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About Us

Who we are

Cedar Mental Health is the brainchild of two veteran therapists. After decades of practicing in standard care settings, they decided it was time to break the mold and create an organization capable of better meeting the real needs of families and youngsters. When emotional problems arise, access to quality care is critical. Families often have the unfortunate experience of waiting weeks to months to be paired with a provider, only to then be disappointed by the care received or have care suspended because of administrative or insurance limitations. It shouldn’t be so hard to get help. 

We fundamentally believe it isn’t fair to expect our kids to get better in a care system that isn’t adequately designed to meet their needs. Kids often can’t contain their feelings until their next scheduled appointment, nor is it reasonable to expect them to. At Cedar Mental Health we have designed a responsive system of care to better fit the realistic needs of families.

We believe two fundamental things need to change if our kids are going to get better:

  1. We need to understand their world and guide them to cope & manage it effectively.

  2. Families need training and guidance along with immediate support during the tough times.

At Cedar, families work collaboratively
with our providers.

Working collaboratively allows us to design a care plan to best fit the needs of kids. School & work schedules shouldn’t be barriers to care. We believe kids need to learn how to live better while they’re still in school and engaged in their normal activities. With our flexible and rapid response care options, we’re here for you when things get hard(er), too.

Meet Our Expert Team

Krista Schaefer

Krista Schaefer

Co-Founder | MA, LMFT, LADC | Location: Minnetonka and Telehealth
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Kim Poitra, MSW, LICSW, SEP

Kim Poitra

Co-Founder | MSW, LICSW, SEP | Location: Woodbury & Telehealth
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Dr. Michael Hobbs

Dr. Michael Hobbs

Pediatrician | Location: Minnetonka and Telehealth
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Halaina Christensen, MSW, LICSW

Halaina Christensen

MSW, LICSW | Location: Woodbury & Telehealth
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Eric Bender

MS, LMFT | Location: Minnetonka and Telehealth
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Leigh Frndak, LMFT at Cedar Mental Health

Leigh Frndak

LMFT | Location: Minnetonka and Telehealth
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