Anita Tanner

Anita Tanner is a licensed master social worker (LMSW) with 40 years of experience helping people manage stress, anger, anxiety, depression, and grief. She speaks plain language and focuses on practical ways to make daily life easier. Anita aims to help people find steps forward when life feels overwhelming.

Her work often centers on middle-aged and older adults facing loss, big life changes, and relationship challenges. She helps people who are caring for others, coping with chronic illness, or dealing with feelings of emptiness and isolation. Anita also supports clients confronting issues around commitment, control, and intimacy-related concerns.

In sessions she uses approaches that emphasize values, present-moment awareness, and problem-focused change. Anita draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, motivational interviewing, and client-centered and mindfulness-based ideas to shape each plan. She keeps sessions focused on practical goals and small, achievable steps.

Clients can expect a collaborative style where the therapist listens first, then helps build strategies that fit everyday life. Anita pays attention to how grief, guilt, or caregiver stress affect routines and relationships. She helps people identify actions that can ease mood and reduce recurring anger or anxiety.

Her base is Michigan and she works with English-speaking people, including international clients. To begin, readers are invited to use the site Start Therapy flow to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a session according to availability.

Approaches that translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters most and take small steps toward those values even when emotions are strong. It is useful for anxiety, grief, anger, and life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through practical exercises and skill building. It often helps with mood disorders, anxiety, and recurring anger. Mindfulness-based ideas encourage paying attention to the present moment and using simple practices to reduce reactivity and increase emotional regulation.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, life demands, and preferences. That may mean trying a values-based ACT exercise one week and a CBT skill the next, then adjusting as progress and feedback guide the plan.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are offered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, shorten travel time, and allow check-ins between appointments. Some formats can also be quieter or require less bandwidth, which helps when schedules are tight or energy is limited.