Gerald Schwanke, M.Div, LMFT

Post Master’s Training: Training in Play Therapy, Emotion Focus Couple Therapy, Attachment, and Trauma
Master’s Degree: Minnesota State University-Mankato, and Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN
Bachelor’s Degree: Mankato State University
Licensure: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Gerald began his career working with people in a residential setting for children with severe physical and mental disabilities, and then as an assistant director of a day treatment program for adults with severe physical and mental disabilities. He has also counseled adults, families, couples, children and adolescents as a Lutheran pastor for over 25 years.  Most recently,  Gerald has been in private practice working with children, adolescents, individuals, couples, and families helping them manage emotional stress.

Emotional stress occurs when we feel disconnected from important people in our lives.  Therefore, he works with you to reconnect to significant people in your life in order to regulate your emotions and build a sense of safety and trust in your personal life and relationships.  For example, Gerald uses play therapy to help children establish a connecting and trusting relationship with him, as their therapist; and also with their caregivers in order to regulate their emotions.  Another example is his use of Emotion Focused Couples Therapy to build trusting and safe connections with their partner in order to reestablish communication and discuss difficult topics.  In the case of trauma, he uses the person’s own senses in sensorimotor therapy to aid the person in calming their emotions, body, and mind so that they can use other forms of healing and move forward in life with minimal influence from past traumatic event(s).

In his spare time, he likes to read, enjoy the outdoors, exercise, and spend time with his spouse, adult children, and grandchildren.