Embers of Hope


Mallory Kurkosky
MA, LPCC, RPT-S
Founder, Executive Director
Email:
Let's Get
Social
A Bit About Me
From the beginning of my career, I have been drawn to the stories that are hardest to hear and the people most often overlooked. As a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Supervisor with a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Bethel University, I have served children, adolescents, and adults in outpatient therapy south of the Twin Cities, witnessing both the deep wounds of trauma and the resilience people carry. Over time, my work led me toward one of the most marginalized and underserved populations: survivors of sex trafficking, whose trauma is often chronic, relational, and compounded by systemic neglect. While crisis services exist, long-term, consistent, trauma-informed mental health care remains scarce, leaving many survivors to navigate complex PTSD, shame, dissociation, and grief with limited sustained support.
My passion for this work is grounded in the belief that healing must be compassionate, comprehensive, and enduring. Survivors deserve more than stabilization—they deserve clinicians who understand complex trauma and are committed to walking alongside them for the long haul. Bringing together clinical expertise, teaching, supervision, and organizational consultation, I am guided by one conviction: those who have been most marginalized deserve the highest standard of care. With consistent, ethical, and deeply attuned support, healing is possible—and I am committed to being part of that journey.
Work Experience
June 2016 - Present
Aug 2023 - Present
• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor – Supervisor (LPCC-S), MN
• Registered Play Therapist – Supervisor (RPT-S)
• MN Board-Approved LPCC Supervisor
• EMDR Trained
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT, DBT-A, DBT-C) Trained
• DC:0–5 Certified (State of MN Recognition for Early Childhood Mental Health)
I design and deliver graduate-level coursework in play therapy, integrating experiential exercises and case-based learning to help students translate theory into confident, competent practice. In addition to teaching, I mentor and advise students as they develop strong ethical foundations, cultural humility, and clinical competency in their work with children and families. I remain actively engaged in current research and advancements in the field, ensuring that my curriculum and teaching methods reflect best practices and prepare emerging clinicians to provide thoughtful, evidence-based care.
