Meet the Team: Aundreah Walenski-Geml, LLMSW
Aundreah is the newest member of the RCBM team. She joined our staff in January as a clinical social worker and psychotherapist who works with patients ages 16 and up. In the coming weeks, Aundreah will receive her LMSW (licensed master’s in social work.) Her special area of focus is working through the emotional turmoil many couples face when trying to start a family.
Pregnancy, postpartum depression, loss and infertility are some of the tough topics Aundreah Walenski-Geml is passionate about addressing with clients – and she does it with compassion and care.
“Parents are superheroes and even superheroes need help,” she says. “I find this period of life is so full of happiness and chaos and the dialect of these two are difficult to understand and synthesize. Helping mothers and fathers through this time is beyond rewarding and can have a generational impact that improves the entire family system.”
Originally from the Flint area, Walenski-Geml knows Rochester well. She is an Oakland University graduate. “I loved living in Rochester when I attended Oakland University and really wanted to return and build a life here,”Aundreah says.
After studying psychology and assisting as a researcher in a post traumatic growth laboratory, Aundreah attended the University of Michigan and received a Master's degree in Clinical Social Work and studied interpersonal practice. She also completed a one-year internship with the Integrated Healthcare Association, where she assisted in the development and practice of integrative behavioral health in primary care. She then went on to complete a two-year fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan Medicine, providing individual and group psychotherapy to treat anxiety and peripartum disorders.
“I love the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and get to know the true them, not just the mask we put on to the outside world,” she explains. “Seeing people achieve their dreams and being accepted for who they are is amazing.”
When it comes to patient care, Aundreah’s approach is always one of empathy and kindness. She says to diagnose a patient you need to understand where they are coming from. That takes time and investment.
“I have always found humans to be the most fascinating and wonderful thing about life,” she says. “I want to help people understand their story and use their story to help them live the way they want to live.”
When she is not serving patients, Aundreah loves to dance, read and spend time with her family. You can also find her "getting hooked" on a good Netflix series. Who hasn’t? Please join us in welcoming Aundreah to the team!
