Intentional Self

We care deeply about compassionate care of folks with trauma. Many of us have learned to push it down or not identify it as such. When you’re ready, a therapist helps you to unpack and repack it in a healthier way.

Feeling the office ❤️ this morning…

But, get consent!

SO reminded of this today.

SO reminded of this today.

I’ve got all the feels this morning following our team meeting…yep, we’ve got the BEST team ever! 😍

Don’t you love a good underdog story?

Oh hello pumpkin 🍁 October is YOUR month to renew and reenergize!

Thank you Alaina (one of our fabulous therapists) and Rantings of a Beautiful Mind for the lovely visual metaphor of therapy.

Nikki is a gem! 💎Welcome to Intentional!
Nikki Runyan, MA, LADC, LPC (she, her) knows starting therapy can be scary, especially if it’s your first experience. People often delay therapy for fear of being judged or worry over what the process will entail. Nikki works to offer a judgment-free space where clients can feel safe to share their stories and struggles. Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all, and she approaches each client in a way individualized to their needs and goals.

Change is difficult, but having someone to walk through it with you can make it feel less daunting. She utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness skills, motivational interviewing, and harm-reduction strategies to engage clients in the therapy process and help facilitate change. Nikki meets clients where they’re at to focus on their goals and building motivation for change.

She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC). Nikki graduated with a Master’s from the Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies. She has over 10 years of experience providing services to those struggling with substance use and mental health concerns. She works primarily with adults who are experiencing mood and anxiety disorders, PTSD, substance use concerns, and trauma.

We are learning more and more about how the experiences of our ancestors affect our genetics. Do you have trauma coming through in a generational pattern? Let’s talk about that. Thank you for the educational image.

We reinforce this a lot. Focus on self and surround yourself in the healing process.

😂 and true

Get clear on what you can influence and focus on that. ✅

Friday reading. ❤️ us some Brené Brown!

One of the most important things we teach clients is to thrive being alone with your thoughts and feelings. For some, this is the most difficult part of their internal journey. Try short bursts of alone time, surrounded by nature, where you breathe deep and notice the sensory experiences all around you.

Brownie and I are super excited to be working with Ana Lozano! She speaks Spanish and brings many diverse experiences and passion to her work with clients. She’s a super star!🤩🌟💫⭐️

Here’s her full bio:

Ana believes that healing is possible regardless of whatever obstacles you have previously faced and that everyone deserves to live the life they truly want. She works with a strengths-based focused and client-centered approach to help individuals achieve their goals. Clients say that working with Ana is like having a personal cheerleader in their pocket, who sees the best in them. She provides supportive coaching, she is encouraging, warm, friendly, validating, and empowering in her sessions. Ana treats her clients with kindness, and respect and strives to create a judgment-free space for individuals to feel safe to fully express themselves. Ana strongly believes that good therapy will be extremely impactful in one’s healing journey. She enjoys supporting individuals on their journey towards better mental health and creating a more meaningful and authentic life for themselves. You can also expect to laugh and have fun during your sessions with Ana.

Ana has extensive experience working with children in k-12 education settings, adolescents in foster care, individuals with co-occurring disorders, and culturally diverse and blended families. Her areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, relationships, women’s issues, grief/loss, trauma, addiction, career transitions, identity concerns, and multicultural issues. Ana also enjoys serving Hispanic/Latino families and young adults who are looking for a practitioner of the same background to understand their unique issues and needs. Ana is also trauma-informed and understands the impact that trauma has on individuals' thinking and how this may interfere with creating the life they desire…
www.intentionalselfcounseling.org

Brownie and I are super excited to be working with Ana Lozano! She speaks Spanish and brings many diverse experiences and passion to her work with clients. She’s a super star!🤩🌟💫⭐️

Here’s her full bio:

Ana believes that healing is possible regardless of whatever obstacles you have previously faced and that everyone deserves to live the life they truly want. She works with a strengths-based focused and client-centered approach to help individuals achieve their goals. Clients say that working with Ana is like having a personal cheerleader in their pocket, who sees the best in them. She provides supportive coaching, she is encouraging, warm, friendly, validating, and empowering in her sessions. Ana treats her clients with kindness, and respect and strives to create a judgment-free space for individuals to feel safe to fully express themselves. Ana strongly believes that good therapy will be extremely impactful in one’s healing journey. She enjoys supporting individuals on their journey towards better mental health and creating a more meaningful and authentic life for themselves. You can also expect to laugh and have fun during your sessions with Ana.

Ana has extensive experience working with children in k-12 education settings, adolescents in foster care, individuals with co-occurring disorders, and culturally diverse and blended families. Her areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, relationships, women’s issues, grief/loss, trauma, addiction, career transitions, identity concerns, and multicultural issues. Ana also enjoys serving Hispanic/Latino families and young adults who are looking for a practitioner of the same background to understand their unique issues and needs. Ana is also trauma-informed and understands the impact that trauma has on individuals' thinking and how this may interfere with creating the life they desire. She uses therapeutic modalities such as; Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness practices, trauma-informed, Gottman method skills for developing healthier relationships, and family systems theories. Ana also speaks fluent Spanish.

Ana received her bachelor's in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She then received her Masters in Counseling and Psychological Services and also obtained an Addiction Studies Graduate Certificate from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. Ana is on track to be a dually licensed therapist as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC). Ana believes in practicing self-love and filling her cup full, therefore, she is able to be fully present and show up for her clients as the best version of herself. In her free time, you can find Ana traveling, immersed in a book, playing with her Persian cat (Leon), and spending time with family and friends.

www.intentionalselfcounseling.org

Happy Monday! 🪷

Happy PRIDE at home & at work!

Are you burned out? What is your renewal plan? Time off or away? Boundaries? Saying no? More sleep? Time with loved ones?

Meet Kacie Ervasti, LICSW (she, her)! She’s particularly fabulous at connecting with and helping couples. And, she’s booking up quick! 🤩

Kacie comes the therapeutic relationship with authenticity and openness so clients feel at ease. She believes in the power of acknowledging the challenges everyone faces and seeing the inherent strengths one possesses. In Kacie’s work she strives to both validate what is being experienced as well as be creative in supporting her clients to build skills to live more from their centered self.

Over her career, Kacie has worked with and supported people of all ages. She is passionate about working with couples, individuals, and families. Kacie’s experience working in public schools as a school social worker gives her the unique perspective of what children and families experience in a world that can demand so much of us.

Kacie’s clinical social work degree is from St. Thomas / St. Catherine University. During her clinical training she practiced Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) with groups and individuals. Some of the approaches she uses in her practice are Strengths-based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. Kacie finds it an honor to provide a space where people can let down, be their truest selves, and build skills to face life’s challenges. Clients have told Kacie she is not only empathetic, intuitive, and kind but also real. She meets people where they are at and walks alongside individuals on their journey of health and wellness.

Give words to what you feel…it’s so therapeutic!

I missed posting on March 1 for Zero Discrimination Day, but let’s make that day every day. .org

Happy International Women’s Day from all of us women-lovers at Intentional!

Need help navigating conflict in a relationship? Try some therapy.

💯

Sending lots of love to YOU ❤️

Thinking of all those caretaking professionals out there! We see you. We honor you. 💜 If you love a nurse, counselor, teacher, etc…show them some love, they need it.

Nothing says “we love our clients & team” like beautiful home-made knits from Grandma! ❤️ Stop into the office to grab yours (wear your mask)!

💯

Happy Kwanzaa! We particularly ❤️ the Kwanzaa principles of umoja and ujima … https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/12/26/us/kwanzaa-seven-principles-cec/index.html

I love that there is a word that captures something so human and mysterious. Do you also experience sonder? I think it really helps us to look beyond what we see in others. What might be happening with this person you can’t see?

Intentional has added another amazing provider to our team…Elizabeth Volkman, MA, LADC (she, her)! 😍 She believes that understanding, accepting, and committing to our values is an integral part of recovery and creating a meaningful life. She aims to provide tools and support that allow individuals to resolve their past and thrive in the present. Elizabeth has professional experience and training focused on providing advocacy and guidance for adults seeking management and relief from PTSD, substance use concerns, mood and anxiety disorders, and personality disorders.

Using a mindfulness and acceptance-based therapeutic approach to understand the unique perspectives and experiences of each individual, Elizabeth empowers clients towards change in a safe, welcoming environment. Therapeutic approaches include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, relapse prevention and harm reduction.

Elizabeth holds a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling Psychotherapy and a Graduate Certificate in Addiction Studies from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Elizabeth has extensive experience working with individuals who are coping with depression, anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Psychotic Disorders, trauma, and substance use concerns. She is LGBTQIA+ affirmative and enjoys working with adult survivors of trauma and abuse, and BIPOC communities to help identify and process trauma, build self-esteem and establish and create functional boundaries.

We love this graphic from Anyone have tips for making that romantic relationship work for you?

Saw this this mural this morning on a team Starbucks run. It reminded me of what we can see and what we cannot in ourselves and others. The visible and invisible, the known and unknown, the conscious and subconscious. Mostly, it reminded me of empathy - how others need us to validate, be kind, and be curious about the parts unseen.

It’s December! 🕎🎄🪘🎉🎁❄️ Colder, darker, busier, and maybe just a bit more stress? Try these coping skills to keep stress in check.

8 Strategies to Develop Empathy 👢🥾👠👞👡👟🩰🩴🥿
Cultivate curiosity. ...
Step out of your comfort zone. ...
Receive feedback. ...
Examine your biases. ...
Walk in the shoes of others. ...
Difficult, respectful conversations. ...
Join a shared cause. ...
Read widely.
Citation: www.positivepsychology.com, September, 2021

I asked my son’s very talented artist friend Greta to paint something inspirational for our office…I am so excited to hang her up! ❤️

Check out this awesome art therapy group from our pals at Art of Counseling! ❤️

Check out this awesome art therapy group from our pals at Art of Counseling! ❤️

Starting Thursday December 2nd 10-11:30am for 12 weeks.
Go to our website to register under "contact us."

Yep, it’s OK to do what you need to do to be OK.

Do you have a ritual that helps you to feel healthy and whole, especially when you aren’t feeling that way? Mine is burning palo santo wood. It smells amazing and is used medicinally by many indigenous peoples. What’s your healing ritual?

Being assertive is tricky business. I love this take on assertiveness, as a means of taking care of yourself.

Trauma impacts genetics for generations. We can help with that.

We ❤️ to help you disrupt those bad habits and get better at those healthy ones.

We ❤️ to help you disrupt those bad habits and get better at those healthy ones.

Or both?