“Sonder:
the awareness that everyone has a story. Each living a life as vivid and complex as your own.” -John Koenig in the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.

This sums up how I see the world! I love the idea that we each have rich lives even when we just see a snippet in passing.

Meet the person behind Sonder Psychotherapy…

Blake Bender, MA, LMFT

Hi! I’m Blake (she/her) and I’ve been in the field since 2018. I’m a relational thinker at my core which means I acknowledge the person(s) in front of me as well as the systems they live in.

I hope you’ll find a non-judgmental space with me to explore any thoughts, feelings, and experiences without fear of criticism. I’m a firm believer we each are the expert in our own lives and I’m here to offer guidance, skills, and curiosity to support you in having a more fulfilling/authentic life experience.

My therapy style is very person-centered meaning you have a lot of agency on what we focus on and what you like or don’t like in the therapeutic process. I find narratives and stories of what we have been through and who we are to be fascinating. You will notice me pulling structure from DBT and things I have learned throughout my time as a therapist, while I encourage you to find what works.

Supervision with me will be integrative, collaborative, and systemic in nature. I believe in balancing structure with flexibility in clinical work, and will carry that with me to supervision. Structure provides us a strong foundation around competency and what we need to accomplish, with the flexibility to get there in a helpful manner. You will see me in a variety of roles including teacher/trainer, coach/cheerleader, mentor, and administrative supporter. I believe in the evolution of support needs as you work towards your full licensure.

Outside of therapy….

You’ll find me most often with my spouse and daughter finding new things to try!
I enjoy fiber crafts which entails dreaming of my next knitting or crochet project while attempting to finish what I’ve started. I’m a big fan of books, board games, and biking!

Licensure & Experience:

-Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy

-Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in MN #3860 and WI #2223-124

-Certified in Adherent DBT

-Trained in: Brainspotting level 1, Perinatal Mental Health, anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, relational therapy, etc.

-AAMFT Supervisor Training completed

-Approved by the MN Board of MFT to provide supervision