Choosing a Therapist:

Choosing a therapist can be a challenging process. Most people who report positive results from therapy describe feeling understood and accepted by their therapist as being one of the most important factors. Each person is different, and not every therapist is right for every patient. This is part of being human. Asking questions about treatment approach, years of experience, how a therapist measures progress, can all be helpful in determining whether that approach is likely to be a good fit for you. Wise Mind Clinical Staff actively solicit feedback about your experience in psychotherapy to insure the therapy relationship is solid. This allows engagement about the helpfulness of psychotherapy early in the process, and increases the likelihood that treatment will be successful.

WISE MIND: About Us

Wise Mind Mental Health Clinic, LLC is founded on a commitment to provide caring, skilled, and research informed treatment for people who are dealing with a range of mental health and situational problems. In our experience, we can be most effective in helping when we thoughtfully understand the people we meet with, use our training and clinical expertise, and the best of psychotherapy research to help people feel better and improve their lives.

“Wise Mind” is about finding the place where both reason and emotion, are in balance. The overlap of thinking and feeling is where Wise Mind happens, and where positive change starts. This is central to our understanding of how we can help people. We pursue deep awareness and understanding of a person’s unique experience, and combine these with the best available research and evidence based practice to support the well-being of each person we see.

Our Therapists

Patricia K Faber, MSW, LCSW: Patty has been in clinical practice since 1993. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Religious Studies, and a Master’s degree in Social Work* from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has prior work experience with the Women’s Counseling Collective in St Louis, Central Iowa Psychological Services, and over 15 years of work in the Dept of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health- Marshfield Clinic. She works with adults, and teenagers 14 and older. Areas of expertise include Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Grief, Adjustment, Relationship Issues, Marriage Counseling/Couples Therapy Mood and Anxiety Problems – Pregnancy and Postpartum Mood and Anxiety disorders, Emotion dysregulation. Click Here for Prior Practice History.

Tracy L Olson, MSW, LCSW: Tracy has been practicing psychotherapy since 1992, including 18 years in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Department at Marshfield Clinic. She received her B.S. from Viterbo College, and her MSW (Masters in Social Work*) from Boston University. She has extensive training and experience in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which helps people manage distress, regulate emotions, and be more effective in relationships. “I really enjoy working with a wide range of people. My day might involve play therapy with a 5 year old learning to manage their anxiety, followed by an adult working to find ways to improve their relationships, followed by a high school student trying to manage peer pressure or the transition to college. It’s a privilege to part of these journeys in life.” She works with kids (5 and up), teens, adults, couples, families, and groups.  Click Here for Prior Practice History.

*About Clinical Social Work and Psychotherapy – Psychotherapy (short for psychological therapy) is commonly referred to as counseling. Counseling is a general term and has been used for everything from financial counseling to cell phone sales “counselors.” In the state of Wisconsin, there are several professions who are licensed to provide psychotherapy to “diagnose and treat” mental health issues. Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and licensed professional counselors are in this category. Only LCSWs and licensed psychologists have the credentials to meet eligibility for Medicare reimbursement for psychotherapy.

LCSWs have a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW), pass a test of clinical knowledge, and have a minimum of 3,000 hours of being supervised in providing psychotherapy in order to be licensed.

Clinical social workers have a different role than social workers who work in Social Services, who are employed by the county who try and help children and families in difficult situations. All licensed psychotherapists are mandated reporters for child abuse and elderly abuse, but outpatient LCSWs generally don’t go into homes to assess family situations.