counseling
You don't have to sort this out alone.
Counseling for adults and couples in Minneapolis — a quiet room, an unhurried hour, and someone whose only agenda is understanding yours. In person in Uptown or by video across Minnesota.
A quiet hour can change a loud year.
Sessions
Ways we can work together
Individual therapy
Weekly fifty-minute sessions for anxiety, depression, grief, and the seasons of life that don't fit a tidy label. We set the pace together.
Couples therapy
A structured, even-handed space for two people to hear each other again — whether you're repairing, deciding, or simply tired of the same argument.
Grief & loss counseling
Support through bereavement and other losses — the kind with a name and the kind without one. There is no timeline here.
Life transitions
New parenthood, career upheaval, divorce, retirement — help finding your footing when the ground has moved.
Telehealth sessions
Secure video sessions for clients anywhere in Minnesota, with the same fifty-minute format and the same unhurried attention.
Free introductory call
Fifteen minutes by phone to ask questions and see whether we're a good fit — the most important part of this whole page.
Getting started
How starting works
A short call
Unhurried and free of obligation — ask anything, share as little as you like, and see how it feels to talk.
A first session
Mostly, you talk. No intake interrogation, and nothing you're required to disclose before you're ready.
A rhythm that fits
Weekly or fortnightly, in person or by video — with regular check-ins about whether the work is still serving you.
About
Who you'll be talking to
I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist, and for the past fourteen years I've kept a small practice on purpose. Small enough to know my clients well, to leave space between sessions, and to answer my own phone. People usually come to me when something has quietly become too heavy to keep carrying — a marriage that's gone silent, a loss that won't settle, a low hum of anxiety that's been running for years. My work draws on attachment-based and emotionally focused approaches, but mostly it looks like two people talking honestly in a comfortable room. I won't hand you a worksheet and a slogan. I'll help you understand what's actually happening, and what you want to do about it.
From clients
In their words
“I spent three sessions convinced I was wasting her time. Maren never once made me feel that way, and somewhere around month four I realized I'd stopped bracing for the week ahead.”
“We came in barely speaking. Maren didn't take sides — she took the problem's side against both of us, kindly. We still talk about that.”
“After my mother died, everyone around me needed me to be okay. Maren's office was the one hour a week I didn't have to be.”
Questions
Questions you might be holding
It's normal to want to know what you're stepping into.
Do you take insurance?
I'm an out-of-network provider, which lets me keep sessions private, unhurried, and free of diagnosis requirements imposed by insurers. After each session I can give you a superbill — an itemized receipt many PPO plans reimburse at 50–80%. Before we begin, I'll walk you through exactly how to check your out-of-network benefits with one phone call, and HSA/FSA cards are accepted.
Is what I say really confidential?
Yes. What you share in session stays between us, protected by law and by professional ethics. The narrow exceptions — which I'll explain plainly in our first meeting — involve imminent risk of serious harm to yourself or others, or suspected abuse of a child or vulnerable adult. Outside of those rare situations, I don't confirm to anyone that you're a client, including family members who might call.
What happens in a first session?
Mostly, you talk and I listen. We'll go through what brought you in, what you've already tried, and what you'd want to be different — at whatever depth feels right on day one. There's no intake interrogation and nothing you're required to disclose before you're ready. By the end, I'll share honestly whether I think I'm the right fit, and if I'm not, I'll suggest colleagues who might be.
Do you offer telehealth?
Yes — about a third of my practice is video sessions, held on a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform for clients anywhere in Minnesota. Some clients alternate between office and video; others are fully remote. The work translates better to a screen than most people expect, and we can always try one and see how it feels.
How long does therapy take?
Honestly: it depends, and anyone who promises a number is guessing. Some people come for a focused season of three or four months around a specific decision or loss; others stay longer because the work keeps earning its place in their week. We'll check in regularly about whether therapy is still serving you — ending well is part of the work, not a failure of it.
What's your cancellation policy?
Life happens — I ask for 24 hours' notice so the hour can go to someone else, and late cancellations are charged the session fee. Illness and true emergencies are always the exception, not a negotiation.
When you're ready
The first step is a conversation.
A free fifteen-minute call, no forms and no commitment — just a chance to ask your questions and see if this feels like the right place. I respond to every inquiry within one business day.
Contact