CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT
I am dedicated to providing compassionate, scientifically-backed, skills-based approaches that will get you results so you can live your BEST life.
Let's get started TODAY!
In-person and virtual care for adults in the the Twin Cities, surrounding communities and greater MN.
​"The therapeutic relationship is a real relationship between equals".
Marsha Linehan
Are you ready to turn 2025 on its head? Are you are ready to dig in and work hard? If you are motivated to make positive and empowering changes in your life, I'm your person! If you are feeling defeated, hopeless, or anxious and want to work with someone who is energizing and motivating, has your back, and will celebrate your successes with you, I'm your person! I am a 25-year seasoned, intensively-trained DBT and mindfulness-based therapist with trauma expertise. I believe in healing, manifesting, and transformation and in you! I will meet you where you are, help clarify your goals, and we will make a plan together! I will encourage and empower you to create and live the life you want, filled with more contentment and joy. Together, we will assess what is holding you back and treat the underlying causes and symptoms, identify your BEST life goals, and arm you with the skills you need to build the life you have always wanted!
HI THERE!
HELLO
and WELCOME!
I'M KIM.
About Me
I'm so happy you found ME! First, I want you to know that I love being a therapist and supporting people in creating amazing and fulfilling lives. I know how important it is to find high-quality care, someone who will treat you as a whole person and not a list of symptoms. Twenty-seven years ago (wow, does time fly), I began my training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). This was my first introduction to mindfulness. This experience was profound and changed the path of my life, both personally and professionally. I have continued to hone my skills in other scientifically backed, mindfulness-based therapies and have taken a deep dive into mindfulness and meditation practice. I truly believe that mindfulness is a SUPER POWER! Therapy is an art, just like life. I don't provide cookie-cutter care; I offer treatments that work!
When I'm not working, I spend time with my partner, am a mother of two, and enjoy wrestling with my Dobermans, Juno and Gracie. I love live music, design and architecture, plants and gardening, being in nature, and learning new things!
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My Education
Masters in Social Work
College of St. Catherine/
University of St. Thomas, 2003
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SW License #16550, MN, 2005
My Specialties
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
DBT Prolonged Exposure for trauma (DBT-PE)
Solution-Focused Therapy
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
DBT is an evidence-based therapy developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan. It is the gold standard in treating Borderline Personality Disorder, and studies have found that it is effective for a wide range of disorders and difficulties related to regulating emotions and associated thinking and behavioral patterns. DBT is an emotion-focused behavioral therapy.
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In 2011, Dr. Linehan came forward and told her story in public for the first time last week before an audience of friends, family, and doctors at the Institute of Living. Read the NYT article. She revealed that she, too, once suffered from depression, suicide, and self-harm. Dr. Linehan vowed that she would one day develop a treatment for those suffering like she once did. After much research and many clinical trials, DBT was introduced!
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DBT's primary goals are to teach people how to live in the moment, deal with stress in a healthy way, manage their emotions, and improve their relationships with others.
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"Dialectical" means that two seemingly opposite things can be true simultaneously. It takes us from our black-and-white, rigid thinking to a place of greater balance. DBT focuses on helping you accept the reality of your life and behavior so that you can learn to change your life and leave unhelpful behaviors behind. Dialectical thinking is a way to learn to see things from multiple perspectives, which helps diffuse the catastrophic thinking that arises in response to perceived threats.
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Adherent DBT (evidence-based) comprises weekly individual DBT therapy, skills training groups, phone coaching, and a therapist consultation team. Skills training groups are psychoeducational and involve learning, refining, and generalizing skills in your everyday life.
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DBT's Skill Modules
Mindfulness: Central to DBT, mindfulness teaches you to live in the present moment, taking a nonjudgmental and curious approach.
Distress Tolerance teaches you how to tolerate and survive stressful situations without making them worse. Accepting the life you have is imperative to making changes.
Emotion Regulation: Helps you gain control over and manage your emotions.
Interpersonal Effectiveness: Focuses on managing conflicts effectively and maintaining and improving your relationships with others.
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DBT CHANGES LIVES
DBT Skills Training Group
The goal of skills training group is to learn how to change your own behaviors, emotions, and thoughts that are linked to problems in living and are causing misery and distress. DBT skills will transform your life and how you think and behave to help you build a meaningful life you love. This is an in-depth learning program. Each week, you will learn one of over a hundred skills. You’ll receive positive reinforcement for embracing DBT skills. This is the evidence-based approach to integrating DBT skills to truly change your life.​ DBT skills group begins with a brief mindfulness practice. You will be able to share about your skill use and review your homework. After a break, we transition to introducing new skills. The group focuses on learning and effectively using DBT skills through engaging lectures, lively group discussions, and weekly homework assignments. ​
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Comprehensive DBT requires participation in the weekly DBT skill group. However, if you are just interested in learning skills, you can join the group independently of individual therapy.
**You must purchase the DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets manual for this group.
DBT Prolonged Exposure for trauma
The DBT Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE) protocol was developed by Dr. Melanie Harned, a former student of Marsha Linehan. It specifically treats PTSD while also bringing in validation and new learning. The DBT PE protocol is based on Prolonged Exposure therapy. DBT with the DBT PE protocol is a comprehensive treatment designed to help individuals recover from trauma and build lives they experience as worth living.
Individuals with PTSD often present to treatment with multiple mental health issues, such as personality disorders, dissociative disorders, substance dependence, eating disorders, and mood disorders. 66% of individuals with PTSD have two or more disorders and up to 30% attempt suicide. When not treated, PTSD increases the risk of suicidal and self-injurious behavior and is likely to interfere with achieving recovery.
How the DBT PE Protocol Works
Avoidance is a major factor that maintains PTSD and prevents healing. There are two ways that people with PTSD typically avoid. The first is trying to push away memories, thoughts, and feelings about the trauma. The second is avoiding situations, people, and things that are reminders of the trauma. Although avoiding trauma-related thoughts and situations works to reduce distress in the short run, it prolongs and intensifies post-trauma reactions in the long run. The DBT PE protocol aims to help clients stop avoidance and instead confront trauma-related thoughts and situations so that trauma can be effectively processed.
FAQs and other information
How do I pick a therapist?
Consider your goals when choosing a therapist. Find a therapist who specializes in your specific concerns and goals. It is also essential to find a therapist who is approachable and easy to talk to.
Therapists often have bios online that you can read to determine what their training, education, and specialties include. These biographies can give you insight into who the therapist is and what their style might be.
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How long will appointments last?
Therapy appointments last about 55 minutes. I also provide 30-minute sessions for check-ins/follow-up.
The DBT skills training group is 120 minutes.
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How often will I attend therapy?
Weekly visits at the start of treatment are helpful, though the pace of your care is up to you. Clients with complex issues may benefit from a higher frequency.
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What can I expect from these appointments?
In the first few sessions, we will talk about what brings you to therapy, determine whether I'm a good fit for you and your needs, discuss your goals, and develop a treatment plan.
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Do you accept insurance?
Yes. I currently accept Medica, UMR, UHC and Medical Assistance; additionally, I am working on credentialing with other insurance providers.
I am also a private pay and an out-of-network (OON) provider for insurance carriers. Most insurance plans will reimburse 50-70% of a session fee for OON services, making therapy sessions budget-friendly. I will provide you with a Superbill that you can submit for reimbursement.
I do not currently work with Medicare. If you have Medicare and would like to work with me, you must sign a Medicare opt-out agreement.
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What are your fees?
Diagnostic Assessment $225/90 minutes
Individual Therapy $190/hour
DBT Skills Training Group $100/2 hours
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What are your cancellation/no-show policies?
If you cannot attend your session, I require a 24-hour notice. This allows me to offer my time to another client who needs care. If you cancel within the 24-hour window, you will be charged the entire session fee unless you reschedule within the same week. No-shows are charged the whole session fee. I require you to have a credit card on file. Your card will never be charged without your knowledge.
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Other questions? Please ask me!
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