Red Lake Nation

Pediatric Mental Health Therapist

Lorissa White is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) serving as a Pediatric Mental Health Provider at the Red Lake Mino Biimadiziwin Wellness Clinic, where she offers individual therapy to youth aged 0-21. Her specialization includes trauma, intergenerational trauma, attachment, depression, and anxiety. Lorissa obtained her Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Augsburg University in 2019.

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Lorissa is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation and grew up on the Bad River reservation in Wisconsin. Lorissa's journey into the mental health profession was influenced by her life experience as a Native American woman and her own healing journey from personal and intergenerational trauma. Through the process of self-healing, Lorissa recognized the profound impact of culturally specific care and how it promotes a deeper sense of empowerment and transformative healing.

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Since 2016, Lorissa has been dedicated to serving Native American youth and families, gaining experience in various systems, including domestic violence, youth street outreach, safe harbor case management, Indian Child Welfare (ICWA) case management, and behavioral health. This experience has contributed to her growth as a mental health professional, providing her with a deeper understanding of the various systems and the impact that systemic trauma has on youth and families.

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She completed specialized training and acquired expertise in culturally responsive therapeutic approaches, ensuring that the care she provides is respectful, inclusive, and grounded in Native American cultural practices. Her knowledge encompasses a range of therapeutic modalities, including Honoring the Children Mending the Circle: cultural adaptation of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), Indigenous Tools for Living (ITFL), Professional Mind Body Medicine, Synergetic Play Therapy, Wellbriety & Celebrating Families, narrative exposure therapy, and multi-sensory play therapy strategies for healing attachment wounds. She also completed a yearlong training with the Safest Choice Learning collaborative, gaining expertise in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders (FASD) and acquiring the necessary skills and tools to support families and youth affected by FASD. Additionally, Lorissa is DC 0-5 certified and has experience in providing assessments to children ages 0-5.

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Lorissa’s therapeutic approach is cultural-relational, client-centered, and strengths-based. She regards the youth and families she works with as the experts in their own lives, and she views herself as an assistant, walking alongside them on their healing journeys. As a Pediatric Mental Health Provider, her aim is to create a nurturing and transformative therapeutic environment for the youth and families she serves. She is committed to empowering them to embrace their cultural identity, find strength in their roots, and pave their own path towards healing.