My personal journey
childhood
I grew up in a home with parents who loved me and my siblings, and, who struggled on many levels. Relationships were complicated. There were secrets, and life was challenging. French was my mother’s first language, and I grew up hearing it, and later speaking it. I escaped home life by spending summers at camps in the French Alps and later, high school years at a French boarding school in central France. I always assumed that I would marry a Frenchman and live in Paris. (I didn’t!) Then when I was 17, my father died. I felt lost, buried in feelings of grief and guilt.
change of plans
After college, I had no idea what to do, so I moved to Washington, DC, where my mom was living. I became involved in national politics. Although I am very grateful for much of what I was able to accomplish professionally, on a personal level those years were marked by darkness and hopelessness. I felt like a failure … broken and alone. I knew I needed to leave Washington. I enrolled in a masters degree program in social work at the University of Denver, with a focus on kids and families. And off I went, hoping for something different.
becoming more of who I am
In Denver, the cloud began to lift. I graduated and was offered and accepted many fabulous jobs specializing in kids and families. A loving circle of friends grew up around me. I was happily married for many years. My relationships with family members were easier. And I was following my dream of working directly with kids. I am still in awe of their ability, when invited, to connect with who they really are, to let go of the past, and to move forward, despite current circumstances and regardless of the past. Truly inspiring!
the shattering
All that came crashing down, 20 years later. I became estranged from many in my family. Several loved ones died. Distance grew between me and many of my friends. My therapy practice failed. My marriage ended. The feelings of self-doubt, guilt and not-good-enough were all-consuming. Somewhere along the way, I was introduced to a self-help group. I walked away from what was left of the life I had created, and I spent the next several years travelling around the world, facilitating workshops and meeting some truly incredible people. I published two books. This was a lifestyle that suited my reluctance for connection. It was like a whirlwind!
the rebuilding
Then Covid hit and that lifestyle ended. My traveling days are now over … suitcases are in the back of my basement! I joined a group therapy practice, Panorama Psychology, that serves the Denver metro area and specializes in children of all ages and their families. And I opened a coaching practice, serving people all around the world, from all walks of life.
today
I love the work I do! And I love working with the people I get to work with! What I love the most are the moments of grace in which shifts occur and the impossible becomes possible! Those moments happen all the time! And the grace is always available!
I live in a beautiful area, outside of Denver, Colorado. My rescue puppy and I take long walks every day in the nearby wildlife refuge, grateful for the beauty and peace, and all the critters! And I am happy to be reconnected with friends and family in ways that are even stronger and more loving than before.
OFFICIAL BIO
Anne Maxwell LCSW RPT-S
Anne grew up in a bilingual home where "different" was neither right nor wrong. It was just different.
Prior to her therapy and coaching practices, she worked in Washington, DC, in national politics. She successfully lobbied for the authorization of and funding for a $25 million primary prevention and early intervention program for at-risk mothers and their babies.
Eager to shift from a policy framework to working more directly with people, she changed direction and attended graduate school, so that she could become credentialed to work with children, families, and individuals in a clinical capacity.
Following her graduation, she worked in a variety of settings, including a residential treatment center, inpatient psychiatric hospitals and outpatient clinics and practices.
In addition to her therapy practice, she expanded her reach and opened a coaching practice, where she serves a wide-ranging group of people from all over the world. Coaching clients include parents, therapists, workshop leaders, grandparents, small business owners.
Anne also facilitates coaching workshops designed to help people reconnect with who they truly are, rather than who they may have created themselves as and think they should be.
"She's a little far outside the box. I don't know what it is that she does, but whatever it is, it works."
Pediatrician, Denver CO
