Rita Anderson

Do you feel like you have lost yourself? Have you been taking care of everyone else to the neglect of self? Are you lonely and unfulfilled despite the appearance of the opposite? Are the choices of your parent, partner, or child “driving you crazy”? Are you ashamed or afraid of your health condition being out of control? Are you tired of knowing what to do but unable to “just do it”? Are you a professional who requires discretion, privacy, and a provider who understands the challenges of "working in the trenches?"

I take a practical approach to therapy. I quickly “separate the wheat from the chaff” to quickly identify key concerns that can be targeted for immediate improvement. I am proficient in coping skill development for improving health and happiness. I help “pull back the curtain” of family dynamics and assist in identifying choice points for new ways of responding to create new outcomes.

In my life, I have personally experienced family dynamics which include a blended family, physical disability, poverty, substance misuse, co-dependency, loss of both parents, and loss of a family member due to an impaired driver. I have also experienced shift work (9 years), stressful working conditions (i.e., adult corrections), living out of state, relocation after retirement, and starting a new career.

I grew up on a dairy farm in central MN, graduated from Clarissa High School, and received my B.A. in Justice Studies from the University of Alaska – Fairbanks in 1986. Following a successful 20-year career with the Alaska Department of Corrections, I was able to "retire" at age 43. My husband and I returned to MN and bought a home on a lake outside of Park Rapids. After some dabbling in yard work, lazing around, and part-time jobs, I decided to enter the "second chapter" of my life and went back to school. In 2014, I obtained my Masters degree in Addiction Studies: Advanced Practice from the Hazelden Graduate School which afforded me the opportunity to become dual-licensed as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) . I am a board certified LADC Supervisor and am a board certified LPCC Supervisor. After working in a small clinic for five years, I opened a small, private clinic in 2019, specializing in providing services to clients seeking privacy in a small, private setting. COVID challenged me to ramp up telehealth offerings to clients across the state of Minnesota.