Anne C. Totero, LMFT

Anne C. Totero, LMFT Author | Therapist | Educator | Podcaster | ADHD Expert | Relational Expert | All Posts Educational ONLY.
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04/22/2026

Oh I’m ready for the unsolicited advice, fatphobia and myth busting by people who know everything about not much. Especially since I’ve already lost 300lbs, am successful in my career and live a full life of love. Exposure work is a joke, this does not assume care or role. Educational only. Mind your own p’s and q’s.

Yes. I’m posting this a few weeks early because we need to start promoting 2026. I started this national holiday with ...
04/21/2026

Yes. I’m posting this a few weeks early because we need to start promoting 2026. I started this national holiday with crowd funding in 2020 and by 2022 it’s proclaimed in Wisconsin by . Thank you for your contribution to care.

Date: May 12th every year

Read more: https://www.annectotero.com/mental-health-provider-appreciation-day

Hello, all!I am a seasoned therapist who has been licensed for 10 years with 20 years in academic healthcare. I speciali...
04/20/2026

Hello, all!

I am a seasoned therapist who has been licensed for 10 years with 20 years in academic healthcare. I specialize in ADHD (ADHD-CCSP) and relationships (LMFT). I am a clinical educator and AAMFT Approved Supervisor.

If you are in Wisconsin or Illinois and looking for an ADHD Specialist for individual, couples or family work - please take a gander at my website annectotero.com and content.

Starting in June 2026, I will be accepting new referrals with my new employer on the Wisconsin/Illinois border. I am leaving my position at UW Health/UW-Madison by June 2026 so this is opening the new door. It has been a long time (7 years) since I have been able to accept new clients.

https://www.annectotero.com/psychotherapy .. will have more information you're needing to refer. Virtual care is accessible in Wisconsin and Illinois as I am licensed in both. In-person care will be in Northbrook, Illinois.

What sets me apart: I have both lived and extensive professional experience in the field of ADHD and Executive Functioning (EF) including a ADHD-CCSP, a formal certification which I have to upkeep my continuing education. I am a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) and AAMFT Approved Supervisor which means my entire degree is focused on relationships and the impact they have on our everyday living. I also teach and mentor future LMFTs and Supervisors as an educator in formal university settings. I have lived experience with ADHD and being diagnosed as an adult and understanding from a real place.

Evolve and heal on, my friends.

04/20/2026

There is a difference between practice guidelines and clinical guidelines. These are also separate from standards of care and ethical standards.

Standards are mandatory.

Guidelines are aspirational in nature and outline goals.

This is a topic to bring back to your supervision if you're an IT, colleagues if you're licensed, or your management teams to discuss how this is

04/20/2026

I will advocate and educate on topics that promote retention in the healthcare field. This does not include encouraging loyalty to a singular company.

The reason? Times have changed.

Longevity, experience, and age are not valued the same way they used to be. It is no longer a protective factor. It is perceived as liability.

💵 Cost --> Instead of paying candidates and current employees their worth, they're "too expensive" or you lowball an offer.
🧳 Experience --> Instead of well-traveled and knowledgeable, they are perceived as being "stuck in their ways" or difficult to adapt to change.
#️⃣ Age --> Instead of the benefit of diversity, they are perceived as closer to leaving than staying.

This is a structural shift in healthcare. Today, I don't just advocate for my peers in behavioral health. This is for all healthcare providers. Healthcare used to value depth and continuity. Now it values perceived efficiency and scalability.

An excellent candidate or employee now receive AI-generated emails noting they have sought out other options.

Healthcare administrators, insurance companies, and board members, I will remind you: Your individual clients and trainees are looking for the very people you're pushing out, not hiring, or losing out on hiring because of these infrastructure issues. I hope you consider this in your next strategic plan.

04/20/2026

Your mental health diagnosis is not your personality.
Your mental health diagnosis is not your identity.
Your mental health diagnosis is not a crutch.
Your mental health diagnosis is not a superpower.

Reducing stigma, for me as someone who has overcome and worked in healthcare for twenty years, means you talk about the reality of medical conditions.

We don’t have to paint them into mosaics with protective lacquer on them. We don’t have to sell that painting for more than its worth.

There’s a culture right now where many think if we overcompensate and overvalue, we think we’re healing a system or solving a problem. Instead of spending time facing the reality of the situation.

The only thing that has healed me deeply has been two things. One is personal and not for professional spaces. The other is facing the reality.

04/20/2026

Companies that do not prioritize their employees, do not prioritize their patients. Reason? It's not possible.

04/20/2026

Let’s talk about informed consent as a therapist for a few minutes.

It’s ethical.
It’s a legal requirement.
It’s to protect the patient.
It’s to protect the clinician.

It’s making sure your patient fully understands what they’re agreeing to before they start care.

It’s not just a signed document and discussion at the beginning of treatment. It’s an ongoing conversation. You’re telling your patient that this is voluntary and they can ask questions, seek to understand at any time in their time with you.

This isn’t a time to be vague.
Clear, concise and careful communication.

04/20/2026

I read, "My therapy office is your oasis." Not to new clients. It's a haunted house without the paid actors.

We assume people know what we know when it comes to therapy.
We assume most have watched movies and social media, talked to someone about their experience with a therapist.
We assume they have been to a therapist before.

Assumptions will be our greatest mistakes as behavioral health clinicians.

You cannot expect clients to know what you know.
You cannot expect families of clients to know what you know.
You cannot expect students to know what you know.
You cannot expect supervisees to know what you know.
You cannot expect mentees to know what you know.

Intelligence and development are two different things, and that is true across the life span. Slow down and spend your first session understanding where they are in their therapy journey. Whether therapy is novel or not, YOU are novel to their nervous system.

Things to consider for this Monday, April 20, 2026.

Evolve and heal on, colleagues.

04/20/2026

I feel by Pink encompasses what this work is and that’s a haunted house we have to explore for families. It’s novel. and wounds are handled with care, consideration and lots of calling out.

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Licensed In Wisconsin And
Madison, WI
53158

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