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ABOUT DR. ANNABELLE KYLE DORTCH

ANXIETY & TRAUMA THERAPIST IN CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK

My name is Dr. Annabelle Kyle Dortch and I am a licensed psychologist providing telehealth virtual therapy to clients living in New York and California. I specialize in helping adults and young adults navigate anxiety, stress management, life transitions & the impacts of trauma.

Utilizing techniques from Relational Psychodynamic Theory, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Somatic Theory, and Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), each individual therapy session is always tailored to you, your needs, and goals.

If what you read throughout my website resonates with you, text or email me and we will set up a time for an initial consultation!

Learn more about my background and approach to therapy

Meet Dr. Annabelle Kyle Dortch

FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM

A Note About My Instagram Profile: My public, professional Instagram page is aimed at providing education and insights into psychological concepts that impact our human experiences. It is not intended to be used as therapy or to confirm a psychological diagnosis.

To my current and former clients, you are more than welcome to follow this page! But please be aware that engaging with my content (ex. liking or commenting on posts) can potentially compromise your confidentiality and privacy. Additionally, as Instagram is not a secure site, I will not be communicating with current or former clients via direct messages.

Every session is so different based on presenting concern/ goals/ preferences/ personality of the client, but here is an inside look on some things I have literally said this week✨

#mentalhealth #therapy #therapist #therapistofinstagram #losangelestherapist #nyctherapist #anxietysupport #internalfamilysystems #relationaltherapy

Hydration: 1) The brain functions most effectively when the body is hydrated. 2) When we are dehydrated, our heart rate increases & if you run a bit anxious, the physical marker of an increased heart rate can begin the feedback loop of: “omg no, your heart rate is up which means your anxious….what are we anxious about? oh right, we are anxious about being anxious”

Journaling: Doing a morning brain dump to externalize thoughts is such a supportive ritual for me. It really helps me observe my experience without grasping onto it so tightly.

Regular food intake: The brain works best when the body is intaking food in a way that keeps blood sugar stable. I think we all have felt the impact of low blood sugar on our mood & anxiety levels, it’s not pretty.

Movement: Part of what happens during anxiety is an increased production of cortisol & adrenaline which provides energy to deal with a threat (literal or perceived). Moving the body is essential in metabolizing & recovering from being in a stress response. Trying to go straight slow/ horizontal rest is almost impossible without incorporating some time of release for the anxious energy (even if you are feeling tired-wired).

Magnesium before bed: I’m not a medical doctor so don’t take magnesium just because I do, but it really helps my mind body system move towards a rest & digest/ stress recovery zone before bed.

Consistent bed time: The body will begin to register regular rituals as safety & consistency, allowing for rest & higher quality sleep. To tolerate discomfort and anxiety, the body needs to be resourced with sleep!

Psychotherapy: bc well, yeah of course

Avoid over-scheduling: I take my rest & recovery time just as seriously as my work/ connecting w/ friends & family

Decrease my sphere of influence: When I feel anxious I start outsourcing opinions & decisions based on others. In today’s world there is so much noise/ info/ opinions being shared 24/7. Taking stock of what media I’m consuming/ who I’m following/ who’s voices I am listening to is essential when I’m trying to ground in & assess what I am feeling/ thinking/ needing

#anxiety #anxietysupport #anxietyrelief #therapistofinstagram

Self Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself

Attachment: The New Science of Adult Attachment And How It Can Help You Find And Keep Love

Widen The Window: Training Your Brain And Body To Thrive During Stress And Recover From Trauma

Happy reading! 📚

#mentalhealth #therapy #psychoeducation #bookstagram #therapybooks

And by ‘out self-care’ I mean adding journaling/ a rushed meditation/ cramming in another self-help book to try and optimize yourself so you can do more with less.

Sometimes the deepest form of self-care is recognizing our limits, reaching for support, and engaging in stress recovery.

And honestly sometimes the “less is more” approach is what is needed when it comes to self-improvement & self care — allowing SPACE to experience a moment that is not filled with urgency.

This is a huge part of stress recovery. And the cool thing about engaging in stress recovery: it’s not about avoiding stress, it actually helps BUILD the capacity & flexibility needed to engage more effectively with stress.

There are costs to trying to do everything all the time without breaks or support from your community (ex. the tired and wired-hypervigilant-burnout pipeline). Recovery takes time and consistency, but it is possible.

If you are in the midst of renegotiating your relationship with stress, I SEE YOU ❤️‍🩹

#mentalhealth #stress #stressmanagement #stressrecovery #selfcare #burnout

I temporarily forgot what an absolute Brandenburg 3 is?! Music is magic and can absolutely help get you move through nervous system states 💃🏻 (also my already wild movements are slightly offbeat because my version of the piece was a few BPMs slower than this lolll)

#mentalhealth #therapytiktok #therapistsofinstagram #classicalmusic #brandenburg

A peak into sessions🧠🫀🤘🏽

#mentalhealth #therapy #therapistsofinstagram #therapistsofig #losangelestherapist #losangeles #newyorktherapist

‘Trauma bond’ and ‘trauma bonding’ has been a hot button word over the past couple years, let’s talk about it.

Shared trauma: having a specific or general shared experience of trauma with another person or group of people

Trauma bond: the intense emotional attachment that develops between a receiver of relational abuse & their abuser

#traumabond #traumabonding #yellowjackets #abusiverelationship #psychology

And sometimes it takes a looonggg time to build that sturdy, safe rapport to do this kind of work, but to the people concerned about therapists enabling harmful behavior, this is typically what is happening in therapy 🤘🏽

#mentalhealth #therapy #therapist #therapistsofinstagram #losangelestherapist #newyorktherapist #defenses #partswork

I finally have space in my weekly schedule for a couple new clients🙌🏽 Text or email me to set up a free 15 minute phone consultation so we can chat and see if we would be a good fit. Looking forward to meeting you! 🧠🫀

#nyctherapist #losangelestherapist #anxiety #anxietysupport #stress #stressmanagement #trauma #traumarecovery #relationaltherapy #selfcompassion #therapy #emdr #emdrtherapy

Do you feel the difference between these responses to emotion activation/ shutdown?

“Oh no, this is bad!! How do I get out of this?!”

and

“Okay I’m noticing X. What does this mean about my internal experience and what I might need?”

Responding to ourselves with curiosity, compassion, and sturdiness helps us 1) identify and access what we need to move through the dysregulation & 2) learn that being dysregulated does not have to be dangerous (of course it can be in extremes, but this is part of what we are moving away from by doing this)

And sometimes the answer to the question will include something specific like deep breathing, grounding into your 5 senses, slowing down, co-regulation, taking a break from a conversation, holding something cold, moving your body etc. And sometimes it might simply be acknowledging and witnessing the nervous system rise or fall, and return to somewhere closer to baseline.

Dysregulation is a human experience. Our relationship to it contributes to the extremeness or ‘stuckness’ of it🫀🧠

#therapy #losangelestherapist #losangeles #anxiety #trauma #nervoussystem #selfcompassion #emdr #emotionregulation #dysregulation

Recent moments of contentment/ joy/ connection:

- Eating Taco Bell in the car (black bean crunch wrap supreme 🤤)
- Art gallery hopping w/ a long-time friend 🖼️
- A cute LA afternoon 💜
- Fries 🍟
- Finishing The Gifts of Imperfection 📚
- These animal themed bandaids after getting vaccines for upcoming travel 🌍
- Rooftop sushi & chats sushi 🍣
- Repotting plant bbs 🪴

#mentalhealth #glimmers #losangelestherapist #losangeles #therapistsofinstagram

Of course therapists are human and have initial reactions and biases etc. This is not negating that. But more so emphasizing that your therapist is FOR you. (Or they should be… if you consistently feel missed or judged by your therapist, you absolutely can end that relationship and find a new therapist).

However, if you feel safe enough with your therapist, sharing your experience of feeling judged can be a wonderful way of 1) adding transparency & trust to the connection and 2) exploring the stories attached to your experience of judgement 🫶🏽

#mentalhealth #therapy #therapistsofinstagram #losangelestherapist

Gentle reminder: You don’t have to be chronically available to be a kind person or a good friend 🫶🏽

#mentalhealth #relationships #stressmanagement #stressrecovery #peoplepleasing #peoplepleaser

Whatever you are doing will likely be easier if you 1) take a quick stretch break 2) drink some water 3) speak kindly to yourself 4) listen to ABBA (okay that last one might be a personal preference)

#mentalhealth #workfromhome #wfh #stressmanagement #abba #losangeles

Co-regulating is essentially joining the calm of someone else’s nervous system.

👉🏽We often do this with friends/ partners/ loved ones, but did you know pets can be incredible beings to co-regulate with? They are so in tune with their own bodies and the present moment (partly because they don’t have the metacognition that humans do which gets us thinking about thinking— and sometimes disconnected from our own bodies).

🧠 Sitting next to or holding a pet, noticing and feeling their steady breathing, enjoying them enjoying you = nervous system support, serotonin (happiness), & oxytocin (connection)

🫶🏽So, if you’re needing a moment of grounding, enjoy this video of me giving Doug a couple pets as he naps in the sun☀️

#mentalhealth #coregulation #catsofinstagram #cats #stressmanagement #anxietyrelief

Depending on the day or topic, I have absolutely said each of these things to my own therapist🙃

And ‘going at your pace’ doesn’t mean you will never be challenged in therapy. On the contrary, this means that the client and therapist will explore what the cautious, protective parts need to safely move forward towards growth & healing.

#mentalhealth #therapy #therapistsofinstagram #growthmindset #losangelestherapist #losangeles

Wishing you the Sunday you need 🫶🏽

#sunday #sundayreset #mentalhealth #losangeles #losangelestherapist

I say this not from a place of “I’ve made it”, but specifically so beginning therapists hear this from someone just a few years ahead.

I’m roughly 5 years out from completing my 5 year doctorate program, I’m not someone with 30 years of therapy experience! So consider this a note from your therapy big sister, I promise you it gets better! 🫶🏽

#mentalhealth #therapy #therapistsofinstagram #impostersyndrome #growthmindset #newtherapist

For anyone (probably all humans lol) who needs a little supportive navigating romantic/ platonic/ or familial rejection no matter how big or ‘small’ 🫀🧠

📷 @jacksondavisphoto

#mentalhealth #rejection #relationships #selfcompassion #growthmindset #therapistsofinstagram #losangeles

And is this reality comforting or freeing or sad? Yes.

(Also, although we don’t have super marked seasons in LA, the transitional time of late winter/ early spring is pretty special)

#mentalhealth #radicalacceptance #everythingistemporary #seasons #losangeles

Recent Glimmers (& a couple pics of them).

(Also, finding and leaning into glimmers is not a way of turning a blind eye to the whacky devastation of what’s going on around us…glimmers are the reorienting tethers we hold onto while navigating the tough stuff)

#glimmers #grounding #anxietyrelief #anxietysupport #mentalhealth #therapistsofinstagram

I know I’m not the only one!!

And while sometimes I might ask for a preview for the convo (depending on the relationship and the situation so I can gauge when I have the bandwidth for whatever kind of conversation it is), sometimes I just practice acknowledging & tolerating (which often looks like: *deep breath* “Okay woof this feels hard and I feel anxious. It makes so much sense why I lean towards feeling like I’m in trouble” *deep breath* “I know that I am capable of having conversations even if they are difficult” *more grounding with a tangible sensory oriented activity or task*).

#mentalhealth #nyctherapist #losangelestherapist #anxiety #anxietyrecovery #selfcompassion

Truly my favorite perk about working from home! 🐈

Wishing you a moment of co-regulation or comfort today🫶🏽

#workfromhome #wfh #virtualtherapy #teletherapy #losangelestherapist #newyorktherapist #catsofinstagram #coregulation #comfort

This is your gentle reminder to create time for a lunch break, even if it’s a short one. Your mind-body system will be so grateful you did🧠🫀

#mentalhealth #lunchbreak #stress #stressmanagement #stressrelief #stressrecovery #brainhealth #losangelestherapist #newyorktherapist

The attunement/ safety/ growth that can happen in therapy is pretty special, and I love the way it especially comes together when a client and I are using EMDR💃🏻

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) is an evidence based therapy treatment consisting of 8 specific phases originally designed for treating trauma, anxiety, phobias, & depression. We now know that it’s also effective for reprocessing difficult/ charged memories related to pervasive thought patterns/ internalized limiting beliefs/ etc.

It is not the ‘best’ or ‘only’ way to do therapy, but it’s worth checking out if you are feeling stuck in talk therapy on just curious!

#mentalhealth #therapy #emdr #emdrtherapy #therapistsofinstagram #losangelestherapist

I’m not making this up, blame psychological science and research. Self-compassion forever💃🏻

#psychology #mentalhealth #selfcriticism #selfcompassion #growthmindset #therapistsofinstagram

Save this post if you need some support shifting out of stress/ autopilot/ work mode mode today.

🧠🫀Consistently returning to your internal
experience in a reflective way is a practice that does require gentle, persistent intention, but I promise it eventually becomes easier and more natural over time!

#mentalhealth #mindfulness #therapistsofinstagram #losangelestherapist #newyorktherapist #stressmanagement #worklifebalance

Recent moments of contentment & comfort:

- Peanut butter honey toast/ reading
- A slow rainy day
- Another incredible facial by @modskinla
- Doug snuggles
- Reconnecting with music

#mentalhealth #instagramtherapist #losangelestherapist #newyorktherapist #selfcare #stressmanagement #glimmer #glimmers

Each of these reasons takes courage & vulnerability. I see you and you deserve support! 🫀🧠

#mentalhealth #therapy #therapistsofinstagram #losangelestherapist #newyorktherapist #losangeles #growthmindset

If you are deeply self-aware, have read all the self help books, and can write a dissertation on why you are the way you are.... There is room for you in therapy too 🫀🧠

#nyctherapist #losangelestherapist #selfawareness #selfcompassion #therapy #emdr #growthmindset #selfhelp #losangeles

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CONTACT ME

If you're interested in connecting with me for a free 15 minute consultation, you can call me (please leave a voicemail if I am unable to answer the phone), text, or email me. I am looking forward to talking with you!

PHONE

213-537-3450

E-MAIL

annabelle@drkyledortch.com

ADDRESS

All therapy sessions are conducted virtually through teletherapy

Hi There and Welcome! I'm glad you're here.

ABOUT DR. ANNABELLE KYLE DORTCH

ANXIETY & TRAUMA THERAPIST IN CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK

FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM

​

CONTACT ME

Hi There and Welcome!
I'm glad you're here.