Trauma-Informed Coach & Educator

Hi, I’m Annie Chen — a holistic behavior analyst and trauma breath coach with 11 years of experience. I know what it’s like to search for answers, to feel lost in the healthcare system, and to wonder which path will actually bring healing and change for yourself and those you love.

That’s why my work is focused on helping you cut through the confusion, uncover the root of what’s keeping you stuck, and finally get the clarity you need to move forward. Together, we’ll get to the answers your mind and body have been asking for, so you can stop spinning your wheels and start creating real, lasting change.

My mission is simple: to empower you with the knowledge, tools, and direction that bring your next chapter into focus — and make it possible to live with more ease, resilience, and alignment.

I help people who…

  • Feel stuck, overwhelmed, or burnt out — emotionally, physically, or both.

  • Struggle to connect with their loved ones and feel hopeless, lost, or lonely.

  • Have chronic symptoms or emotional patterns they can’t explain.

  • Have tried therapy, doctors, or self-help, but haven’t received lasting relief or the answers they need.

  • Suspect unresolved trauma, neurodivergence, or old habits keeping them in survival mode.

  • Lack healthy coping skills because they were never taught how to deal with emotions like anger.

  • Want a safe, compassionate space to finally understand themselves and make sustainable changes.

I guide you to…

  • Understand the root causes of your struggles instead of just treating surface symptoms.

  • Create relationships that feel safe, meaningful, and connected.

  • Feel safe enough to explore and regulate your emotions.

  • Build healthy habits and coping skills that create real change.

  • Reconnect with your authentic self and values.

  • Experience relief from cycles of burnout, self-blame, or emotional confusion.

  • Move from confusion and frustration → clarity, capacity, and self-trust.

Ready to take the next step?
I offer 1:1 coaching programs, one time consultations, and workshops/events to help people unlearn generational patterns and step into a more meaningful life. Learning to heal starts with learning the why. Follow along my journey by joining my Instagram community or explore free education, reflections, and mini-lessons on holistic health and trauma recovery in my blog section.

In-person and remote options

Behavioral Roots is located in San Francisco, CA. Service locations can be in person or remote telehealth.

Please refer to FAQ section of the page to learn more

 
 

Choose Your Identity:

Testimonials & Reviews

  • “Behavior Roots behavior coaching is exactly what I’ve been needing. Annie’s character and credentials as a behavior analyst make a huge difference in terms of the quality/results compared to any other service I’ve received before. A few months ago, I was stuck in a cycle of anxiety and felt controlled by my emotions. All the opinions and noise from social media and people around me didn’t help either. I have already been going to a professional counselor, but needed help in making daily, practical steps forward. Then, I found Annie. I appreciate how Annie took the time to get to know me, my past experiences, and preferences during our first session. I believe her attentiveness from that first session is what fostered our follow-up sessions to work out so well. Every time we meet, I come out learning evidence-based tools that help me to respond to my emotions. I am the type of person that struggles with consistency, gets discouraged by my shortcomings, and gives up rather quickly. Annie’s coaching has helped me to pace myself and grow in both the short and long term. I am glad to say that I respond to my anxiety healthier, have more clarity, and no longer dread the future. I am truly thankful to have come across such a warm and knowledgeable behavior analyst/coach like Annie.”

    -Yeji Ock, coaching client

  • "Annie’s online breathwork course was not only informative but practical. She taught us many useful types of breathing depending on the situation, giving both background on the topic as well as time to practice during the class. I’ve been able to use the knowledge I’ve gained from this course to help with anxiety and stressful situations in my daily life. Highly recommend!"

    -Hey Play Time, Breath Workshop attendee

  • “Annie from Behavior Roots has been a wonderful asset to my mental health. Thanks to her coaching style and encouragement I have made big improvements in my mental health and well-being. I did a breathwork course with her and it has taught me a lot about learning my cues and given me tools to help me. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to give behavioral coaching a try”

    -Joe Ho, Breath Workshop attendee

  • "I highly recommend Annie and her content. She has great knowledge of trauma and ABA and shares it in an accessible way. I've done many trauma informed care CEUs and am certified as a trauma and resilience specialist, but Annie's training was one of the best that I've encountered. She reviews evidence based strategies and tools, and also gives real-life examples and actionable steps that correspond to them. I left her training with notes of how I can implement these in practice the next day. I highly recommend her expertise!"

    -Julie Thomas, CEU Learner

  • “Being a parent of an autistic child living in the US, I had an opportunity to do ABA parent training before. The six weeks training by Annie was by far the best ABA parent training I've ever received. She was very patient and well understood even with parent who speak English as their second or third language. Mrs. Annie Chen, thank you for your time and for the lessons you gave us! Most of these parents living in Africa couldn't afford to pay for this training. May God bless you abundantly. You're the best!.”

    -Dina Lagrone, parent workshop

  • "I have been taught from different people about behavior management and didn't understand from the beginning to the end but through Behavior roots organization I have come to understand more about autism, mentalism, functions behavior, communications, reinforcement vs punishment. The materials are simple to understand with a lot of example and now I can stand before people and testify that I have learned a lot. I wish I could have more time to learn because every session i joined I learned a lot of new things which are simple to learn and very helpful to my son as a parent with a child with Autism. The organization also assisted us with monetary situation since we were suppose to pay a lot of money but she was there to help the parents, specialists, caregivers who are from Tanzania and Uganda. She gave her time and energy to support us. We are speechless for that and we pray for the best our heart is full of joy. Annie was always patient, understanding and there to help. We had a six week session but she always understood the parents. We have a lot of things that are not tolerable to most of people but she accepted us as as we were.”

    -Shangwe Isaac Mgaya, Founder of Li-TAFO, parent workshop

  • "I wanted to take a moment to send my deepest thanks for the outstanding presentation you delivered to our group of Autism teachers. The feedback we received afterward has been nothing short of extraordinary! The teachers were absolutely inspired, and your insights truly sparked a deeper understanding of their students. It was clear from the reflections shared that your presentation not only resonated with them but ignited a genuine curiosity to explore more and expand their knowledge. The way you brought fresh perspectives in an easily digestible way to the table left a lasting impact, and many of our teachers mentioned how your approach gave them new thought and ideas to explore further in their classrooms. It's rare that a session has such a profound and positive effect, and your ability to connect with the group and engage them in such meaningful ways was evident from the start (even virtually). We are incredibly grateful for the time, energy, and passion you brought to the presentation. Thank you again for sharing your expertise—it truly made a difference!"

    -Feedback from a Teacher Training

  • “Annie does an excellent job breaking down key concepts, providing examples of these concepts, and providing practice questions in her training packet "Offering Safety to Children and Adolescents: A Trauma-Informed Perspective Level 1." It is a great resource for clinicians to utilize with supervisees, children, adolescents, and caregivers!”

    -Product Purchaser

  • "“This is a helpful resource for BCBAs tasked with navigating the world of trauma informed care while staying focused on current environmental factors that we can change to improve the lives of clients.”

    -Product purchaser

  • "Annie has with her knowledge and competence, changed my son’s life. When you’re a parent to an autistic child, things aren’t as easy as you wish It could be. Everyday life can feel like a minefield. With Annie’s compassion and help, we as a family have tools to work with. We also have a much bigger understanding for behaviors and where they stem from. All of this was completely unfamiliar to us if it weren’t from the help from Behavior Roots. Thank you so much💫 It has helped our life on all levels."

    -Parent Client

  • "Annie was wonderful and informative as I learned about different types of breathwork for different situations. She was prepared with music and has a wonderfully soothing voice"

    -Breath Workshop attendee

  • "Loved the CEU! I learned a lot and enjoyed seeing real examples and case studies"

    -CEU Learner

  • “The training was effective and did not repeat itself, so timing was amazing. The training hit on all objectives”

    -Live CEU attendee

Ready to unlearn what’s been holding you back?
Explore trauma-informed, holistic guidance designed to meet you where you are. Your first free consultation is waiting below.