one, so I'm telling you now.

When I'm not in session or nerding out on therapist education:

You'll find me going way too deep into dream symbolism (yes, really, dreams are endlessly fascinating and I will talk about them forever) or hunting down the world's best pickle. Both pursuits require curiosity, discernment, and a high tolerance for being a little weird. Therapy prepared me well.

You're in the right place if:

• You graduated and thought "wait, now what?"

• You've ever Googled something you felt like you should already know

• You want to build a practice that's sustainable, authentic, and actually yours

Welcome to the Launchpad. I'm so glad you're here.