Alexander McLeod

Alex McLeod holds an MSW, and LICSW and was a top graduate at Saint Catherine University Master’s program. He was featured in IMPAAKT Magazine’s cover story topping the list for most influential mental health leaders of 2024. He has a 7 year career working in human service including therapy-based shelter care, corrections work with felony level teens, probation, experience with the Minnesota Board of Public Defense, and 5 years outpatient therapy experience. Alex also teaches a university class on the correlations between anatomy and pathologically violent behaviors.

Alex sees a wide range of cases normally involving PTSD and mood disorders, including but not limited to: Anxiety Disorders, Depression, PTSD, Bipolar 1 & 2 Disorders, and ADHD accompanied by behavioral and emotion dysregulation issues. The symptoms that his clients may experience include debilitating anxiety, which in many instances presents as feeling paralyzed and unable to move forward, excessive fear and worry, describing that they feel as if they are “going crazy,” ruminating and playing negative imagery repeatedly, sometimes becoming emotionally reactive in the form of excessive anger, crying fits, and emotional breakdowns. Often these issues may lead to disrupted social, familial, and romantic relationships which become chaotic, tense, or distrusting. For these reasons, he also sees individuals who have partners experiencing such symptoms, as well as those who are experiencing breakups or divorce. It is not uncommon for Alex to see clients who have experienced traumatic backgrounds, or difficult family upbringing.

Alex describes himself as a normal, healthy person who is grounded to reality. His approach to therapy is casual in nature and he likes to be able to laugh in sessions. He is also known to be appropriately high-energy and enthusiastic. Alex believes it is important to have a little fun in sessions. He also believes that when It is time to get serious, it is time to get serious. Whatever is happening in your life is real. Real problems need real solutions. Alex’s approach is clinically grounded in CBT, DBT, and other psychodynamic therapies as needed.

The difference Alex’s clients have noticed between himself and other therapists is that when they have gone to therapy prior, they talked about their emotions and their problems, reflected, and then “didn’t do anything.” Alex wants to do something. There are very rarely uncomfortable silences in his sessions. His clients often walk away with tangible skills that they can begin to apply to their every day lives. Psycho-education is also very important to Alex. It is not enough to give a client a set of skills and send them on their way. He believes it is important to explain in-depth WHY a therapy method is used, HOW it works and how it might make impact on your improvement. He personalizes methods to the very specific contexts of your life instead of a one-size fits all. His goal for sessions is that, among all the reflection, you leave with something REAL to work on that makes a difference in improving your life for the better; something more than just talk.

In a first session, a client should expect to feel his energy and enthusiasm where it is appropriate and expect that he will speak like a regular person. In therapy, the devil is often in the details and he take my time to listen to your story and ask questions so that accurate diagnosis can reasonably be made and the problem areas can be accurately identified. He will take time and get a feel for who you are, how you are, and how you want things to be. Alex wants you to get a feel for him as well so you can be comfortable understanding what therapy is like. Clients should not expect to be challenged right out of the gate, though it may be necessary later depending on your symptom presentation or needs. Therapy is not easy. It is hard. Alex hopes to make it worth your while.