Real Help for Real Problems:   Serving Stillwater, Woodbury, White Bear Lake, Hudson, WI, and surrounding areas

Professional Counseling: Quality Therapy

About Me - John A Bragstad Counseling A graduate of Alfred Adler Graduate School
Adler was instrumental in the formation of cognitive therapy and many of the child-raising approaches used today such as family meetings, use of logical consequences and emphasizing praise instead of criticism.

Licensed in Marriage & Family Therapy
According to one national survey, 80% of private practice therapists in the United States claim to do marriage therapy. Of these, only 12% are in a discipline that requires even one course or supervised experience in this area. Only marriage and family therapy as a profession requires coursework or supervised clinical experience in marital and couples counseling.

Advanced Certification in Rational-Emotive Therapy (REBT) - New York University
REBT is one form of what is known as cognitive-behavioral or cognitive therapy. Rational-Emotive Brief Therapy helps people in a wide variety of circumstances. Consult any website medical directory and you will see cognitive therapy is often the treatment of choice for anxiety, depression, coping with unreasonable fear, perfectionism, anger management, racing thoughts, trauma, even weight control. It is also used in the treatment of chronic pain.

Certification in Organizational Development - Alder Graduate School(Hopkins, MN)
A strong emphasis on systems thinking, a circular understanding of how problems maintain themselves and knowing how to identify core assumptions that are the basis of our thinking. Principles are taught that can identify organizational patterns, resistance to change, how leaders can falter in the presence of chronic anxiety and stress within a business setting.

A Member of the Minnesota Society for Clinical Hypnosis
Hypnosis has been used for a variety of problems such as pain management, stopping smoking, losing weight, bettering performance. Hypnosis can also be used to gain new insight and shift into more novel ways of thinking. This is a far cry from what people think of when they watch hypnosis on stage.

A Graduate of Luther Theological Seminary
I think of myself as a counselor who is Christian rather than a “Christian counselor”. I believe the spiritual is one dimension that should not be segmented from the personal struggles people are going through. It can be integrated into conversations at the clients request.

I have also taught world religions for 15 years drawing on such rich traditions as Zen which emphasizes the importance of mindfulness, meditation and accepting reality on its own terms.

Advanced Certification in PREPARE & ENRICH (Life Innovations)
PREPARE and ENRICH (by Life Innovations) are designed to provide feedback to couples intending to get married or for those who want more information regarding their current relationship. I have worked with over 125 couples using PREPARE and ENRICH to help them plan a satisfying and happy lifetime together.

Bi-lateral Brain Stimulation Training
Particularly useful for serious trauma and post-traumatic stress (PTSD), bi-lateral brain stimulation is a simple, safe, user-friendly tool that keeps you in control while allowing you to process old memories. Similar to EMDR it offers trauma sufferers a way to convert desperation into deliberate insight, fear into fortitude and courage.

A marriage counselor, family therapist and individual counselor using cognitive therapy for over 20 years in church, school, business and private settings.

Married for over 35 years. I have two adult children and 3 grandchildren. The Canadian Shield and Norway are two of my favorite places on earth and camping with my wife and being with family are, for me, about as good as life gets.

John A Bragstad Counseling