The Annex Mental Health

05/21/2026

Why Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is the Gold Standard for Treating Complex Trauma 🍃 Featuring Haley Daroowala, LMFT
Assistant Clinical Director
Complex trauma isn't just one bad event; it’s a series of events, often occurring in childhood, that creates internal chaos for those suffering. EMDR is an evidence-based modality designed to help individuals reprocess trauma they have endured, create new perspectives, and integrate memories to be supportive rather than hindering.
“At The Annex, we love doing EMDR because we are able to do deep trauma work in the container of a residential setting with confidence that clients won’t go out and wreck their lives in the process. This is important because EMDR is a regressive therapy, meaning life typically gets worse before it gets better. In outpatient settings, therapists have to factor in all of the ways that clients could be destructive, so EMDR isn’t always safe. This gives our clients a unique opportunity to do intense trauma work and experience healing that is otherwise inaccessible.” - Haley Daroowala
To read the full post 'EMDR is the Gold Standard for Treating C-PTSD' visit https://bit.ly/4tTn30u or click Sprout 🔗 in bio

By using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for treating C-PTSD, individuals are able to experience reprieve from...

05/18/2026

Congratulation on 50 years of advising students ! Friends, look for Ryan and Lauren in Baltimore! 🍃 "Since 1976, IECA has set the gold standard for ethical, professional educational advising." - Independent Educational Consultant Association

05/15/2026

Honesty With Self and Others 🍃 Integrity is the bedrock of mental health recovery. This means practicing truthful self-reflection and transparent communication. It involves admitting when you are struggling rather than pretending everything is fine and owning your part in situations—even when it feels vulnerable.
To learn more, read 'The Core 10 Framework at The Annex' at https://bit.ly/4pGrcmk or click Sprout 🔗 in bio

05/14/2026

The Annex Treats Borderline Personality Disorder 🍃 At its core, BPD is a mental health condition characterized by significant difficulty regulating emotion. This “emotional dysregulation” impacts how a person feels about themselves, how they relate to others, and how they behave in the face of stress.

Clinically, BPD is categorized by nine diagnostic criteria. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/49vZwLA or click Sprout 🔗 in bio

05/08/2026

The Annex Mental Health is ready for connection in the heart of Texas! Our very own Lauren Juvers, Ryan Young, and Anden Suárez will be attending the Lone Star Collective Conference in Austin from May 12–15.lonestarcollective is a behavioral health conference dedicated specifically to administrative and marketing professionals. The Annex is ready to dive into sessions. See you in ATX!
Learn more at https://bit.ly/4dteGUe or click Sprout 🔗 in bio

05/01/2026

Personality Disorders & Empathy 🍃 An interview with Jen Shotwell, MS, MBA, LPC, LCDC, CS, EMDR Trainer, NCC - Clinical Director
"Another reason why I love working with these clients is they don't get a lot of empathy because their coping skills hurt people. But I love coming in with empathy and being like, hey, you can't hurt people just 'cause you have this disorder, but like, I actually see it being really tough for you." - Jen
Learn more about how The Annex approaches treating personality disorders at https://bit.ly/4t63Zvi or click Sprout 🔗 in bio

04/24/2026

HIGH STRUCTURE & DIRECTNESS 🍃 People with personality disorders often benefit from the “here-and-now” focus of REBT. Unlike some therapies that spend years digging into childhood origins, REBT is psychoeducational. It gives the client a concrete toolkit to manage their current emotional volatility.
To learn more, read 'Understanding REBT: The “Logic” of Emotional Health' featuring The Annex's Miranda Hayes, MS, LPC-Associate, NCC at https://bit.ly/47eIuAx or click Sprout 🔗 in bio

04/21/2026

The Annex's Taylor Barstad and Lauren Juvers are heading to the 2026 Partners in Treatment Conference in Scottsdale, AZ!

As a platform for clinical innovation and evidence-based practice, continues to unite like-minded behavioral health providers. Taylor and Lauren are looking forward to a week of transformative camaraderie!
To learn more about the conference, visit pitconferenceaz.com or click Sprout 🔗 in bio

04/17/2026

Consistent Emotional Regulation 🍃 Regulation is a skill that can be mastered. By tracking emotions and recognizing early physical cues (like a tight chest or racing thoughts), individuals learn to stay within their “window of tolerance,” responding to life rather than reacting to it.
To learn more about The Annex and The Core Ten, visit https://bit.ly/4pGrcmk or click Sprout 🔗 in bio

04/07/2026

The Annex is headed to the 2026 TAAP Symposium!

We are so proud to have Shotwell, Young, and Juvers representing our team this week. A special shoutout to our Clinical Director, Jennifer Shotwell, who will be taking the stage this Thursday!

🎤 Presentation: Understanding the Overlap: Personality Disorders + Addiction
📅 When: Thursday, April 9th - 10:15 am

🔗 Learn more: Link in bio or visit https://bit.ly/4seFGey

04/03/2026

Jennifer Shotwell to Present Understanding the Overlap: Personality Disorders + Addiction at 2026 TAAP Symposium
The Annex Mental Health is proud to announce that its Clinical Director, Jennifer Shotwell, LPC-S, LCDC, EMDR Trainer, has been selected as a featured speaker for the upcoming 2026 TAAP Symposium. Shotwell will present a critical deep dive into the complex relationship between personality disorders and substance use disorders, offering clinical insights and practical recovery solutions.
Presentation Details 🍃
Title: Understanding the Overlap: Personality Disorders + Addiction
Date: Thursday, April 9th, 2026
Time: 10:15 AM – 11:45 AM
Location: Salon C, TAAP Symposium
Registration: www.austintaap.org
Learn more at https://bit.ly/4seFGey or click Sprout 🔗 in bio