Services:

I identify as a parent seeking support
I identify as a parent seeking support
I identify as an adult who wants support & answers
I identify as an adult who wants support & answers
I identify as an educator, therapist, clinician, or organization
I identify as an educator, therapist, clinician, or organization

Hi, I’m Annie Chen—

Trauma-Informed Behavior Analyst, Consultant, & Therapeutic Coach

I know what it’s like to search for answers, to feel lost in complex systems, and to wonder which path will actually bring sustainable change to your life, work, and relationships.

Whether you are an individual navigating your own well-being, a parent supporting a neurodivergent child, or a professional looking to bring trauma-informed practices into your organization or ABA practice—you don’t have to figure it out alone.

I help individuals, families, and helping professionals prevent burnout and navigate the deeply felt effects of stress, trauma, and emotional overwhelm.

Shifting the Perspective

When we are stuck in cycles of stress, it’s easy to feel like our environment, our workplaces, or our relationships are entirely dictating our well-being. But chronic stress and trauma can cloud our sense of agency.

My focus is on helping you develop a deep awareness of your internal patterns, understand the root causes of stress, and build practical tools for emotional and physiological balance. Together, we move away from just managing surface symptoms and focus on true, values-aligned healing.

Who I Partner With

I provide compassionate, neurodiversity-affirming support and consultation for:

  • Individuals & Neurodivergent Adults who feel stuck, burnt out, or disconnected from their authentic selves, and are looking for practical life skills (communication, executive functioning, stress management) tailored to how their brains actually work.

  • Parents & Families who want a safe space to understand their loved ones, build deeply connected relationships, and move away from cycles of overwhelm and self-blame.

  • ABA Practitioners & Helping Professionals seeking mentorship, consultation, and advanced training in trauma-informed care and ACT-based (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) approaches.

  • Schools & Organizations looking for impactful workshops and systemic training to cultivate environments where everyone can thrive.

This Space is For You If You...

  • Feel emotionally or physically depleted by the demands of your daily life or profession.

  • Have tried traditional therapy, medical routes, or self-help, but haven't found the lasting relief or personalized answers you need.

  • Suspect that unresolved trauma, nervous system dysregulation, or unmet neurodivergent needs are holding you back.

  • Want a safe, non-judgmental space to understand yourself and the people you support.

What We Will Build Together

I guide you to transform emotional confusion into clarity and practical action. Depending on your goals, our work focuses on helping you:

  • Understand the Root Causes: Look beneath the surface of behaviors and symptoms to address what your nervous system truly needs.

  • Cultivate Safe Connections: Create relationships—at home, school, or work—that feel meaningful, safe, and collaborative.

  • Prevent Burnout: Transform your relationship with stress and develop sustainable coping strategies that honor your capacity.

  • Lead with Values: Reconnect with your authentic self and build healthy, sustainable habits aligned with what matters most to you.

  • Master Essential Life Skills: Develop practical tools for communication, conflict resolution, and emotional regulation that you may have never been explicitly taught..

Ready to take the next step?
Click a service below. Explore free education, reflections, and mini-lessons on holistic health and trauma recovery on her blog or on Youtube. If you are an ABA practitioner, gain more mini lessons on her Instagram. Anyone who has worked with Annie also receives bonus access to her resource library (password protected).

In-person and remote options

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

Please refer to FAQ section of the page to learn more

 
 

Services:

I identify as a parent seeking support
I identify as a parent seeking support
I identify as an adult who wants support & answers
I identify as an adult who wants support & answers
I identify as an educator, therapist, clinician, or organization
I identify as an educator, therapist, clinician, or organization

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 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

  • "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

  • “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

  • "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

  • "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

  • “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 of “Offering Safety Activity Packet”

  • "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

  • "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

  • "This session was extremely therapeutic for me, whether or not that was the intention. I find myself constantly filling any "down time" with what I determine to "productive". Hearing about the shared experiences from other BCBA's and the presentation that explained in depth about all of the feelings we have and the intrusive thoughts were all so helpful. Knowing I'm not alone in my day-to-day tendencies, thoughts, or stress is great.. but it also makes me sad for us in the field. How do we change it? How can we make the career we've chosen, this incredibly needed and important work we do every day, how do we make it more tolerable? Doable? Functional? I love what I do, but what I do does not always love me back. Thank you for this important session."

    -BCBA Learner from “Managing Perfectionism To Prevent Burnout”

  • "“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 of “Offering Safety Activity Packet”

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

    -CEU Learner from “Creating Trauma-Informed BIP’s”

  • "This course encouraged a lot of self-reflection, which really gives me the opportunity to "test drive" the methodologies and strategies before implementing them with others. It relates closely with my training in ACT, and it's very practical. I feel as though I could confidently teach what I've learned to others. This course has motivated me to dive deeper into becoming certified in clinical trauma and empowered me to feel confident in what I already know and value.

    BCBA Learner – “Beyond Behaviors: A Trauma-Informed Lens”

  • "I love how you explained the 5 pillars of trauma informed care. I did not know there were 5 specific pillars and I think it's so important to be aware as BCBAs that a lot of our population we work deals with trauma."

    BCBA Learner – “Beyond Behaviors: A Trauma-Informed Lens”

  • "I was looking into non-traditional CEUs and how we can apply Behavior Analysis outside the Autism field and I thoroughly enjoyed how this course does still connect to our “typical” clientele but also with other clientele as well"

    BCBA Learner – “Beyond Behaviors: A Trauma-Informed Lens”

  • I loved Module 3 about Emotions, Regulation, and Resiliency. I appreciate you outlining how to actually measure emotional success, because we often don't have a clear or efficient measure for this type of work in ABA. Generally, the question/reflection prompts helped me dive deeper. I found the visuals to be a very effective permanent product that I could use in the future.

    BCBA Learner – “Beyond Behaviors: A Trauma-Informed Lens”

  • Annie is a great speaker! Actually, I wish we had more time scheduled for it; She did a great job presenting the material, and I really enjoyed the mediation exercise; Annie did a wonderful job making everything easy to understand and engaging.

    -Feedback from Parent-Teacher Workshop

Ready to unlearn what’s been holding you back?
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