ECC
...personal growth and relationship strategies for individuals, couples, and families
Our Team
As Edina Counseling Center continues to grow, new clinicians are being added. I have been careful in selecting a unified network of therapists and clinicians who, though they each may have different skills, styles, and areas of expertise, share core values dedicated to your success and personal happiness.
We are contracted with most insurance companies and EAP’s, we also offer private pay plans to suit every individual and family budget. Please contact us to discuss your needs and ensure coverage options when making an appointment.
Gina R. Schuchman, MSW, LICSW
Gina graduated from the University of Minnesota’s Masters in Social Work program in 1980. Gina started off working as a therapist in a pioneering program started by Patrick Carnes, treating incest families using a 12 Step recovery model. From there she worked with adults, couples, children, and adolescents as a family counselor in a psychiatric clinic and as a school social worker in Minneapolis Schools. For many years her private practice was housed in an OB-GYN clinic where she helped those struggling with infertility and pregnancy loss and adoption choices.
Over the past 20 years, she has focused on helping people make smart choices in relationships and has designed a program called I Date Smarter (www.idatesmarter.com) to help people make healthier and more informed choices.
In the past 10 years, Gina has completed training with Pia Mellody, clinical director at the Meadows in Arizona and author of Facing Codependence, in working to assist people to resolve childhood traumas towards a healthy recovery.
Gina’s style is to work with clients in an engaged and supportive relationship to discover what is getting them stuck in life and make permanent and profound changes to enjoy a happier and more peaceful life. She believes that we all are basically competent human beings who can struggle from time to time and get stuck in our lives. Relationships make the world go round and if we are stuck in that area of our lives it affects everything we try to do in life. With some help, we can all lead happy and productive lives full of respect for ourselves and others. Gina works with individuals, couples, families, and groups in our Edina office.
Jacob Schuchman Falk, MSW, LICSW
Jacob has 7 years of experience in the mental health field in a variety of settings, including clinic-based and community-based services. He specializes in individual therapy to work on issues related to trauma, depression, anxiety, other mood-related disorders, life transitions, and co-occurring substance use issues. Jacob also has extensive experience working with severe and persistent mental illnesses and developmental disabilities, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Jacob works primarily with adults, but also sees individuals in their late adolescence, transitioning into young adulthood. Jacob brings compassion, empathy, insight, and reflection into every session.
Jacob welcomes clients with a non-judgmental, warm, and empathic engagement style and places a special emphasis on creating a strong therapeutic relationship. Recognizing that every individual’s needs are unique, he uses a client-centered approach in order to empower clients to reach their full potential, and overcome any issues or barriers that may be getting in their way. Clients find this helpful in creating a safe space to explore and process feelings and thoughts that may be difficult to share.
Jacob is an active listener who also will provide thoughtful insight, feedback, and gentle challenges to clients in order to facilitate desired changes. Jacob is comfortable using a wide array of evidence-based therapeutic styles – including psychodynamic, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and EMDR – depending on his client’s preferences and needs.
Joyce White, Psy.D, LP
Joyce graduated from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology in Boston, MA in 1997. As a licensed clinical psychologist, life coach, and relationship expert, she has been helping individuals, couples and families achieve healthier relationships with themselves and others. Joyce has helped clients improve their work lives through coaching, psychotherapy, and consulting for over 20 years. She has worked internationally and in the US in a variety of settings, ranging from mental health clinics, and holistic health practices with multi-disciplinary practitioners, to private practice.
Specialty Areas:
Joyce specializes in working with individuals, families, couples, and groups and is well-informed on the latest attachment and trauma theories and practices and uses these skills to assist clients in healing from family-of-origin trauma and/or dysfunction.
Joyce has a strong interest and competence in diversity along with her international experience. She has a special interest and skills in parenting and helping parents navigate the school environment, especially for those with learning disabilities and other special needs.
As a couple’s therapist, Joyce utilizes Terry Real’s Relational Life Therapy model assisting people in building intimacy in relationships, and teaches clients the skills necessary to have healthy relationships.
Joyce also uses Pia Melody’s work in relational recovery, as well as an eclectic tool bag of techniques, gathered over the years, to make a unique plan for each client.
Sara Carlson, MA, LMFT
Sara completed a post-master’s in marriage and family therapy at St. Mary’s University. She has been in private practice for over 20 years. As part of her practice, she worked with children and families from violent and abusive homes through Family Violence Network. She is trained in Gottman methods and emotionally focused therapy. Sara is an associate member of The American Society for Bariatric Surgery and is trained in bariatric health and behavior assessment, before and aftercare. She has been an EAP clinical counselor for a global technology company for over 12 years.
Sara is passionate about empowering individuals and couples to restore relationships, gain personal insights, and shift perspectives in a safe non-judgmental environment. She works collaboratively building on individual strengths with sensitivity to values, beliefs, and goals to restore hope and healing.
Her specialties are working with older adolescents, adults, and couples with depression, anxiety, bipolar, grief & loss, transitions, bariatric health & behavior assessments, work-related issues, and relationship issues.
With warmth, compassion, and respect, she will walk you through the deepest valleys, help you obtain healing, and give you the tools necessary for you to make lasting, positive changes in your life.MA, LMFT
Nidar Gauhar, MS, LMFT
Nida Gauhar is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has 12+ years of diverse clinical experience working with individuals, couples, and families. She uses attachment, relational, and strength-based models to help clients feel safe, understood, and heard. She strives to help clients develop clarity about what they want, create changes, and empower them to maintain lasting impact.
Prior to joining the Edina Counseling Center team, she worked many years at the Center for Grief, Loss, and Transition working with clients around grief and loss, trauma, divorce/transitions, and various health-related concerns. She has also worked closely with school districts as an educator, school counselor, and consultant for mental health-focused interventions for students and parents. Nida contracts currently with an Employee Assistance Program for a global technology company and provides stress management and wellness training, professional coaching, and consultation services to employees, leaders, and teams.
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Nida is a firm believer in the power of a collaborative therapeutic relationship and approaches her practice with empathy and humility. She considers it an honor to do this work and be able to hold each client’s story.
Carolyn Disch, MSW, LICSW
Carolyn’s style as a therapist is authentic, compassionate, warm, and non-judgmental. She appreciates the meaningful role of humor and believes in the strengths of people and helping them look for the positives in life even when they may be difficult to see.
Change is inevitable and often stressful and can be incredibly valuable to our growth.
Carolyn will listen to you with an open mind and make sure you feel heard. She will partner with you to collaboratively identify goals important to you and will share with you skills and life practices that will empower you to confidently face challenges as you evolve into the person you strive to be.
Carolyn has 20 years of experience working with adolescents and adults with concerns such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, self-esteem, sexual and gender identity, life changes, grief and loss, relationship and family of origin issues, parenting stress, and many more.
Carolyn will integrate various therapeutic approaches to find what fits and works best for you. These may include breathing techniques, guided imagery, movement, emotional self-regulation skills, and mindfulness/relaxation/stress reduction skills.
“Regardless of the techniques we employ along our journey together, I want to honor where you are and focus on a process that offers understanding and positive change.”