Mandi Wallace (she/they)

My Background

My graduate degree is in “Professional Mental Health Counseling - Addictions” and my practicum training was with Lewis and Clark’s Community Counseling Clinic. My follow-up internship training was with NW Anxiety Institute, gaining experience working with adolescents with OCD and anxiety disorders and facilitating groups with adults. I have previously worked in residential housing environments and intensive outpatient programs focused on the treatment and care of serious and persistent mental illness, addiction, and eating disorders. My theoretical roots are in existential humanism, meaning that I believe that exploring values and authentic self-expression contribute to fulfillment and a sense of well-being. However, a majority of my training was focused on behavioral interventions and this is an inherent part of what I offer clients. I practice under the belief is that the two do not have to necessarily contradict one another and am fond of "technical eclecticism" in treatment.

My Approach to Helping

I aim to be equal parts compassionate and relationally authentic, while being candid and direct- as challenging is often needed for the outcomes clients hope for. A strategy that I commonly employ in the therapeutic relationship includes teaching skills from cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. My graduate specializations in addiction counseling and internship training experience in Exposure and Response Prevention translates well to helping clients who want to decrease avoidance, improve their impulse control skills, and increase their ability to cope with distressing experiences or emotions.