Blog Contributors
David Alter, PhD, ABPP is a clinical psychologist whose thirty-year practice combines mind-body medicine, strategic therapeutic interventions, and clinical hypnosis to address the presenting concerns of his clients. He integrates health psychology, neuropsychology, and clinical hypnoses to bring a holistic perspective to his clinical work. He conducts his practice at Partners in Healing, the center for holistic health that he cofounded in Minneapolis, MN.
Jim Amundsen, PhD has been in private practice for 28 years. He was certified by Al Pesso to be a Trainer of PBSP in 2004, and had been training with him since 1983. He has also been a student of psychoanalysis for over 40 years and has taught classes at the Minnesota Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis.
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Mary Androff , MD has studied AEDP for eight years and is a certified AEDP therapist. She has a private psychotherapy/psychiatry practice, offers AEDP consultation and study groups, and also works part-time at Hamm Clinic. She can be reached at 651-917-9395 or mary@drmaryandroff.com. Her website is www.drmaryandroff.com.
Kate Craig, DC is a licensed chiropractor, specializing in function-limiting disorders of the spine and extremities. Dr. Kate utilizes both manual and instrument-assisted chiropractic techniques to restore joint restrictions found in the body. Dr. Kate also provides comprehensive and research-based soft tissue and muscle rehabilitation therapy. While advancing her clinical studies in chiropractic school, Dr. Kate discovered the powerful connection between yoga and Chiropractic. Dr. Kate is the inventor of an ergonomic yoga block called, The Align Block. The Align Block is specifically designed to ergonomically support the curves of the human spine. This provides a simple, convenient and low cost solution for supporting the low back and hips, relieving muscle tension and reducing pain.
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Kyle Curry, PhD is a licensed psychologist and provider at the Minneapolis VAMC. He works within the PTSD and specializes in the treatment of combat related PTSD through the use of Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy, for which he is also a certified trainer. In addition, he is a behavioral health officer in the MN Army National Guard with a current rank of CPT.
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Patrick Dougherty, M.A. is a licensed psychologist in practice for over 35 years. He is a somatic based therapist that has worked extensively with trauma. He is a Vietnam veteran, lived and worked in Northern Ireland during “The Troubles” in the early 1980’s, has written and spoken about social despair, and has been involved in numerous events helping therapists deal with how the events in the world impact therapists and their clinical work. He has become a national leader in helping therapists and other groups understand and work with the issues involved with collective trauma within themselves and with their clients.
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Margaret Gavian, PhD, LP is a Coach and Psychologist in the Twin Cities specializing in helping men save their relationship. She does a variety of teaching, speaking and consulting nationally with leaders, executives, community organizations, and health care systems. She operates her telehealth practice out of her home in Golden Valley, MN and in her free time relishes in her role as a mother to her boys, Julian and Morgan. For more information or to connect to Margaret: Margaret.gavian@gmail.com or 703-447-8428 cell.
Annie Heiderscheit, Ph.D., MT-BC, FAMI, MFT is an associate professor of the Arts and Healing Initiative at the University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality. She is a clinical music therapist with The Emily Program and at the University of Minnesota Childrens Hospital. She also maintains a private practice, which employs six music therapists. Heiderscheit is part of a multi-disciplinary research team exploring the use of music with mechanically ventilated in a multi-site, four year study funded by the National Institutes of Health. She was recently named the Marilyn A. Sime Research Fellowship. She continues to conduct research with patients with eating disorders and their families.
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Kathy L. Heuser, Psy.D., LPCC is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor specializing in adult individual, couple, and group psychotherapy. She operates a private practice in Burnsville, Minnesota. Working as a private practitioner the last 17 years, she provides a diverse population of adult clients with compassionate care and creative and effective interventions. She specialize in helping individuals, couples, and families transition through difficult circumstances with resilience and strength, and in resolving the psychological aspects of emotional and physical trauma. Her areas of expertise include working with psychological and emotional trauma, attachment injury, grief/loss, depression, anxiety, and adjustment issues. She has also completed advanced clinical training in several modalities of energy-related therapies, enneagram studies, and natural health.
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Dorothea Hrossowyc, M.A., RMPA, is a Certified Rosen Method Bodywork Practitioner, and also a Certified Teacher of Rosen Method Bodywork. She trained with Marion Rosen at the Berkeley Center. She is also a graduate of Hakomi Body Psychotherapy and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for Trauma and Attachment Issues, and is trained in Self Led Transformational Counseling, or Internal Family Systems, from the Center for Self Leadership, Chicago, IL. In over 20 years as an educator, trainer and personal empowerment consultant, she has led many workshops and classes in mind/body medicine, releasing unconscious limitations, women’s empowerment, men’s liberation, couples and relationships, listening skills, healing from physical and sexual hurts, parenting, educational change, eliminating racism, and transforming the inner critic. She teaches week long intensive trainings in Rosen Method. She is committed to physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, and all forms of human liberation are her lifelong passions.
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Hector Matascastillo, MSW earned his master’s degree in social work from Augsburg College in Minnesota in 2010. He provides psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults in individual, couples, family and group therapy. Hector is bilingual/bi-cultural and provides services in Spanish and English to a wide variety of clients on a wide variety of issues and mental health diagnoses with special emphasis on Latino, Veterans, and clients with SPMI. He is also trained in Adlerian psychology, EMDR, DBT, Healing of Memories, and Domestic Violence programming therapist.
Carrie Menk, M.S.W. is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Founder and Owner of Centered Practice (Northfield and St. Paul, MN). She effectively integrates Yoga-Calm, Sensorimotor, EMDR, and DBT into her clinical practice. Centered Practice was started in 2010 in Northfield and expanded into St. Paul in 2014.
Laura Meyers, PhD, ABPP co-owns the META Clinic, LLC, an evidence-based private practice in Inver Grove Heights, MN. She also coordinates the PTSD treatment team at the Minneapolis VA and created and directs Journeys, a DBT and PE 12-week intensive outpatient program. She is a Certified DBT Clinician by the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification and a VA certified PE consultant. She provides trainings, consultation, and supervision in DBT and PE to clinicians, postdoctoral fellows, and interns. She can be reached for questions or comments at laura.meyers@themetaclinic.com
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Kris Nourse is a Rosen Method Bodywork practitioner in St Paul. She has been practicing bodywork since 1993, and is currently completing her certification in Somatic Experiencing after 3 years of training in trauma recovery skills with Peter Levine’s Foundation for Human Enrichment. You can reach her at krisnourse.com.
Allison O’Hara, Psy.D. is a Licensed Psychologist and Yoga Teacher in International Falls, MN. She works in a Community Mental Health Center where she serves as the Director of the Community Rehabilitation and Support Services program at Northland Counseling Center and holds privileges at Rainy Lake Medical Center. With a focus on holistic approaches to therapeutic intervention, Dr. O’Hara specializes in working with Health and Wellness related issues. Through coursework in Health Psychology, workshops, and research, she has developed an expertise in relating therapeutic yoga into her clinical work. Dr. O’Hara has been studying the incorporation of yoga-based interventions in therapy and as an adjust intervention for the last five years. As a yoga teacher at Replenish Yoga & Wellness, she primarily teaches Level I & II Vinyasa classes as well as beginner friendly Hatha and Laughter Yoga classes.
Martha Osterberg, M.S.W., LICSW has a private practice in St. Paul and has been a psychotherapist for over 20 years. She is certified in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy from the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute founded by Pat Ogden. She has confidence in the outcomes of increased embodiment, integration of body, heart, mind and spirit, and the reclamation of boundaried relationships. Martha has also studied other integrative approaches such as EMDR, Brain Gym, InterPlay and Qi Gong.
Laureen Peltier lives in St Paul, MN. She is a professionally trained speaker and published author. At the age of 38, after living with trauma induced PTSD for 30 years, she entered therapy, choosing an integrative psychiatric model to heal. She focuses on educating others on the possibility of making a full recovery from PTSD, as well as the benefits of healing past trauma. Laureen is a State Certified Speaker Trainer for the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), as well as one of their most seasoned speakers. She consults for clinics and businesses, has a thriving speaking career and coaches in her spare time.
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Craig Polsfuss, MA, LP, MSW, LICSW (Emeritus) trains Higher Brain Living® facilitators and is the Director of Professional Outreach & Education. He also has an online practice and is available for live and online professional and public group presentations. Craig invites your inquiries. craigp@higherbrainliving.com / 612-730-4843
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Tyler Reitzner is a Patient Leader, Speaker and Behavioral Health Advocate. He lives with his wife and two boys in Minnesota.
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Mariah Rooney, LICSW, RYT is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with specializations in treating the complex challenges that arise as a result of traumatic stress, attachment trauma, intergenerational trauma, and dissociation. She also works with folks living with anxiety, depression, addressing and exploring gender-related issues, interpersonal violence and abuse, military-related issues, and navigating major life transitions/adjustments.
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Katja Rowell M.D. is a family doctor and relational childhood feeding specialist. She consults with parents struggling with feeding and weight worries for their children. Her book, Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating: A Step-by-Step Guide for Overcoming Selective Eating, Food Aversion, and Feeding Disorders (New Harbinger) is coauthored by Jenny McGlothlin SLP, director of feeding therapies at UT Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders. A prime motivation behind this book was the pressuring and traumatizing therapy experiences their clients shared with the authors all too frequently. Her first book is Love Me, Feed Me: the Adoptive Parents’ Guide to Ending the Worry About Weight, Picky Eating, Power Struggles and More. Katja writes about, and speaks nationally on the importance of a healthy feeding relationship.
Eric Strom, M.S.W. is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who received his Masters of Social Work from the University of Saint Thomas in 2009. Eric has a clinical focus of helping those with trauma and trauma recovery. Currently Eric serves as a Senior Psychiatric Social Worker at NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center in North Minneapolis. Eric has an interest in the use of essential oils as a complimentary service to psychotherapy in the treatment of psychological trauma. Eric has spoken nationally on the benefits of utilizing essential oils in conjunction with psychotherapy and is available for consultation. In addition, Eric is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and is currently serving in the Minnesota Army National Guard as a Behavioral Health Officer.
Thad Strom, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and co-owner of the Minnesota Evidence-based Therapy & Assessment Clinic (www.themetaclinic.com). He is a certified national trainer for Prolonged Exposure and has provided workshops nationally for the past eight years. He can be reached at thad.strom@themetaclinic.com.
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Kate Towle is a youth advocate, consultant and writing coach who works with schools, youth organizations and emerging non-profits to generate best practices to engage youth as intercultural leaders and social innovators. Kate’s idea to support Minnesota youth on their own model for civic and intercultural leadership, won her the 2011 St. Paul Foundation’s Facing Race Idea Challenge. Kate coaches young leaders as they foster strong identity development; leadership in inter-cultural bridging; and inter-generational discovery around the youth’s experiences in life and in the classroom. By linking youth to progressive programs like St. Mary’s Culturally-Responsive Teaching Program, Kate helps them learn alongside adults how to impact positive change—via peer dialogues, public speaking, publishing, media and artwork. Kate actively collaborate with community partners who invite youth to “teach” the public about their experiences in life and in the classroom.
Ryan C. Van Wyk, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in St. Louis Park and St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the founder of MN Trauma Project, an organization that aims to increase accessibility to trauma informed care in the state of MN. Ryan is a veteran, currently with the rank of Major, serving as a behavioral health officer in the MN Army National Guard. He is the Specialty Lead in the Mental Health Services Center at North Memorial Health in Robbinsdale, MN.
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Elizabeth Vogt, Psy.D. MA is a licensed clinical psychologist practicting in Minneapolis, MN. She works with children, adolescents, and adults dealing with a wide range of challenges. She has specialties in play therapy and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Her primary place of practice is Emerge Therapy in Uptown.