About Ann Kramer

Ann is a Licensed Professional Counselor working in Hood River, Oregon (about 45 minutes east of Portland, OR).  I've been licensed for 15 years.  

My education started with a BSW in Social work--but I quickly realized that traditional social work was too focused on the 'fix it after its broke' system. With respect that there are a lot of people in crisis out there, I still felt it was important for someone to go 'upstream' and find out why these crisis levels were so high.

That led to a lot of time invested in learning about wellness, nutrition, exercise and new information that I didn't learn in traditional schools. To this, I added a Masters in Early Childhood development--because it became apparent that many problems in adulthood start in childhood. I asked "what should be happening in childhood to enable us to be healthier as adults?" Thie eventually was incorporated into the 5 edges of the Life Puzzle.

I completed my education at the College of William and Mary with graduate and post-graduate degrees in Counseling.  But even there I was a renegade!  Unlike the traditional 'disease' model--whereby I was trained to determine what disease a client has and then work to remove the disease, I started from a different premise.  I believe that "wholeness" is the normal state of all people--and that if people come to me as a client with problems--be it depression, anxiety, eating disorder or addictions, etc.--it is because they don't yet know how to express their wholeness.  These behaviors reflect this but our time together is spent on building the 16 core areas, 5 edges that create the SELF.  If we do this effectively,  the depression, anxiety, addictions--whatever--will no longer be exhibited because they'll be living more fully.  Its a fundamentally different way to work with clients--but now with 15 years of doing it, I also know it works!

Volunteer work:

Besides my professional counseling practice (in-office and also online) and training business , I am on the board of Gorge Grown Food Network (www.gorgegrown.com).  I read to young children in elementary schools through the SMART (start making a reader today) program. 

Hobbies: I am an avid gardener.  I turned my landscaped front yard into an 'edible' front yard--growing all sorts of fruits and vegetables that are weaved throughout the bushes.  Yoga, knitting and reading are also interests that take up my free time.

I have been married 20 years and I've lived all over the country--Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Florida, Georgia, California and finally, Oregon!

Ann Kramer   
3426 Broken Tee Dr.
Hood River, OR 97031
Tel - 541-399-3066

If you would like to work with me in a counseling context either locally in Hood River or over the phone/internet, please contact me and we can schedule an appointment.

Educational background:
Bachelors Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
M.Ed. Early Childhood Development, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
M.Ed. Counseling, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
Ed. S. Counseling, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
Florida and Oregon Licensed Mental Health Counselor, National Board Certified Counselor