Life is made up of beautiful chaos, often involving a great deal of loss and unexpected turns. We all have a vision of how our life is going to play out and we make plans and sacrifices to achieve our goals. However, it can be difficult to know how to navigate it all when things don’t go as planned and it can be helpful to have a neutral listening ear to process those experiences.

Emily has experience working with individuals and families who are impacted by trauma, depression, anxiety, self-esteem struggles, identity exploration, divorce, family and relationship conflict, complex family systems, parenting challenges, attachment disruption and grief and loss. Emily’s approach is strengths-based, relational, reflective, grounded and encouraging. She creates a safe, comfortable and inclusive environment for her clients to show up as their authentic self and approaches everyone with warmth, compassion, curiosity and humor. She believes in striving to uphold a culturally inclusive and LGBTQ+ affirming space for her clients and incorporates the mind-body connection into her work to support her clients with being attuned to their bodies.

Emily incorporates a variety of evidence-based modalities into her work and is trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).

Emily received her Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from The University of St. Thomas/St. Catherine University. She has over 10 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults providing individual and family therapy. Emily has worked in a variety of settings, such as adolescent residential treatment, in-home, and outpatient. In addition to being a therapist, Emily is also a clinical supervisor and has been providing clinical supervision since 2018. Prior to becoming a therapist Emily began working in children’s mental health starting in 2005, in a variety of settings.  She also has experience as a children’s mental health case manager prior to becoming a therapist, which gives her a unique insight into how to navigate the children’s mental health system.

Emily enjoys being in nature and playing with her son, going for walks and hikes, spending time with friends, hosting and cooking for loved ones, and traveling and exploring new places with friends and family.

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