Heidi Schnakenberg Licensed Professional Counselor

I have worked in Systems Theory for years and truly believe that families all play a role in the conflict they face. I help family members organize the conflict they are experiencing and provide new meaning for why it's occurring. Often times, parents are struggling in their marriage or at work, with finances, whatever it may be and this tension is felt by the children. I help families develop new ways of targeting these underlying issues rather than avoidance.

I work with couples to help them improve their communication and better understand the function of their partner's behavior. I also work with them regarding infidelity issues and show them ways to repair trust within the relationship if both partners are willing. My goal is to teach them new ways to interact with one another to help them nurture their bond and restore the love they once felt for one another.

I have over 15 years of experience working in Multisystemic Therapy using the ecological approach to target conduct issues in adolescents. I am well versed in the developing teenage brain and the influences that affect how adolescents behave. I work well with teens and their surrounding systems to make changes that will help them feel better and improve their relationships.

I have over 15 years of experience working in Multisystemic Therapy using the ecological approach to target conduct issues in adolescents. I am well versed in the developing teenage brain and the influences that affect how adolescents behave. I work well with teens and their surrounding systems to make changes that will help them feel better and improve their relationships.

I believe that mind and body are connected on every level and that mental health issues often manifest in part due to lifestyle choices and how we are treating our bodies. I am being trained in using different nutritional and integrative approaches to help clients understand ways they can change habits associated with eating, sleeping , exercising etc to improve their mental and physical health.

I am trained in systems theory and understand that behaviors do not happen in a vacuum. All of us have the qualities we have in part due to nature and nurture and I work with clients to better understand past and present systems in their lives and how these impact their mental health. Relationships are paramount to most of us, with family relationships often being a priority and it's important for clients to work with their family systems in therapy to make sustainable changes.

Thoughts, feelings and behaviors are the basis of CBT and I use this modality primarily because it's evidenced based and it's tangible. I try to remain present focused with my clients and do some exploration around why they have some of the thinking errors and negative core beliefs they have while helping them create different thoughts that will eventually lead to changed feelings and behaviors.