Family therapy and counseling in Eau Claire, WI

Hello, I'm so happy you found me! I'm Roxann Pazdera, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of Birch Grove Family Therapy. Whether your family is navigating emotional challenges, behavioral concerns, family conflict, or the aftermath of a mental health crisis, my goal is to provide a safe and supportive space where healing and growth can occur. I truly strive to meet you where you are. I believe that healing begins with feeling safe, supported, and truly understood. My goal is to help you gain insight, build practical coping skills, strengthen relationships, and create meaningful, lasting change without fear of judgement.

I specialize in working with children, adolescents, and families experiencing difficulties related to emotional regulation, attachment, anxiety, family relationships, and transitions following higher levels of care. I am particularly passionate about helping caregivers better understand their children's emotional needs while strengthening relationships.

I am drawn to this work because I’m a parent myself. My areas of interest grew from recognizing the need for stronger family support services and more accessible step-down care for children and teens following inpatient or other high-acuity treatment. My practice is intentionally small so I can provide personalized, high-quality care.

I've long been drawn to the dance between the psychological and the spiritual. As I journeyed my own early path of discovery, it lead me to studies in psychology, classic literature, and theology in undergraduate, and then later Buddhist psychotherapy and meditation, and depth psychology in graduate school. I received my graduate degree from Naropa University's Transpersonal Counseling Psychology program in 2003, and am licensed in WI (LPC) and MN (LPCC). I am a practitioner of shamatha-vipassyana meditation, and have a well-established background of working for various therapy group practices in MN and WI.

Education

2003, Naropa University, MA in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology.

1998, College of St. Benedict, BA in Psychology; 1997 study abroad in Beibei, China.

As a lifelong student of East and West methodologies, I blend Person-Centered, CBT, Gestalt, depth psychology, somatic, and Buddhist psychology views. I also take a trauma-informed, IFS-informed, EFT-informed approach. I spent many years exploring Christian mysticism and theology before finding my own path and practice in Tibetan Buddhism for the past 20+ years, and I welcome heartfelt conversations about any psycho-spiritual path.

I am a licensed Profession Counselor with more than a decade of experience in the mental health field. I have been working in a variety of settings since 2012, providing counseling to children, adolescents, adults, and families. Throughout my career I have worked with a wide range of mental health diagnoses as well as substance use concerns. My clinical focus and the area I am most passionate about is trauma. I am nationally certified in Trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), with an additional training and clinical experience in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Aggression Replacement Training. My therapeutic style is compassionate, genuine, and highly individualized. I believe in meeting clients where they are and working together to determine what they need from therapy. Sometimes that means learning new skills, sometimes it means having a safe place to talk and be heard, and sometimes it means a little bit of everything. My goal is to help clients feel safe, supported, understood, and genuinely empowered, not managed. I truly believe that having a place where you can feel safe and relaxed is often the first step toward healing. When we have the opportunity to let our guard down and feel accepted for who we are, we can begin to process what we've been carrying and work toward letting go.

Outside of work, life is busy and lively with my husband, out two children and our collection of pets. We have two cats, two dogs, and a rabbit. Animals have always been one of my main coping skills and self care. I am happiest when surrounded by them. I am also usually happiest in the middle of a DIY project, even if I'm not entirely sure how it is going to turn out when I start.

I have worked primarily with adults, older adults, and adolescents on issues of mental health that may be impacting one's ability to function in day-to-day life such as: depression, anxiety, other mood and thought disorders, suicidality (for individuals as well as those bereaved from suicide losses), interpersonal violence, LGBTQIA+ support, topics surrounding race and culture, hoarding (both individuals affected and their loved ones), criminal justice system-involvement, and trauma (individual, intergenerational, and community).

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I have experience working in outpatient clinics, inpatient psychiatric settings, residential substance use treatment, as well as community re-entry and job coaching support programs for the last 10 years.

I come with over 34 years of Clinical eperience. I am open to help anyone willing to do the work to change and make a better life for themselves.