Tamra Jensen, MSW,LICSW

  • About
    • Specialties: Behavioral Health Services Mental Health Psychotherapy / Counseling
    • Gender: Female
    • Languages: English
    Biography

    What I Do

    My areas of clinical interests include any trauma work, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders and co-occurring disorders.

    For the last fifteen years of my career, I've had the opportunity to join in therapeutic alliances with folks from all walks of life. I have been blessed to work in a K-12 Day Treatment program (providing individual and group skills to children and adolescents), in the private sector as a family skills provider, and most recently, I spent time as a district school social worker. At face value, it could be said that most of my experience has been providing services to children and adolescents. I also understand that when taking a closer look at the therapeutic alliance, at some point in the therapeutic journey (whether the patient is 16 or 66), most of us spend some time supporting the needs of our inner child. While collaborating with patients, I recognize that each of us is unique, including our therapeutic needs. Understanding these individualities allows me to draw from several therapeutic modalities when pairing with patients, including strengths-based, trauma-informed, art, Brainspotting, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Motivational Interviewing interventions.

    In my years of working with and beside some inspiring folks, here are the top five things I have learned and integrated into my daily practice:

    1. I believe in the power of authentic, nonjudgmental, partnerships. As humans, we are genetically wired for connection. There is always something to learn from others. Authentic partnerships are not limited to human interactions. There is something to be said about the alliance many of us have with the earth under our feet and the animals we are lucky enough to share it with. As we learn to talk less and listen more, the truths of self we can uncover are unparalleled.
    2. I believe that we are all inherently doing the best that we can with what we know. When we know more, we have the power to do more.
    3. I believe that mindset can make or break a person. Having a positive mindset does not remove inevitable life stressors, it does, however, change our relationship with those stressors, ourselves, and the world around us.
    4. I believe you can't pour from an empty cup. It's imperative to not only recognize what we pour our energy into but also the people/places/things in this life that re-fill us.
    5. I believe therapy isn't always easy. There is no magic wand. Change can be hard and healing isn't linear. Typically, when folks find themselves attending therapy, it's evident that they recognize something is occurring in their life that is getting in the way of their health and happiness. Doing the same things that we have always done to manage life challenges can be hard, too. At the end of the day, sometimes we all need a reminder that we have the power to choose our hard.
    Education
    • College
      Bachelor of Arts, with majors in Psychology & Sociology, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN
    • Master’s Degree
      Social Work, Capella University, Minneapolis, MN
    Certifications & Licensure
      • Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
      • Brainspotting Phase One and Two