Parenting Therapists in Maple Grove, MN

Have you adopted a child with an FASD? Families often struggle parenting a child with a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with prenatal exposure to alcohol or other substances. Unfortunately, typical parenting strategies usually don't work leaving the parent and child feeling frustrated and hopeless. Furthermore, these children may also have trauma histories, attachment and sensory integration issues that complicate behaviors. I help parents understand the purpose of their child's behavior in order to develop accommodations that will lead to greater satisfaction and success. I provide psychoeducation, school consultations and resources to support the family's journey.

Throughout life, people face various obstacles. These obstacles may feel overwhelming and sometimes, insurmountable. Working with a therapist who is a good fit is a magnificent strength to help during these times. I work to create a safe environment to foster development of healthy communication skills and emphasize how to utilize support systems and healthy coping skills. I have experience working with adolescents in a school setting, in day treatment, in group therapy, and in an outpatient individual treatment setting. I have also worked with adults in a day treatment setting in addition to outpatient therapy.

Everyone is the hero or heroine of their own story, but sometimes life happens, and those stories can get off track or turned around. Ben is passionate about helping people get their stories back on track. Therapy begins with a supportive and accepting place to tell those stories. Ben’s therapy style is warm and accepting, with clients as the experts on who they are, where they are in life, and where they want to go. Through creative and collaborative efforts that start from clients’ strengths and goals for themselves, change can come at personal and interpersonal levels.

It takes courage to be seen during a time of difficulty and to seek out support in therapy. I strive to provide a safe, loving, non-judgmental environment in which growth can occur. Through therapy clients learn appropriate coping skills, learn new approaches for addressing their challenges, and learn how to communicate their thoughts and feelings. I draw from a variety of therapeutic modalities from play and art to help young children communicate what they may struggle to do verbally, to cognitive behavioral, solution focused, and narrative therapy for older clients.

I have an extensive experience working with mental health and substance use issues and supporting families. I enjoy working with individuals and couples; as well as parent coaching. Areas of specialty are anxiety and depression, women's emotional health, aging, trauma, grief and loss, body image and disordered eating, co-dependency, self-esteem, self-harm, and substance abuse/dependence. My approach is adaptive to whom I am working with. I have training in and utilize motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, DBT, solution focus, EMDR, 12 step facilitation, as well as psychoeducation.

I am passionate in providing a strength-based and non-judgmental space for you to explore your needs within a confidential therapeutic relationship. I provide a compassionate, empathic, and collaborative space for people to explore mental and emotional conflict, life transitions, grief, trauma, and challenges within interpersonal relationships. I believe in people's intrinsic strength, courage, and resilience in exploring new possibilities and develop enhanced coping skills. I enjoy working with children, pre-adolescents, adolescents, and adults of all ages. I also enjoy working with families and providing parent guidance.

I work with couples, families, and individuals to find their strength, helping to guide them towards healing and a better tomorrow. My work with couples and families is designed to strengthen their relationships. I also work with individuals experiencing the pain of depression, dealing with anxiety, those struggling with the weight of grief, having trouble getting past anger and much more. My passion is to help others grow relationships and become stronger individuals.

CURRENTLY FULL/NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS. Relationships can be so stressful. Finding common ground on parenting or values/beliefs at times feels impossible. A negative spiral begins where you don’t talk as much…you shut down, you yell, or maybe you just give up and walk away. You might begin to feel anxious or depressed and don’t know what else you can do to make this better for you and your family. Learning to communicate effectively and finding balance in your relationship can take work. I can help you and/or your partner learn how to improve communication, balance home/work responsibilities, and strengthen parenting strategies.

Are you looking for someone who can help you or your child with mental health and/or substance abuse issues, who understands addiction and mental health and can help in a non-judgmental way, and can allow you or your child to make your own goals for change? Are you a parent who needs help, support or therapy in order to be the parent you want to be? Want to be able to change your thinking and perspective to have a more fulfilling life that you are in the drivers seat of?

I have worked for several years with individuals, couples, families, children, and adolescents on many different presenting issues. I work collaboratively with people to identify strengths within themselves to address their life challenges. I work with many parents regarding parenting concerns, balancing marriage and kids, and trying to find themselves again after having children. I work with couples to re-start their relationship after many years of unspoken distance. My practice is broad-based; I have experience with a range of issues such as marital strife, blended families, substance abuse, mental illness, depression, grief, anxiety, sexual abuse, and loss.

My specialties are school-aged children and adolescents and their families, and young adults, but I do trauma-focused therapy with all ages. My clinical interests include trauma, anxiety, panic, depression, and transitional stress, whether that be exploring or revealing sexuality and/or gender identity, developmental transitions, managing increasing expectations of early adulthood, or navigating life changes. I believe in the importance of sharing knowledge about the mind-body relationship of trauma, panic, anxiety, and depression, to help my clients understand what they have been experiencing and why, and how to move forward.

I believe that the ideal client is an individual who is motivated towards working towards improving their mood, situation, or life in the goals they choose. As a marriage and family therapist, I believe I'm best suited for working with couples and families. However, a significant amount of my nearly fourteen years of clinical experience has been working children and adolescents. I also enjoy working with those who are oppositional, anxious, depressed, have experienced trauma, are seeking parenting skills, or are looking for emotional management and coping strategies.

My ideal client is one who is willing to work on their mental health in a positive and meaningful way. I have experience working with children, families and individuals who have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, dissociative identity disorder, adoption issues, attachment issues, oppositional defiant disorder, ADHD and Autism. I also have extensive knowledge in high-conflict parenting dynamics and frequently consult with mediators or Parenting Consultants to assist in my client's progress. I am also a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for individuals struggling with emotional regulation and trauma.

The cornerstone of my approach is one that brings focus to the importance of a supportive therapeutic relationship as this can be a key element in helping one discover a life that is uniquely authentic and valuable. Utilizing a strategic mix of historical experiences and patterns with present day struggles and stress, individuals are able to expand on their strengths and challenge negative core beliefs. In my work with couples, I offer guidance on how to create vulnerable, interdependent relationships as I understand this is often the foundation for a safe and fulfilling connection.

Are you tired of conflict with your children or spouse? Want to replace struggle with peaceful parenting ? Are you looking to capture your authentic peaceful power? I strive first to connect and give hope, because I know the journey to get to a therapist has often been long and hard. Believing in a future is hope, and my therapy strives to create a future starting with hope and strengthened by good design. Visit my website to learn more about how I utilize the power of activity to design growth and healing opportunities. *** Opportunity in COVID crisis - VIDEO SESSIONS are now giving us new opportunities for growth and healing.

Are you struggling with confused feelings, misunderstood emotions, anxiety, depression or just overwhelmed? Through a personalized plan including encouragement and support, I believe change is possible for all. I provide therapy to individuals and families in a non-judgmental, non-assuming and safe environment where understanding and healing can get to the root of what's causing your pain in order to achieve freedom from overwhelming issues and provide you with resolution and peace.

My ideal coaching client is ready to start or continue the conversation about who they truly are, how they want to live their life, and how to clear the noise that has been in the way. Whether you are in a life transition, ready to stop repeating old choices, or you can feel there is more to life than you are living. Through mindful questions, education, and while taking this at your pace-we can improve the quality of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. I offer one time session calls as well as ongoing coaching sessions. Visit Mindful Living Company to learn more about Identity Coaching.

Everyone’s mental health journey looks and feels different. Like you, I’ve had my own journey. This means you can trust me when I say that I know it is hard. I know that it can be scary and I know that you need to feel safe in this process. I am here to walk next to you, to cheer you on and sometimes to help pick you up when you fall. I am honored that my job allows me to help others on their journey and it is a responsibility that I take very seriously. I enjoy working with couples, adults and adolescents. I have experience in trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship concerns.

I utilize a solution-focused approach and aim to empower, while integrating the body, mind, and spirit. Through bringing compassion and listening to your story, I work with you to find the root causes of your challenges, identify beliefs, and help you transform them into positive ways of thinking so you have a more joy-filled and fulfilling life. I work with children, teens, adults, and couples utilizing a variety of holistic techniques to address issues such as anxiety, depression, life transitions, trauma, parenting issues, codependency, and marital issues.