Parenting Therapists in Forest Lake, MN

At Lakes Center for Youth & Families, we use a collaborative client-centered approach that’s designed to meet each client where they are at. Our offices provide an inviting comfortable environment and our therapists use creative strategies and evidence-based approaches to best serve our clients. We provide therapy to people of all ages, striving to equip people with the skills to heal traumas, manage symptoms, reduce stress, and improve their overall quality of life.

The headlines read : These are the worst of times (Styx,1981). At times our situations can be overwhelming and truly feel like the worst of times. Life can be painful and difficult and sometimes feels out of control. I help clients deal with a variety of “worst of times” including marital conflict, medical crisis or chronic illness, parenting issues, a difficult child/teen, anger, depression/anxiety, etc. I will help you to solve these and other issues, and work together to make lasting changes.

Hello. If you are looking for someone to support you through a difficult time, you will receive compassion, healing and wisdom from me. I specialize in helping people heal from depression, anxiety, injury, divorce, trauma and abuse. If you are interested in regaining or reaching new levels of accomplishment, I can also help. I believe we need one another to maximize our potential. We have a cutting edge collaborative team of professionals committed to assisting you with positive mind-body-spirit connection. Offering Consulting, Counseling, Biofeedback, & Mediation. We are here to help maximize your potential!

I believe in offering clients a safe, non-judging, supportive environment to work collaboratively with through struggles and challenges. I strive to build a trusting relationship with clients so that together we can explore steps to achieve inner peace.

I work with children, adolescents, and adults who are experiencing life challenges and are open to change. I strive to provide supportive, compassionate, and collaborative care. Together we will work to identify concerns and goals to help you find and establish change keeping in mind your situation and personality. Strength, resilience, and healing improve by starting wherever you are at and building on current knowledge and skills.

As you know, the therapeutic alliance or relationship you have with your therapist, is one of the most important components of successful treatment outcomes, regardless of the specific form of therapy that is employed. In other words, you need to look for a “good fit” for your specific needs, values and challenges that are before you. With that in mind, I have the following for your review. Past experiences: United States Navy, retired Minnesota State Trooper, ordained minister and adjunct faculty member at 3 different colleges. Don’t worry, I don’t give out tickets, nor make arrests, nor push my religious beliefs upon anyone.

We are all trying to live a life that has meaning and worth. When our best efforts don't work, we may become "stuck". This is where a counselor can help you interpret and re-frame the issues to chart a path to help get "UNstuck". My goal in therapy is to create a safe place to talk about the issues and work towards a solution. Maya Angelou says it best: "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution."

Run down. Overwhelmed. Weary. Stressed. Sad. Do you struggle with feeling like you are never enough? Are you constantly striving to perform perfectly and feel like you are always falling short? Do you feel like you need rest, but you don’t know how? Are you a person of faith who feels disconnected from God? Maybe you find yourself avoiding conflict and consistently put others over yourself- leaving you feeling burnt out and unappreciated. Or maybe you’re not sure what’s going on but you do know you “are over it”. You are used to feeling this way, but this does not have to be your life. I want to help you.

I help people who are stuck in painful cycles of conflict, who are ready to learn how to heal, break free and move forward. People who come to see me find that I have a keen ability to hear them from a deep-subconscious level; that I can help them become more self-aware and empowered into improving several areas of their life. More often than not, when I meet with people they feel like they have tried everything. That is why I don't believe in wasting peoples time, nor do I throw out unnecessary tools and tactics. This means that I am highly attentive to what realistically works best for you.

It takes a lot of courage to reach out for help. You may be struggling with anxiety, depression, relationships, job stress, grief, trauma related issues, chronic pain or addiction. I'm here to support you by developing a trusting relationship as you navigate the challenges of life. Being in the field for over a decade has provided me skills and insight to handle a multitude of issues. The experiences in your life are unique to you, which is why I strive to have a person-centered approach to empower you so you can reach your goal.

Canvas Health is dedicated to bringing hope, healing, and recovery to the lives of people we serve. We achieve this by helping children, adolescents, adults, and families who struggle with mental illness and substance use disorders.

We know how important it is to have options when you decide to reach out for support. As a group of clinicians invested in your wellbeing, we provide individual and group counseling to adults, children (ages 4+), families, and couples. Because we cannot determine when life stressors or increasing mental health concerns will occur, you may be able to be seen the same day of your call.

I provide compassionate care to individuals and couples who suffer emotionally. I will assist in clarifying the values that people struggle to identify and to put into action. I provide solution-focused therapy once barriers to successful living are identified. I find that a holistic, mind/body approach is essential to uncovering the solutions to life's problems. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is uniquely geared in affecting personal change and is a certified, evidence-based therapy approach.

It's helpful to have someone with whom to share our challenges. I view therapy as a sacred, yet creative partnership, focusing on personal healing and self-awareness. Therapy is also a holistic pursuit, nurturing mind, body, and spirit. As a person of faith, I am passionate about incorporating spirituality into the therapeutic process, at the discretion of the client. I conceptualize therapy from two directions: First, the work centers around building skills to regulate oneself during anxious or depressive experiencing. These skills are essential for doing the deeper work of identifying and resolving traumatic experiences.

Supportive co-exploration of emotions and patterns that often underlie mental health symptoms can increase hope, facilitate meaning and connection, and improve overall wellness. I aim to create a warm and safe environment that encourages individuals, families, and couples to identify, explore, and heal their particular areas of pain. Professional interests include trauma and attachment with an understanding of the ways the brain and nervous system, emotions, and relationships are impacted throughout the lifespan. Others include depression, anxiety, addiction, grief and loss, relational conflict, and life transitions. LGBTQIA allied.

This approach involves all of you -- body, mind and soul -- and results in increased clarity of purpose, self-awareness and effectiveness in all aspects of your life. Over and over again -- participants are profoundly impacted by this experience -- leaving with renewed commitment and focused energy toward their life goals.

I work with teens and adults, providing individual, couples, family, and group therapy. My specialties include working with the challenges of chemical dependency issues and other addictive behaviors such as shopping, eating disorders, and gambling. I help facilitate healing for people suffering from PTSD and trauma as the result of physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect. I provide an empathic and relational experience to assist with the challenging and sometimes debilitating effects of anxiety, depression, dissociation, self-harm behaviors, and chronic pain.

Are you going through a significant life transition? Perhaps you are grieving the loss of someone special, a divorce, or other relationship has changed. Maybe it is a job transition or challenges of a new family system. It could be that you are just entering the working world as a young adult, trying to keep up with the new demands. Change is difficult and whatever the transition or life challenge you are facing, you may be feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty making decisions. Perhaps you are struggling with self confidence, relationship conflicts, anxiety, depression, and other undesirable thoughts and feelings.

Life is a journey down a long winding path, through forests and meadows, filled with obstacles that can easily trip us up. Each path is unique and I enjoy walking with clients on their journey. I believe in a client-centered, strength based approach to therapy. We work together to establish goals and develop treatment plans based on your priorities and needs.