Mani Counseling

My story

My journey into the world of counseling and holistic healing didn’t begin in a classroom or a clinic. It started with a personal quest for understanding and a deep-seated desire to help others. Years of volunteering laid the foundation, exposing me to the diverse challenges and triumphs of human experience. This exposure was not only humbling but also immensely enlightening, fueling my passion to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

Parallel to my volunteer work was my own path of self-healing. Like many, I encountered my share of life’s ups and downs. Navigating through these personal experiences, I discovered the transformative power of self-awareness and self-care. This period of self-discovery was pivotal; it was where theory met practice, and where I began to see the profound impact of holistic approaches to health and well-being.

Recognizing the potential to blend my experiences with formal education, I embarked on a journey of professional training. This phase was marked by rigorous study and practical application, equipping me with a diverse toolkit that ranged from traditional therapeutic techniques to innovative holistic practices. Each step of my formal education was an opportunity to refine my approach, ensuring that it wasn’t just theoretically sound, but also deeply effective and empathetic.

The culmination of these experiences – volunteering, self-healing, and formal training – led to the birth of a unique counseling approach. An approach that doesn’t just focus on one aspect of the individual, but embraces the complexity and interconnectedness of the mind, body, and soul. It’s an approach shaped by real-life experiences and validated by professional training, dedicated to offering not just guidance, but a pathway to genuine, lasting change.

About me

I am a pre-licensed professional counselor currently practicing at a private clinic in Wisconsin, where I focus on family and couple therapy. My approach is shaped by over a decade of dedication to meditation and pranayama, which deeply informs the integrative and holistic care I provide.

I am a certified psychedelic therapy and integration therapist, adding a unique dimension to my work with clients seeking alternative pathways to healing and personal growth. In addition, I hold certifications in Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE) and Vagus Nerve Music Therapy, which enhance my ability to address somatic and emotional well-being. My training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) equips me to support clients through trauma recovery with evidence-based techniques.

I earned my Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling from the University of Wisconsin, Superior. My prior experience as a psychotherapist at a community mental health center in Duluth has provided me with a broad range of skills to support diverse client needs. Now, my practice is centered on fostering connection, resilience, and transformation within families and couples, using a compassionate and personalized approach.

My approach

In my years of practice, I’ve come to understand that true healing transcends the confines of conventional talk therapy. It’s a journey that requires us to delve into the many layers of our being. I believe that complete healing occurs on multiple levels – mental, physical, emotional, and beyond.

1. Beyond Talk Therapy: Healing on Multiple Levels Traditional talk therapy plays a vital role in understanding and articulating our experiences. However, I believe that to achieve profound and lasting healing, we must go further. Trauma, for instance, is not just a psychological phenomenon; it resides in the body and in the heart, our emotional center. My approach integrates body-based practices, mindfulness, and emotional processing techniques to release trauma from where it’s deeply rooted.
2. Releasing Trauma from the Body The body holds onto experiences in ways that words sometimes cannot reach. Through techniques like somatic experiencing and mindful movement, we work to release the physical manifestations of trauma. This approach helps in dissipating the lingering effects of past experiences, allowing your body to become a place of comfort and safety again.
3. Healing the Heart: Embracing Emotional Fluidity The heart is the epicenter of our emotional life. Healing the heart means developing the ability to experience our emotions fully, without fear or resistance. In our sessions, we focus on nurturing emotional intelligence and resilience. By equipping you with the skills to navigate your emotional landscape, we pave the way for your heart to open up to life’s possibilities – to accept the flow of life and connect openly with others.
4. A Path to Openness and Acceptance The goal of my approach is not just to heal but to transform. It’s about opening your heart to life, embracing its ebbs and flows, and building meaningful connections with the world around you. Together, we’ll work towards not just coping with life’s challenges, but thriving in the midst of them, fully equipped and emotionally resilient.