My work and passion centers on healing and strengthening relationships. I believe secure emotional and intimate connections with others; along with self-awareness and acceptance, are foundational to joyful living. I have many years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families in all areas of relationship healing and wellness. I work from a pro-marriage/pro-commitment stance and have a desire to help couples heal and rebuild their relationship. My areas of speciality include sex therapy, sexual addiction recovery, affair repair, partner betrayal trauma recovery and couples in crisis.
As a Certified Sex Therapist, I specialize in working with couples or individuals experiencing sex/intimacy concerns, sexual dysfunctions, sexual fears/anxiety, sexual trauma, low sex drive, marriage/partnership desire discrepancies, gender identity/orientation, compulsive sexual behaviors (sex/porn addiction) and more.
In addition to my focus on sex therapy, my private practice is also specialized towards working with individuals and couples experiencing a crisis or betrayal in the relationship such as the discovery of an sexual/ emotional affair, the disclosure of a sex/porn addition/compulsive sexual behaviors, and those couples discerning their commitment to the relationship. I also see clients who are interested in Intensive Counseling to help them get through times of crisis following a discovery and to find stabilization and begin to develop a plan to move forward.
I offer a comprehensive approach providing individual sex addiction treatment in addition to a focus on partner betrayal trauma and healing as a couple. As a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, I utilize a number of approaches in address sex and/or porn addiction including the work of Patrick Carnes and Pure Desire Ministries. Sex and Porn Addiction Treatment involves stabilization of out of control behaviors, increasing one's insights/awareness, psycho-education (including understanding of the addiction cycles and neurobiology of addiction) and developing a customized individual treatment plan for the management of symptoms/behaviors to achieve sobriety. We also focus on the recovery work of learning effective skills/solutions to help clients maintain sobriety long term, and work towards healing any past trauma, learning healthy communication, intimacy and emotional connection.
My work with work Betrayed Partners centers around a trauma framework and treatment approach. I do not align with the co-dependency model. I believe betrayed partners are experiencing a trauma response in the aftermath of discovery and disclosure; and their nervous system has been attached. Betrayal Trauma is real and symptoms often resemble those of PTSD and grief. The betrayed partner work include individual support for stabilization, boundary setting, grief processing and emotional healing. When ready, and if partners decide to try to heal their marriage, couples counseling is recommended to guide this process. Sobriety is not enough to heal the relationship. The partner's healing process is very specific to healing the emotional injuries, grief processing and managing triggers. A therapist who specializes in trauma and specifically betrayal trauma is recommended. The couples work usually entails a full therapeutic disclosure, boundary plans, an impact statement written by the betrayed partner, an emotional restitution response and guided couple check-ins to help manage the on-going healing stage. Couple sexual re-integration is also often needed to help the couple reconnect intimately in health ways. I often use EMDR as I work with betrayed partners to manage symptoms and heal.
Lastly, I have been trained in Discernment Counseling, a treatment approach that is very specific to working with couples facing a crossroads of considering divorce/separation or reconciliation; where one of both partners are leaning out of the marriage or relationship and uncertain about their longterm commitment. Discernment Counseling helps couples explore their options to determine what the best approach would be and whether they want to give their marriage another try, consider a healing separation, or uncouple.
As a specialist in the above areas of practice, I do not accept insurance for these services nor provide a mental health diagnosis. Therefore all sessions are billed as private pay/out-of-pocket.
It is my hope that you will experience an environment of compassion and non-judgement as you begin your healing journey.
Please note: I only see clients virtually via tele-therapy.
Contact me at: Jana@MN-CCC.com
Our Team
Our Services
Jana Sczepanski Palkert
MA, LMFT, CST, CSAT, RN
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Relationship Coach and a Licensed Registered Nurse. I have over 30 years of experience working in the mental health and medical healthcare fields. I completed my bachelor's degree from St. Catherine University and my master's degree from the MN School of Psychology and Behavioral Science at Argosy University. Additionally, I am an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, a Certified EMDR Therapist through EMDRIA. and a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist through IITAP. As an MN Board Certified MFT Supervisor, I provide consultation to colleagues and other professionals on marriage, couples and sex therapy.
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763-400-7475 X1
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Maple Grove Office
Arbor Lakes
7835 Main Street N. #220
Maple Grove, MN 55369
(o) 763.400.7475
(f) 763.400.7473
Edina Office
Londonderry Office Park
5780 Lincoln Drive #250
Edina, MN 55436
(o) 763.400.7475
(f) 763.400.7473