About alex maas, ma, lpcc: Personal Life

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Born and raised in New York City, I have a diverse and eclectic personal and professional background. Growing up, I had the opportunity to travel, visiting about thirty countries, and getting to experience the beautiful and nuanced diversity of the world. I have attended therapy since I was a young child myself, immersed in the world of mental health, healing, and community. I believe that all people should have access to compassionate mental health support and healing.

I bring all of these experiences into my clinical practice, and my clients have access to all of my experiences both personal and professional. As a client in therapy, I have learned and absorbed practices that have been transformative for me, and I bring these into my work as a clinician. The techniques I use, the skills I present, are all aspects of my mosaic that I have experienced. I am not an advice-giver; but rather, want to work together with you collaboratively to support you: your uniqueness, your individuality, and your wonder. 

I moved to Minnesota in 2009 to finish school at the University of Minnesota, where I graduated with my BA in psychology. Shortly following graduation, I pursued my law enforcement degree, and spent about 5 years in the law enforcement field as a Saint Paul Police Reserve Officer. I am passionate about public safety, criminal justice reform, and the potent intersection between community well-being, and community safety. I have spent much time in this space, working with local groups to support criminal justice reform measures. 

After several years in the law enforcement field, I had the opportunity to work in juvenile diversion. This program, a restorative justice program that emphasized learning and growth, became my passion. I had the opportunity to write curriculum, deliver this curriculum, design standardized surveys for data gathering, and work with families. This work of intervention and empowerment became my joy, rather than the responsive and punitive world of criminal justice. After working with thousands of youth and developing many new programs, I went back to pursue my Master’s degree in counseling psychology.

Upon graduation, I found a wonderful community-based opportunity in Washington County, working for a non-profit organization. For 4 years,  I was able to spend 3 days a week working exclusively with high school students, focusing on that space of empowerment and intervention. I have extensive experience working with this developmental phase. I also spent, during this time, two days a week working with adults and adult trauma. A few years later, I am continuing this work with passion and enthusiasm, grateful for every learning opportunity I have, to absorb more and have more to contribute to my clients.

In my personal life, I have many passions and pastimes. These include spending time with my dogs Rorschach and Hudson, wheel-thrown pottery, gardening, working out (I spent some years as a competitive powerlifter!), pursuing further trainings, and spending time with my wonderful friends and family. 

My passion and curiosity have encouraged me to pursue many trainings over the years, from mindfulness-based practices, to deeper nervous system reprocessing, to the ethical and safe use of psychedelics. I bring all pieces of my mosaic to my sessions, along with that passion and curiosity for healing. I continue to deliver presentations and trainings to groups and agencies, and love to plant seeds, empowering people to know that healing is accessible and possible.

I am always happy to connect for a conversation, a consultation, and hope you reach out with any questions you may have!