About Elizabeth Freund
Hello – my name is Elizabeth Freund and I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist. I’ve been working with autistic individuals and their families for fourteen years, and am an Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist.
The story of how I became a therapist is a bit unique. As a young woman, I lost my father to cancer, which was life changing for me. I began doing volunteer work at a local hospice because it provided comfort for me in coming to terms with the loss of a loved one. In doing this work, I heard a lot of stories from those I worked with. Stories about regrets, mistakes, compassion, and an emerging understanding of the incredible beauty and value of life. These stories gave me an understanding of the enormous importance of having compassion for those we share life with, and for striving for our potential.
With the diagnosis of Autism of an important person in my life, this focus on the incredible value of healthy relationships and a life well lived shifted track for me, so to speak. This is when I realized I could make my values useful in service to people that deserve to set their own course in life, with love and support from their family and friends.
In sessions, I work to increase a client’s understanding of how to work with their particular set of challenges. Just as importantly, I think, I help autistic clients identify and embrace their uniqueness. Yes, there can be difficulties managing some of the challenges of autism, but people often lose track of their own strengths, and the beauty of their whole, unique selves, while trying to pass as what others view as neurotypical. In addition to this, I value the honest experience and development of LGBT and Q identities, and am happy to include them in my work when requested.
I have moved past the parenting phase of my life, and am enjoying a long-term marriage. I seem to many to be a soft-hearted, traditional woman. But those that know me will tell you I am a non-conforming person, and that I very much value authentic identities, and diverse communities, not to mention live music, genealogy, and gardening. And I do believe we are living in a time in which we can make room for each other in our families and our communities, which can only add to the depth and richness of our lives.
Credentials
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of Minnesota
- M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Stout
- B.S. in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Associations
- Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family Therapists