Emily Wegenke

LSW

Child & Family Therapist
Outreach Coordinator

As a therapist, it is important to me to create an environment where the child and family feel safe to share what is on their minds and in their hearts. In each session, I apply trauma-informed care for a deeper understanding of what the child or family have experienced. My goal is to work with youth ages 5 to 15-years-old to improve communication skills, expand their toolbox of safe coping skills, and build self-confidence. I support both the child and parent to find and use their strengths to work on their presenting issue(s). We are only humans, trying to do our best in life. My approach incorporates aspects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), play-therapy, and other unique interventions to allow what is discussed in sessions to be applied in daily life. Through Family Systems Theory (FST) I work with both the child and parents to adapt our sessions to meet their needs.
Baby steps are what lead to big steps! It takes courage to take the time to find a therapist that feels right to you. Consider taking the next step of reaching out to schedule a first session. We can spend more time getting to know one another and begin the work of creating a life worth living.

As a child who asked a lot of questions, I was interested in understanding the world around me in depth. Growing up, both of my parents were public educators and I was always interested in what happened to their students when they got into trouble. This question is what lit the fire inside of me to pursue therapy. I am passionate about working with children and their families to expand their coping skills so that they can reach their goals set. I truly believe that all children will be successful, but success will look different for each.

I have experience on the other side of therapy as well! I have participated in group therapy as a teenager and individual therapy as an adult. As a clinician, it is important to me to know what it feels like to be on the other side of the questions! It's okay to need extra help in life and it is even braver to seek it out.

Growing up, I always imagined becoming a special education teacher. I began my bachelor's degree pursuing special education with a focus on emotional impairment. Through my undergraduate coursework and support from my professors, I switched my major to psychology with a double minor in family studies and youth studies. I kept coming to the question, "why" in regard to individual behaviors. I was interested in going deep into the development of children and learning about their patterns of behavior. I pursued a Master's in Social Work to support children and their families to make sense of the child's emotional responses and how to effectively support someone through a difficult time.