Hannah Baylon, MSSW - Wellness Coach

I am a private practice wellness coach serving clients in Austin, Texas, as well as online. I specialize in working with adults and adolescents seeking help coping with intrusive thoughts that commonly occur in obsessive-complusive disorder (OCD), performance anxiety, perfectionism, maladaptive worry, social anxiety, depression, toxic relationships, post-traumatic stress, and complicated grief. I also offer support with other concern areas that affect mood and functioning, including body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, career struggles, spiritual crises, and challenges related to marginalized identities and systemic oppression dynamics (e.g. LGBTQIA+, race/ethnicity, disability, neurodiversity, immigrant status). When we are plagued by intrusive thoughts, we’re not just overwhelmed - the essence of life itself can begin to feel monotonous, draining, and heavy. My goal is to help clients reconnect with their true selves and reclaim the right to have a mind free to obsess over things they actually find interesting and life-enhancing!

Healing ApproACH

I meet each client where they're at, bringing a lens of compassion, nonjudgment, mutuality, and deep respect for individual experience into each session. My approach is grounded in an understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of suffering, as well as the science of what makes healing possible. I believe that empathic connection is the foundation of healing from all types of mental and emotional pain. I prioritize forming strong connections with each client I work with, offering information and tangible skill-building techniques from the very first session. I incorporate a thorough assessment of co-occurring variables like sensory dysregulation, environmental conditions such as systemic oppression, history of attachment-based and other traumatic experiences, etc. in order to establish an individualized plan for combating OCD and other concern areas.

My training in therapeutic modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), accelerated experiential dynamic psychotherapy (AEDP), and internal family systems therapy (IFS) enables me to teach clients the skills needed to combat intrusive thoughts, conquer limiting beliefs, shift unhelpful behavior patterns, and rewire neural pathways associated with emotional suffering. As someone who lives with OCD and ADHD myself (with a history of anxiety and depression), I know firsthand how powerful various therapeutic techniques can be. Healing is possible!

Prior to opening my coaching practice in 2020, I worked as a licensed therapist in a group practice, specializing in treating OCD and anxiety disorders. Before earning my master’s degree, I worked with people struggling with severe OCD, anxiety, PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, ADHD, and personality disorders across a variety of settings from 2015-2019.

Personal experiences facing oppression as both a client and a provider within the mental health field have informed my perspective on anti-oppressive practices being fundamental for healing. I identify as a cisgender, queer, neuroatypical white woman. I feel particularly drawn to work with people with marginalized identities, and prioritize continually reflecting on ways in which my privileged identities leave me susceptible to unconsciously harming someone with societally disadvantaged identities that differ from my own. It's been an honor to work with a wide variety of diverse clients over the years, and feedback from people who identify as refugees, first generation immigrants, transgender, &/or people of color have affirmed my belief that healers committed to practicing humility, self-reflection, and openness to feedback can transcend difference. OCD is not always a negative thing ~ I've found that my Harm OCD involving fears of inadvertently causing harm to clients and people with marginalized identities is a powerful motivator for developing practices that minimize the chances of unconsciously causing harm to those I seek to help.

If you resonate with my approach, I hope you’ll reach out to schedule a free 15 minute consultation or an intake session. Things can be better! You are deserving of healing.

Education

Education: Master of Science in Social Work, University of Texas at Austin, 2019
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Washington State University, 2008

DISCLAIMER: Wellness coaching is not intended to serve as a replacement for medical or mental health treatment. My sessions are offered as one component of your holistic plan for wellness and self-empowerment.