Johanna Manalis

Who I am as a Director & Owner

I grew up in a small town in the Midwest and attended Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota where I studied Psychology and Studio Art. I attended Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling. It was there I met my husband, Jeremy. Jeremy and I became an entrepreneurial couple when we founded Family Ties Counseling Center in 2011. As an Executive Director, I am passionate about our small business and the services we offer. I believe fiercely in the power of therapy. I see therapy as an artistic and scientific endeavor. Therapy is an expression of our profound creativity. Beyond my passion for the therapeutic process, I enjoy many aspects of my job as Director, especially creative problem solving, supporting our wonderful staff, budgeting and finances, and serving as the interior designer of FTCC.

Over the last 12 years practicing as a Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapist, I have trained in a handful of approaches. Hakomi, a mindfulness body-centered approach to therapy has helped me understand trauma and our endless resilience in the face of hardship. I immersed myself in Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy and learned to more deeply appreciate how our attachment needs and longings inform who we are and how we navigate important relationships in our lives. I’ve trained in how to be a less-harmful white provider and how to do my very best to create a safe, trauma-informed space for folks who are BIPOC. My training with AR-TIC has taught me to try to view myself and my clients with curiosity and grace while also acknowledging the many ways white supremacy, racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia inform our daily reality. I’ve explored spiritual practices in therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Art Therapy. I enjoy the dynamic task of tailoring my approach to best serve my clients.

Training & Experience