Stephanie Berger, CSW, LMSW

Let me be something every minute of every hour of my life.  And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one piece of living is ever lost.  –Betty Smith 

As a parent, I understand we all face challenges in finding our emotional center and seeking balance in our lives—especially the balance between work, family and one’s healthy sense of self. This is why I believe my most significant credentials derive from being a mother to my four daughters and my marriage to my husband. My life’s experiences are present in my practice, just as my clients’ life-experiences are the context for their efforts to find that meaningful balance. We are, after all, on this journey together.

Academic Credentials

I earned my Bachelor's of Arts from Western Michigan University in 2000 with a double major in Sociology and Criminal Justice. For nearly a decade thereafter, I worked as a small business owner until my children had reached school age. Then, I followed my passion to help others by pursuing a Master's Degree in Social Work from Grand Valley State University in 2011. My emphasis has been in clinical social work. I am a board certified Licensed Clinical social worker and have trained intensively through Behavioral Tech (Washington State) in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I have extensively studied the positive aspects of mindfulness practice and how it impacts brain function, and how mindfulness addresses a variety of mental health issues. I am also a Member of the National Association of Social Workers.

My professional experience is broad. I’ve worked in a variety of settings, including the public school system, Community Mental Health (contract services), an outpatient mental health agency. I am also a former member of Grand Traverse Children’s Crisis Team. In addition to leading groups on Mindfulness and DBT skills training for adolescents and adults for the last six years, I have also served as a coach and mentor for community programs and worked closely with the most at-risk members of the community.

My Approach and Services

I believe passionately that emotional health and positive well-being takes an active “whole lifestyle” approach. So often, the path to mindfulness requires fresh, empowering approaches that are tailored to the individual needs of my clients. My practice is especially devoted to helping adolescents, young adults and women find balance and wholeness.

My professional goal is to bring mindfulness education and training into a variety of settings including the classroom, the workplace and the athletic field. I offer services for:

• Individual therapy 
• Mindful parenting classes
• Mindfulness for educators
• Addressing compassion fatigue for service providers

In my free time, I enjoy spending time in nature with my husband and four daughters, as well as getting my hands dirty through organic gardening.