~~~ other {PARTS} of me, when I am not working as your professional secret keeper:

You might find me reading or writing at a neighborhood coffee shop, meandering through an indie bookstore, practicing yoga, weight training, taking road trips, hiking, doing photography, traveling with my family, or Je suis en train d'apprendre le français.

~(I am studying French).

I have a never-ending curiosity about people and existential wonder. I am an avid information seeker, taking a class, researching theories and modalities. Nerding out on psychology and neuroscience.

I look forward to being on this journey with you

~Stephanie  

Education Trainings Certifications

• Master’s degree in counseling psychology

Undergraduate degrees:

• Forensic Psychology with a specialization of forensics and the law

• Addiction Counseling

·      Telehealth: Law and Ethics, Insurance and Technology Updates

·  Ethics:  Social Media for Therapists

·      Grief Treatment: A Certification Training on Evidence-Based Approaches to Care Across the Lifespan 

·      Navigating Racialized Trauma and Our Nation's Upheaval

·      Becoming a Social Justice Informed Clinician: Embodying Equity, Inclusion and Liberation to Enhance Treatment with Minoritized Clients

·      Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

·      Brainspotting

·      Prepare/Enrich

·      Telehealth for Mental Health Professional

·      Intensive Workshop: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) Clients: Clinical Issues and Treatment Services

·      Gambling Treatment Provider. 60 hour / Training through State of Minnesota Department of Human Services Mental Health Division: Gambling Treatment Provider.

‍ ‍Certifications

• Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapy Professional (C-DBT) Training: An Advanced Online Skills Training for Adapting Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Everyday Clinical Needs   

•     Grief Treatment: A Certification Training on Evidence-Based Approaches to Care Across the Lifespan

‍ ‍Professional Membership

Member of the (APA) American Psychological Association, Minnesota Psychological Association and The Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC).

Current Clinical Research:

I am currently researching Ambiguous loss theory, in particular, exploring the cross connection of Ambiguous loss theory and addiction, addiction and family systems and OCD and addiction.

If you are interested in being part of this clinical research please reach out. Any data collected would be anonymous and via self-reported questionnaires.

Hello…

I am Stephanie Childress, MA, LPCC, LADC, C-DBT

I use she/her pronouns >> J'utilise le pronom elle

I am a Licensed Psychotherapist, dual licensed LPCC and LADC,

This information will help us determine if we might work well together.  I have years of clinical experience that allows me to offer a greater understanding to explore your areas of need.

Professional Values

I view my professional values as safety containers for those I work with. I am a non-pathologizing, anti-racist, 2SLGBTQQIA+ affirming therapist who practices through a social justice lens. I strive to create an environment where clients feel respected, empowered, and understood, while recognizing the impact that culture, identity, systems, and lived experiences have on mental health and wellbeing.

My approach to therapy is person-centered, trauma-informed, and grounded in both somatic healing and neuroscience. I believe that understanding how our brains, bodies, relationships, and experiences shape us is essential to creating meaningful and lasting change.

I am an interactive therapist. I want to learn about you, hear your story, understand the experiences that have shaped you, and help you recognize the patterns that may no longer serve you. Together, we work to rewrite trauma narratives, build self-compassion, strengthen resilience, and reconnect with the parts of yourself that have been lost, silenced, or burdened by life's challenges.

I provide a trauma-informed space that honors your lived experience and supports healing through safety, connection, curiosity, and empowerment. Therapy with me blends reflection, skill-building, mindful awareness, and practical tools that can be applied in everyday life.

My Therapeutic Approach

By integrating techniques from multiple therapeutic approaches, I tailor treatment to your individual needs, strengths, goals, and preferences.

My work is informed by:

Person-Centered Therapy

Existential Therapy

Gestalt Therapy

Hakomi-Informed Principles

Polyvagal Theory

Somatic Experiencing and Body-Based Interventions

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Brainspotting

Bibliotherapy (Book Therapy)

 All of my work has a strong somatic and neuroscience foundation. I frequently provide psychoeducation on nervous system functioning, attachment, trauma, and resilience so that clients can better understand their experiences and develop greater self-compassion.

Somatic Healing

Drawing from Hakomi principles and Polyvagal Theory, I help clients understand the relationship between the mind, body, emotions, and nervous system.

This work may include:

Understanding fight, flight, freeze, fawn, and shutdown responses

Learning nervous system regulation skills

Increasing awareness of bodily sensations and emotional experiences

Developing grounding and mindfulness practices

Building resilience through self-compassion and self-awareness

Exploring how trauma and life experiences may be carried in the body

Book Therapy

I am a bibliophile (lover and collector of books) and a logophile (lover of words and language). Because of this, I often incorporate bibliotherapy—what I affectionately call Book Therapy—into the therapeutic process.

This may include reading, journaling, reflective writing, podcasts, articles, or creative exercises between sessions to deepen insight and keep the work alive outside the therapy office.

Areas of Specialization

My areas of specialization include:

Trauma and Complex Trauma

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Anxiety Disorders

Depression

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Related Disorders

Addiction and Recovery

Process Addictions and Compulsive Behaviors

Gambling Disorder

Burnout and Vicarious Trauma

Intimate Partner Betrayal and Betrayal Trauma

Licensed Professional Health Programs (HPSP)

Family Systems and Addiction

Neurodiversity and Special Needs Advocacy

My approach to Addiction Therapy:

I approach addiction therapy through an intersectional lens, helping clients understand the deeper connections between addictive behaviors, OCD-related patterns, trauma, attachment wounds, nervous system dysregulation, and emotional survival strategies.

This includes work with:

Substance Use Disorders

Gambling Addiction

Shopping and Spending Compulsions

Hypersexual and Compulsive Sexual Behaviors

Gaming and Technology Addiction

Other Process Addictions and Compulsive Behaviors

Evaluations and Professional Collaboration

I conduct:

Substance Use Evaluations

Forensic Substance Use Evaluations

Diagnostic Assessments

Health Professionals Services Program (HPSP)

I work with licensed professionals participating in Health Professionals Services Program (HPSP) monitoring and collaborate with HPSP regarding treatment recommendations and quarterly reporting requirements.

For clients involved in the legal system, I communicate and collaborate with attorneys, probation officers, case managers, and other professionals as appropriate and only with a signed Release of Information.

Advocacy

I am a passionate advocate for special needs awareness, disability rights, and neurodiversity. This advocacy is reflected in both my professional work and my personal life.

Minnesota-approved Gambling Treatment Provider

I am also a Minnesota-approved Gambling Treatment Provider, having completed specialized training through the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

Public Speaking

Wernicke Encephalopathy

Korsakoff Syndrome

Addiction and Family Systems

Land Acknowledgment

My practice is located on the ancestral homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe peoples. I acknowledge their enduring relationship to this land and honor the history, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous communities past, present, and future.

Contact me

P: 612-250-5936