Alana was born and raised in rural North Dakota. She received undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Social Work from the University of North Dakota. She has been working in the social work field for several years, giving her the opportunity to expand her knowledge and skills in working with children, adults, families, and other professionals. Alana has social work experience in a variety of settings, to include outreach for the elderly, family preservation, in-home case management, children’s mental health case management, school social work, and child welfare. Alana continued her education and attained her Master of Social Work degree from the University of North Dakota. She has since added to her experience by providing therapy to individuals, couples, and families.

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Alana approaches her work with a trauma-informed focus. She recognizes the prevalence of trauma and its impact on an individual’s overall well-being and strives to understand the whole of the individual who is seeking therapy. Alana focuses on her client’s strengths to empower them to build a strong foundation to fall back on when there are setbacks in life. She values the importance of human relationships, authenticity, self-determination, integrity, and respect, and these values shine through in her work with clients.

 

Alana is trained in the trauma-specific, evidence-based treatments of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and she is clinically informed in Eco-systemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT), Solution Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She is currently a student in the Somatic Experiencing Professional Training Program, seeking to complete the educational and related requirements of the program to use the Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner credential. Her areas of clinical interest for treatment include trauma and attachment, family systems/relationships, parenting, hoarding, domestic violence, abuse and neglect, divorce, anxiety, depression, adjustment disorders, workplace trauma, and generational trauma.

 

Alana lives with her husband and their two children. In her personal time, she enjoys spending time with her family as well as fishing, gardening, kayaking, and listening to music.