Inez has 30+ years in the mental health field. Inez has worked in settings such as in-home, day treatment, and in private practice. She enjoys working with adults, and seniors on an individual level as well as working with couples, families, and groups.

Inez’s Therapy Approach: “I believe that therapy is a joint venture between the client(s) and therapist. It is a way to learn about how each construct the meaning that forms our lives and our feelings and to take responsibility for constructing them to be what we wish. My role as therapist is to correct, understand, empathize, suggest and confront. Therapy can be in turn difficult, fun, painful, confusing, boring, upsetting and once in a while transcending. Because the construction of meaning in our lives is active, I am not a passive listener but an active participant in the process of relationship and change. I use my experience, skills, feelings, intellect, and presence within the relationship to help explore and develop options and create desirable change. My way of doing therapy is always interactive and collaborative. I don’t do therapy to another, we do it together. Through rigorous honesty, we learn to respond differently to our internal shame and grow in our ability to give their relationships the intimacy they desire and deserve. The client is the agent of change and compassion, caring and empathy on the part of the therapist are the processes that power the growth.”

Areas of Special Interest:

Inez specializes in providing compassionate support and guidance in a variety of areas. Her expertise includes attachment-attentive therapy and betrayal trauma, as well as counseling for friends and family of addicts. She utilizes the Couple-Centered Recovery® model to work with couples and offers tailored support for diverse couples and multicultural issues.

Inez addresses challenges such as depression, family of origin issues, grief and loss, and intimacy disorders. She offers intensives focused on inner child healing and incorporates natural mental health approaches into her practice.

Additionally, Inez helps clients navigate post-traumatic stress and emotional bruising, develop parenting skills, and improve their relationships through counseling and pre-marital therapy. She also incorporates Pia Melody-based treatment into her work and is dedicated to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community with understanding and care.

Education:
Master of Family and Consumer Science, Marriage and Family Therapy
Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 
Bachelor of Science in Education
Area of Concentration: Elementary Education
Minor: Special Education
University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota

Membership:
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
Minnesota Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
CCBRT - Certified Couples Betrayal Recovery Therapy 
IITAP International Institute for Trauma and Addiction 
Former board member/secretary, MN Association for Children’s Mental Health
Return Peace Corps Volunteer

Licensure: 
Marriage and Family Therapist 

Publication:
“Self Determination Across the Life Span”

• English – Native
• Spanish – Speak and read/write with high proficiency