When you hire someone, you interview them. You ask them for their resume. If you are going to hire me to be your therapist, I would expect to give you my background. Treat the first session with me like an interview process. There is a therapist, doctor, mechanic, and hair stylist for everyone. See if I am a fit.

​

A native of the Worthington, Minnesota area, Andrea Walker owns and operates The Sanctuary Counseling Services of Worthington, MN. Andrea began her work in the counseling field with her 9-month internship at Stronghold Counseling Services of Sioux Falls in 2013. She practiced under supervision in Marshall and Worthington, MN until 2017. She was officially licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Minnesota in 2017.  She then became licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in South Dakota in 2018.  She previously served as a member of the Executive Board for the Southwest Crisis Center, which provides services to victims of domestic violence in southwestern Minnesota.  In 2018, she received the Faces of Hope award for her work with victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. She is an active member with the Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

 

EDUCATION

 

2014                Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy

                        Capella University, Minneapolis, Minnesota

                        Graduated with High Honors 3.875 GPA

 

INTERNSHIP

 

2013-2014       Stronghold Counseling Services

                        Sioux Falls, SD, Marriage and Family Therapy Intern

​

LICENSES

 

2018                Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

                        South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counseling                                         

                        and Marriage & Family Therapists

 

2017                Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

                        Minnesota Board of Marriage & Family Therapy

 

 

POSITIONS HELD

 

1/2018 – current          THE SANCTUARY COUNSELING SERVICES

                                      WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA/SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist – Owner/operator of private practice offering counseling services for couples, families, and individuals with sensitivity to culture, gender, spirituality, and traditions; utilizing narrative and family systems modalities for anxiety, depression, trauma, conflict, and life transitions. Providing diagnostic assessments and ongoing therapy.

 

2015-2018                   SOUTHWESTERN MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

                                    WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA

Mental Health Practitioner/Licensed Associate Marriage & Family Therapist – Responsible for providing mental health counseling services for individuals, couples, and families of various cultural backgrounds and SES status utilizing CBT, DBT, solution focused, family systems, and narrative therapy modalities. 

 

2014-2015                   WESTERN MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

                                    MARSHALL, MINNESOTA

Mental Health Practitioner/Licensed Associate Marriage & Family Therapist Responsible for providing in home mental health counseling services for individuals and families in a 5-county catchment area with various cultural backgrounds and SES status, utilizing CBT and family systems modalities.

​

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

 

• American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)

• Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT)

 

CONTINUING EDUCATION

​

• Antiracism in Therapeutic Practices, 10/2023

• Experiences of MFT's of Color in MN, 10/2023

• Cultural Humility in Relationships: Responding to Self and Others, 10/2023

• Using Emotionally Focused Therapy to Help Individual Clients, 10/2023

• When Things Get Complicated: An In Depth Look at Working with the Intersection of Severe Dissociation & Neurodevelopmental Issues in Transgender/Non-Binary Populations, 10/2023

• Counseling Grief Clients Certification Training, 11/2020

• Approaching Eating Disorders as Mental Health Professionals: Assessing, Treating, and Preventing Eating Disorders While Challenging Biases, 10/2020

• Cultural and Historical Traumas: Invisible Barriers to Healing and Change, 04/2020

• Dan Siegel on Attachment, Trauma & Psychotherapy: Neural Integration for Resilience & Well-Being, 03/2020

• Labor Trafficking Dynamics in Midwest Rural Communities, 01/2020

• Ethical Dilemmas and Decision Making in Behavioral Health: How to Practice in a Safe and Ethical Way, 12/2019

• Gottman Level 1 - Bridging the Couple Chasm, 06/2018

• Life Space Crisis Intervention, 05/2018

• Brains of Addiction: From Trauma to Repair, 05/2018

• Southwest Crisis Center Sexual Assault Advocacy, 10/2017

• Great Start MN Clinicians Group, 02/2017

• AMH Crisis: Module 1, 03/2015

• Intro to DC:0-3 Diagnosing MH & DD in Very Young Children, 02/2015

• ECSII Training, 02/2015