Mel Koenen, MA LAMFT

Hello and welcome to Better Things Ahead Counseling!

My name is Mel and I am a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. I have my MA from Bethel Seminary in Marriage and Family Therapy and a BA in Sociology with a minor in Psychology.

Here is the professional portion of the bio, I am a Master ART Practitioner in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). Honestly, ART is awesome and I use it frequently to help clients achieve relief from symptoms more quickly. Regulating the nervous system is truly the key to being able to manage stress and heal trauma responses. ART doesn’t always have to be for the big traumas either, it is great for so many things you want to look at differently. I also focus on practical changes that are realistic for your life and we figure out together what those can look like to get you into a better place. At the end of the day, my biggest goal for all of my clients is making sure I work myself out of a job.

I specialize in Law Enforcement/First Responder occupations and also support adult individuals and couples working through a variety of circumstances like anxiety, traumas, military, sense of identity issues, relationship issues, communication, self-esteem, financial/budgeting issues, and more.

I also contract with LE-AST Services offering check-ins and therapy sessions for contracted departments.

Here is the personality portion - People have told me I’m easy to talk to and make therapy a less nerve-wracking experience. I love to laugh at witty jokes, dry jokes, dark humor doesn’t matter; I will laugh. I am pretty direct, sweary, and don’t beat around the bush much. However, I can be very compassionate. I hope that my clients know that no matter what I’m in their corner and want the best for them. Sometimes that will mean holding you accountable and sometimes showing you how to give yourself some grace.

In my spare time I am a mental health consultant for TacMobility, a company that focuses on LE stress recovery and resiliency. You can also find me hanging out with my husband and toddler or spending time on the Iron Range with family.

As a LAMFT, I am under the supervision of a MN Board Approved LMFT supervisor.

Training:

  • Master ART Practitioner in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (https://acceleratedresolutiontherapy.com/)

  • Clinical Trauma Specialist-Individuals

  • Law Enforcement - Police Officer Wellness by Enhancing Resiliency (P.O.W.E.R) by Marie Ridgeway, Blue Line Trauma Response Seminar, Breachpoint Consulting, Peer Support training (30 Hours)

  • Fire/EMS - Unique Stressors in Fire/EMS

 
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