Meet The Therapist

Megan Sigmon-Olsen

If you are interested in working with Megan, please email her at: [email protected]

Therapy is tough to describe. People often want to know what I do and how I do what I do. This is not an easy question to answer. First of all, I love what I do. Being given the opportunity to sit with people through their struggles, sorrows and joy is truly a gift in my life. I honor my clients and love my time with them. Second of all, every person’s therapy is unique to that person. I do not have a template that I follow in order to “fix” people. I am not magic and do not have the ability to save people. I follow a certain process to begin to understand new clients, and from there the therapy takes on its own persona. The relationship that you and I develop will be a major way that we will be able to make change in your life. I will be a silent supporter in your daily life, though I am not silent in session! I am a very active therapist during sessions and have a slightly informal style.

Teen therapy is a favorite of mine. Teens generally find me to be non-threatening and I believe that most teens end up enjoying their time with me (at least that’s what many of them tell me). I am able to work collaboratively with teens and their parents without spilling the beans about what teens have going on (unless there is something dangerous going on, of course!). I am flexible and can adjust with teens in order to do the work they want to do.

As a person, I enjoy the world in many ways. I love the outdoors, biking, and the natural beauty of the world around me. I am a big reader and will often recommend books to clients. If you do not enjoy reading, however, I will not try to force you to read! I am married, live in St. Paul, and love the Twin Cities. I should add that I am a transplant to MN. I was born and raised in Colorado and lived there until I was 21 years old. I have a background in emergency medicine (I was an EMT in Colorado) and have worked in various capacities as a “helper.” I love coffee and will probably be drinking a cup when you and I meet.

I feel obligated to take a public position about tattoos. While this might seem odd to you, it will make more sense when you meet me. I have a big tattoo that I love on my arm. Yes, I am a tattooed therapist. You will likely never see my tattoos, though, because I tend to be a chilly person. This means that my tattoos are usually covered. The longer I work with your teen, though, the more likely they will see my tattoos. Parents frequently ask how I am going to address this matter with their teenager, because teens sometimes want tattoos. The feedback I give teens about tattoos:

Wait until you’re an adult to get tattoos.
Once you’re an adult, please remember that you may be judged because of your tattoos. If you’re going to get a tattoo, start with a small/somewhat hidden tattoo.
Wait until you’re professionally established to get a highly visible tattoo.
It may be difficult to start a career (in some fields) with visible tattoos.
Do not let your friend give you a tattoo.
Never look for the cheapest tattoo artist in town.

**This feedback does not fit for every client that I see. This is a general set of guidelines to inform you about how I typically answer tattoo questions.**

My Educational Background:

Bachelor’s Degree – University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire

Master’s Degree – University of St. Thomas/College of St. Catherine

Current Licensure: MSW (Master of Social Work), LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker)

Board Approved Clinical Social Work Supervisor

Postgraduate Training:

Postgraduate training in Multisystemic Therapy (MST) – Multisystemic Institute, South Carolina

Positive Discipline Parent Educator - Trained

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) - Trained

Honors & Awards

MST "Whatever It Takes" Award - Fall, 2011. Recognized for outstanding service to teens and families. (Find award in the 'Announcements from MST Services and MST Institute' section).

My Clinical Experience:

Teen counseling
Family therapy
Parenting after Divorce
Teen life after parental divorce
Coparenting after Divorce
Sexual trauma
Anxiety
Depression
Grief and loss
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy
Trauma
Chronic mental illness
Nonsuicidal self-injury
Suicidality
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning (LGBTQIA+)
Involuntary clients (including offenders, prison inmates and teenagers on probation)
Individuals with Epilepsy
Supervision of therapists

I work with individuals across the spectrum of age, race, ability, gender, and sexual orientation.