Meet Your Therapist

Anna Bankey, MSW, LICSW
Licensed Mental Health Therapist 

Founder of Riverside Counseling

Providing compassionate psychotherapy in-person & secure telehealth throughout Minnesota.

I help individuals create meaningful, lasting change by addressing the connection between the body, mind, emotions, and the patterns that influence daily life. In therapy, we'll strengthen develop practical tools that support healing, growth, and a more fulfilling future. If you're ready to invest in your well-being and take the next step, I'm here to help. 

Healing is more than managing symptoms—it is about reconnecting with yourself, rebuilding self-worth, and creating a life that feels aligned, meaningful, and fulfilling. It's about healing the past but not dwelling. It's present and future oriented. Riverside Counseling supports individuals in processing painful experiences, releasing patterns that no longer serve them, and discovering greater confidence, resilience, and inner strength.

Riverside Counseling therapy sessions can support you by:

• Healing unresolved trauma and past experiences that continue to impact your present life
• Processing painful emotions, memories, worries, and patterns that keep you from moving forward
• Strengthening your self-esteem, self-worth, confidence, and trust in yourself
• Moving through anxiety, depression, shame, guilt, and emotional overwhelm with greater understanding
• Creating healthier relationships through stronger boundaries, authenticity, and communication
• Navigating grief, life transitions, and seasons of change with greater clarity and purpose
• Developing a more empowered relationship with yourself, your emotions, and your healing journey

I bring over 9,000 clinical hours of experience across outpatient and inpatient care. Before becoming a therapist, I owned a health spa and worked in holistic health, massage therapy, yoga, fitness, life coaching, nutrition and cosmetology industries. That background continues to inform my integrative approach, recognizing the connection between the mind, body, and emotional well-being.

Riverside Counseling is grounded in extensive clinical education and a whole-person approach to healing. With a broad background that integrates mental health, body-based practices, and neuroscience-informed care, I offer a unique perspective to supporting individuals through meaningful change.

Education & Professional Background

• Master of Clinical Social Work (MSW), Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
  Concentrations in Trauma and Working with Adolescents
• Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), The College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, Minnesota
• Associate of Arts (AA), Central Lakes College, Brainerd, Minnesota

Advanced Training & Certifications

• EMDR Trained
• Brain Spotting Trained
• Yoga Alliance Approved 200hr Facilitator
• Continuing education trainings in neuroscience-based approaches and mind-body healing
• Continuing peer consultation and collaborative group with Soul Work in the Twin Cities

Mind-Body Integration & Somatic Background
Before focusing fully on clinical counseling, I built a strong foundation in body-based healing as a Certified Massage and Bodywork Therapist and Instructor in Hot Springs, Arkansas and a former health spa owner. This included training at the Valley of Vapors School of Massage. Additional experience includes serving as a writer for the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx), the national licensing exam for massage therapists developed by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards. This role involved contributing to the development and evaluation of exam content focused on anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, somatic body movement, ethics, client care, pathology and professional practice standards. This unique background supports my integrated understanding of the connection between the mind, body, emotions, and healing process.

If you’re looking for therapy that helps you actually feel different — not just understand yourself better — I’d be glad to work with you. 

Call or text 218-450-8400 or complete a contact form to schedule a session.