Emily believes in the power of human connection and authentic relationships. She believes that vulnerability is brave and can be a powerful tool within the context of therapeutic growth.Emily has extensive experience working with cancer (children and adults), medical trauma/crisis, chronic health concerns, caregiving, parent/family systems, anxiety, depression, health care and other professionals, and holds advanced certification(s) in end-of-life and grief work. She has had the honor and privilege of walking alongside patients and their families through their cancer/life threatening illness journey in providing adjustment to illness counseling, psychoeducation surrounding the impact of a cancer diagnosis, education surrounding the evolution of hope through the trajectory of illness, as well as legacy building/meaning making.

She can provide a safe, welcoming space with empathy and authenticity, where you can process your feelings and emotions, grieve, be challenged, and find hope and meaning in the days ahead. Her goal is to meet you where you’re at, walk alongside, and help you achieve your goals. Just because it’s heavy doesn’t mean you need to carry it all. Emily would be honored to help carry and walk alongside you on your healing journey. Emily practices with a compassion focused, strengths based, grief informed lens. She commonly employs modalities including dialectical behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma informed practice, and grief informed practice, in her work with clients.

Emily is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with 17 years of experience in the health care setting. She's spent 13 of those years supporting the emotional and mental health of pediatric cancer patients and their families as they navigate their cancer journeys from beginning to end. She holds an advanced certification in palliative and end of life care, as well as grief informed care. Emily received her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Augsburg University in Minneapolis and her Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from The University of St. Thomas & St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul. MN.

In her free time, Emily loves spending time with her husband and two daughters. She is an avid bird watcher and enjoys hiking. She loves a good podcast and the work of Social Worker Brene Brown and Grief Expert Megan Devine.

“While it may not always be this acutely heavy, your grief, like your love, will always be a part of you. Life can be, and even likely will be, beautiful again. But that is a life built alongside loss, informed by beauty and grace as much as by devastation, not one that seeks to erase it.” – Megan Devine 

** Emily Landsverk is an Independent Contractor at Orka Health and Wellness