Abby Wulfing, MA, LMFT
abby.wulfing@affinitypsych.com
Welcome! My name is Abby Wulfing, and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of Minnesota. In the past, I have worked in crisis settings and a day treatment program, but most of my professional career has been spent in an outpatient clinic, which has been a great fit for me. I love that this setting allows me to focus on building a trusting and connected relationship with my clients, where we can collaboratively venture into meaningful territory that will facilitate healing.
I am passionate about working with older adolescents, young adults, couples, and family dyads. Many of the people I work with have a history of trauma, are in a life transition, have difficulty in relationships, struggle with eating-related issues, and have experienced loss, anxiety, and depression. I utilize an integration of approaches including relational and attachment-based modalities, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS).
How I Work
I am a human first, therapist second. I strive to help my clients feel safe, connected, and understood. Together, you and I will identify your hopes and goals for therapy and work towards what progress looks like for you. I tailor my approach to each person, and you will notice that I often check in with you about what’s working and what isn’t.
Clients often tell me that they are overwhelmed by undesirable thoughts and unsure of themselves. They are fearful of being judged and frustrated because they know what they want to do, but just can’t seem to do it. They wonder what is wrong with them and may believe they are “lazy.” I challenge these interpretations because I believe that there are always understandable reasons for what people do. Challenging circumstances and traumatic experiences can activate our minds and bodies to deploy protection to keep us safe. Over time, that prolonged protection can lead to distress including avoidance, feeling disconnected, repeating unhealthy patterns, and buying into unhelpful and discouraging thoughts and beliefs about ourselves.
Our environment, including micro- and macro-level systems, greatly impacts mental health and needs to be recognized and considered in the therapeutic process. I believe people often know or want to discover the resources they already hold within, and therapy can help you identify, uncover, and use those resources to help accomplish your goals. I will meet you where you are at in order to offer you guidance in meeting your goals. This can help you do things like connect to your values, become more skilled at managing your emotions, be more able to take meaningful action, engage in healthy relationships, feel more in control of your thoughts, and decrease your suffering.
What Sets Me Apart As a Therapist?
I truly enjoy hearing about people’s stories and consider it a privilege to be a therapist. My clients have shared with me that I am down-to-earth, thoughtful, honest, non-judgemental, and present. I will join with you using humor, your interests, and creativity, and I will be there with you through life’s difficulties and joys. I am proud that you made this courageous step and look forward to meeting with you!
