Tawny Nelson
Tawny Nelson
She/Her/Hers • MA, IPPE-C
Pre-licensed Mental Health Therapist & Reproductive + Perinatal Specialist
Coon Rapids • Evening Openings
Specialties
Anxiety Mood/Depression Trauma/PTSD Reproductive MH Perinatal + Maternal Relationships + intimacy Grief + Loss Spirituality Neurodivergence Family + Life Stressors
Ages Served
Adults Older Adults
Modalities
Prepare + Enrich
Trauma-Informed
Couples Therapy
About Me
Hello, Hello! I’m Tawny, and currently on the licensure track for Marriage and Family Therapy. I work with both couples and individuals (18yr +). I take a grab bag approach with blending therapy modalities with clients to assist with what is presenting in the moment. While I do love a structured plan for progress, I recognize that life will shift and change on us, and I try to flow with the ebb that is brought to session.
An area I find myself being pulled into in the therapy world is how our families work. Whether that be the family of origin or the family that is being created. It never ceases to amaze me how we all uniquely do and experience family. My goal is to assist in balancing the both worlds; how does your family of origin and your family you’ve built work together?
In working with couples, I do have training in Prepare + Enrich which can be utilized for couples who are engaged as well as couples who have been married for years. I approach couples work with a strong baseline of structure with communication. It is one of the top priorities to get a solid communication foundation to open up the other doors within the relationship.
If you’re looking to explore emotions, boundaries, grief/loss, infertility, pregnancy, postpartum, spirituality, relationship dynamics, coping with ADHD/ ASD diagnosis, trauma, self-worth, and self-harm - these are areas I work in. I blend these aspects for individual clients as well as within couple/partnered clients.
Clinical Approaches
What to expect from Couples work: I approach couples work from a relationship friendly approach. What that means is that I am not going to come from a place that is solid in keeping a relationship together or telling you to end a relationship. I view my role as a helper to the relationship. I follow the directions that the couple would like to go. I provide communication tools to assist in helping each partner feel heard and understood. I attempt to provide balance in sessions between the partners. My goal is not to make one partner the “good” or the “bad” identifier in sessions, I view relational work with the couple as the couple being the client. I am not of the faint of heart, so all the topics that are involved within a relationship can be on the discussion table.
What to expect from Individual work: My work with individuals does stem from a client centered and solutions focused approach. I do integrate other modalities depending on the needs of the client. I attempt to meet clients where they are at each session, with a general optimistic demeanor. My role is not to solve all client’s problems, I see my position as a sounding board for all the things we carry. Humor and swearing are welcomed in the therapy space.
General modalities I frequently pull from include attachment theory, experiential family therapy, family systems, internal family systems (IFS), solutions focused, structural therapy, Gottman, imago relationship theory, narrative therapy, emotionally focused, feminist therapy, trauma informed, and client centered approach. I like to pull from various resources to utilize in and outside the therapy space. I try to find options that will work best for clients as well as potentially gently push one out of their comfort zone. If you don’t like reading, let's try an audiobook or a podcast. If you don’t like making eye contact, there’s fidget toys and coloring things in the office or you don’t have to have your camera on for the whole virtual session. The therapy space is yours to utilize, and I hope to bring a comfortable presence for you and your stuff. There is no difficulty too big or too small; if it is important to you, then it’s worth receiving support in overcoming it!
The human behind the credentials.
I am a millennial with an endless supply of song lyrics and movie quotes. I am also extremely lucky to have “mom” as a title I carry. I can always be found with water/coffee and my kindle within reach. I find enjoyment in various grandma hobbies- knitting, crocheting, cooking, and baking. I’ve recently gotten into plants (if you’re curious, please ask their names!) I am a true Minnesotan who loves the winter, cheering for our very dynamic sports teams, trying new food places, and taking in our various scenic views.
I aim to keep my ducks in the pound, more so than in a perfectly neat line. If you feel like we’d be a good fit, let's see how your monkeys and my monkeys can enjoy the circus together!
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