Alexis Vangaard, AMFT

Alexis is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who is passionate about helping children, adolescents, and families recognize their strengths, build confidence, and create meaningful change. Alexis has been described as "a very human human" - a compliment she feels encapsulates her warmth, empathy, and authenticity. She strives to create a nonjudgmental environment where clients feel safe being themselves, whether that means sharing difficult emotions or laughing together. She is especially passionate about helping young people manage anxiety, build self-esteem, and develop a healthier relationship with themselves. By paying close attention to subtle emotional cues and centering therapy around what matters most to each client, she helps make the therapeutic process feel collaborative, empowering, and meaningful. 

Alexis's passion for mental health is deeply personal. As a teenager, her own therapy experience transformed the way she understood herself. Rather than being viewed as "the problem," she experienced the healing power of validation, compassionate support, and being challenged by professionals who believed in her potential. That experience inspired her to become the same source of safety, encouragement, and hope for others.

She was drawn to Wonder's family-centered, activity-based model because it reflects what she believes leads to lasting change. Alexis understands that behaviors develop within relationships and family systems, and she values Wonder's collaborative approach of supporting both young people and their caregivers. She also appreciates the opportunity to meet clients where they are, incorporating activities that align with each individual's interests to make support feel engaging, comfortable, and genuine.

Outside of Wonder, Alexis has worked with tweens and teens in private practice, providing individual therapy and facilitating Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills groups. She has also supported children as a counseling intern at an elementary school, using narrative therapy to foster emotional growth. She earned her Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, along with a BA and AA in Psychology. Alexis has also completed advanced training in digital therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques for self-esteem, relationship recovery, and child and school counseling. Throughout her clinical work, she has helped clients navigate anxiety, depression, academic stress, bullying, LGBTQ+ identity, family dynamics, and self-esteem challenges while collaborating closely with parents, caregivers, and teachers. 

Alexis takes an integrative, client-centered approach grounded in humanistic, strengths-based, and family systems principles. She believes every client possesses strengths that can be nurtured, even if they are not immediately visible. She tailors her work to each individual's needs, drawing from mindfulness, cognitive and behavioral strategies, reflective exploration, and creative interventions that foster insight, resilience, and emotional growth.

In her personal time, Alexis enjoys exploring the Bay Area's redwood trails, media from many fantasy universes like The Lord of the Rings and The Witcher, playing video games, coloring, cross-stitching, flower arranging, and painting miniatures. She lives in Silicon Valley with her husband and their fluffy cat, Maisy. Coming from a large blended family has shaped her appreciation for the complexity of family relationships, while her own life experiences have cultivated the empathy, resilience, humor, and compassion she brings to every client and family she serves.