Meet our Staff - Ann Bohlman, MSSW, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

I welcome this chance to introduce myself to you. I know that choosing a therapist may feel a lot like throwing a dart at a long list of counselors from the phone book. There are so many things to consider as you begin this process.

*How do I know that my counselor is competent and well-trained?
*Can I expect her to be supportive, challenging and relational?
*I want a therapist who has experience!

Please allow me to share what I bring to each and every session:

Training and Areas of interest: I earned by Bachelor of Social Work degree from Mankato, Minnesota. After five years in the field, I went on to earn my Master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, with a focus on working with adolescents. Soon after beginning my internship at Briarpatch (an agency that provided – and still does – crisis and brief counseling to teens and their families), I found my passion – therapy! I saw first-hand what a difference a competent therapist could make in the lives of individuals and families who were hurting and feeling hopeless. After twelve years at Briarpatch, I felt a desire to expand my counseling services beyond teens and families. In 2004, our group opened Living Well Counseling Services. I truly enjoy working with people from all walks and stages of life. I work with individuals, couples and families.

Beliefs about my role as your therapist:

Respect for your strengths, experience and knowledge: I will work very hard to remind you of the strengths you posses and help you to build new ones.

Support: You will experience me as empathetic, supportive and encouraging. I truly enjoy the therapy sessions with my clients. While there are often tears and arguments, there is also laughter and joy. Both are needed to bring about healing, and to take you to a better place in your life. I do not believe that the relationship between the client and therapist has to be a sterile one.

Challenge: I also believe that my role is to challenge you. Only when you are challenged can you grow. I often tell my clients that my goal is to work myself out of a job. I don’t want you to come to counseling week after week without feeling that you are making progress. I will lovingly challenge and gently prod you in the areas that will help you reach your goals.

Interactive: I am not a passive listener. Especially when working with couples and families, a good therapist needs to know when to step in and direct the process, and when to sit back and allow things to happen. Not every therapist is good at this because it requires special skills and training. I have that experience having worked with couples and families for over seventeen years.

Experience:

Social Worker with twenty-one years of professional experience
Clinical supervisor at Briarpatch since 1995
Licensed by the State of Wisconsin as a clinical social worker since April 2003
Private practice at Living Well Counseling Services since 2004
Supervisor of master’s level clinical student interns since 1995
Volunteer youth leader of church youth groups since 1986
Conference speaker and trainer
Past experience as a nursing home social worker, and as a child protection social worker
Married for 26 years and mom of two young men

Contact Ann at 223-1506, x.4 to ask about meeting with her in our Madison office or in her Monroe/Argyle satellite office.