Anna Leclerc

What does it mean to actually feel affirmed in therapy — not just tolerated? That question shapes how I practice. As an LGBTQIA+-affirming LCSW in Portland, Maine, I create space for people to show up exactly as they are, including those navigating gender identity, gender dysphoria, and the particular experience of moving through the world in ways that don't always feel recognized.

I work with adults on anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, PTSD, relationship challenges, and the day-to-day struggles that can quietly accumulate. My starting point is always that you know yourself better than I do — my role is to help you find what's keeping you from moving forward, and to work alongside you from there.

My approach is skills-based and collaborative — focused on building concrete tools you can actually use while also exploring the patterns and beliefs that may be holding you back.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you develop psychological flexibility — learning to be present with difficult emotions rather than fighting them, and moving toward what actually matters to you. Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) works with the emotional patterns driving anxiety, grief, and relational struggles, helping you develop a healthier relationship with your own emotional experience. Motivational Interviewing meets you where you are — without pressure, without judgment.

I provide a nonjudgmental space where we can explore new perspectives, practice skills, and identify what you specifically need. There's no one-size-fits-all here.

I strongly believe that you know yourself the best — my role as your therapist is to work with you to help you find what feels right.

My style is collaborative, supportive, and warm, where communication, exploration, education, and mutual trust are what guide our sessions together. There's no agenda you have to arrive with and no version of yourself you have to perform.

We'll spend the first session getting to know each other and starting to identify what matters most to you.