About Chip

Hi, I’m Chip Neuenschwander, a therapist serving Wayzata, Minnesota, and surrounding areas. I help individuals and couples navigate the challenges of relationships and emotional connection.

I specialize in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a proven method that helps couples rebuild trust, communication, and intimacy.

Clients and friends have described me as positive, joyful, and, “Someone who accepts others unconditionally, warts and all.” Once a group of exchange students from Japan unofficially adopted me and nicknamed me, “Kila Kila! It means sparkle-sparkle!” They gestured two explosions with their hands for emphasis.

My Approach

I know how hard it can be to feel disconnected from the ones you care about. Whether you’re facing ongoing conflict, struggling with communication, or feeling emotionally distant, I believe therapy done well can be a powerful force for reconnection. I support clients experiencing relationship issues, and I am also adept at serving clients dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, and major life transitions, including considering separation.

What’s in the secret sauce? A big ingredient is creating a safe, nonjudgmental space. Before long, clients feel like they can kick off their shoes (figuratively and literally). I tend to resonate well with most clients, but it’s also important that you listen to that inner voice that says, “This is a good fit.” A supportive therapeutic relationship is necessary for you to explore feelings, needs, and perspectives about yourself and those you care about.

Credentials

I’m a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. I am trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy. I also am a certified Prepare & Enrich premarital counselor and I am a certified discernment counselor for couples considering separation or divorce. Plus, I regularly engage in personal training, conferences, and consults with colleagues to remain at the forefront of best practices.

I hold two master’s degrees. One is in Counseling from Adler Graduate School in Minnesota. The other is in Educational Leadership and Administration from California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). With knowledge from two distinct fields (therapy and leadership), I offer clients a well-rounded perspective, integrating insights and methodologies from both areas. This diverse skillset helps create innovative strategies that might not have surfaced from a single perspective.

Minnesota Board of Marriage & Family Therapy

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License Number

Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling

Master of Arts

Adler Graduate School

Educational Leadership & Administration

Master of Arts

California Polytechnic State University

Certified Discernment Counselor

I specialize in discernment counseling, helping couples who are unsure about the future of their relationship gain clarity and make confident decisions. All sessions are conducted in person at my Wayzata office, offering a calm and supportive setting for meaningful progress.

Passionate About Counseling

Do you know what I am passionate about in counseling? I am steely-eyed-focused on empowering clients and helping them overcome relational struggles. Clients find me to be genuinely empathetic, forever curious, and militantly optimistic. I consider myself to be a kind and caring ambassador of hope.

My practice emphasizes Emotionally Focused Therapy because it packs a punch. The data I had read about its effectiveness was hard to argue with. But when I saw in my office how life-changing it could be for clients, I put aside my date night recommendations and communication exercises.

Not that there’s anything wrong with those things. But for the precious session per week I have with clients, we can use that time to discover their hidden relational traps that keep hurting them. And pardon me for being poetic, but we also share moments that speak to clients’ souls from the bottom up. When clients take me up on the offer to share their underlying feelings and needs, something remarkable happens. They begin to change through emotionally corrective experiences.

Imagine if you could see what I see—clients who once felt discouraged and alone now see glimmers of hope. They start using words that are kinder to themselves, investing in their future, and strengthening their emotional bonds. If you sat in my chair watching these new narratives unfold, you might geek out about it, too.

How I Can Help You

I work with individuals and couples who want to start living more authentic lives and deepening their relational ties. Whether you’re feeling unheard, shut down, or just lost, we’ll work together to rebuild a foundation you can stand on.

If you are coming for couples therapy, one of our early milestones will be your ability to reconnect after a disconnection. All couples experience hurt and misunderstandings. However, the thing that separates master couples from disaster couples is the ability to repair. (It’s a phrase so good, I wish I had made it up!)

And although this will be one of our first objectives, we don’t have to settle for patch jobs that get you back on the road for a while. We have the tools to help you live honestly and compassionately with yourself and with those you care about. But I should warn you. Once you get a taste of this level of authenticity and openness, it’s difficult to be satisfied with counterfeits.

Professional Background

Higher Education

Before working as a therapist, I worked in higher education, including Cal Poly and Purdue University. As an administrator, I oversaw various programs and was smack-dab in the middle of some pretty volatile situations. I also got to encourage and inspire others. I would often invite students or faculty to meet with me in my office or over coffee.

Aside from helping them find solutions to problems or providing guidance, I wanted to know about them. I would often ask, “Would you tell me a bit of your story?” I suppose I have always been curious about people.

The Walt Disney Company

Before that, I worked for the Walt Disney Company in California where I served in a special unit that tackled some of the toughest guest concerns. But the magical part wasn’t about the awesome stuff I was authorized to use to remedy the problem. It was about listening with compassion and understanding.

I learned most people who experience something upsetting crave connection first, whether they know it or not. I also worked for Disney University where we trained Disney employees (called cast members) how to act, talk, and think Disney. But that’s another story.

Personal Life

Beyond the therapy room, I am passionate about bringing people together in meaningful ways. I’m a connector by nature and enjoy creating environments where people feel seen and valued. This includes teaching and participating in couples workshops.

Alfred Adler, an early pioneer in psychology, believed in the forces of movement, growth, and community connection. I resonate with that. I love experiencing the outdoors with friends, particularly hiking on Minnesota trails. I enjoy expressing myself through artistry and inspiring audiences to achieve their goals, both in person and via video. True confession: I often sing around the house, in the car, or even in public. I just may not realize I am doing it until someone points it out.

My faith and values inform the love and care I have for each client. They guide my work and provide the underlying reason why I am committed to supporting individuals and couples. If your faith is important to you, let me know and we can explore how that can be incorporated into therapy. Either way, I will want to know about the things you hold most dear and why they are so meaningful to you.

The song, “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,” sung by Dean Martin, is part disbelief, part joy about experiencing a beautiful life, filled with love. Sometimes I find myself singing that song, amazed at my good fortune to cheer on others in their journey to healing and growth.