About Criterion Counseling

Criterion Counseling is an independent mental health counseling practice based in St. Cloud. The practice is being developed to serve adults who experience anxiety, burnout, and sustained stress, particularly those carrying significant responsibility at work or in their personal lives. The focus of the practice is grounded, evidence-based counseling that supports clarity, steadiness, and emotional capacity when ongoing pressure begins to take a toll.

Criterion Counseling is designed for adults who may appear capable and composed on the outside while feeling chronically tense, overwhelmed, or exhausted internally. The work emphasizes counseling rather than surface-level coaching, with attention to the emotional and psychological patterns that often contribute to ongoing strain, anxiety, overcontrol, or burnout. The overall approach is practical, collaborative, and paced with care.

The practice is trauma-informed, meaning attention is given to how prolonged stress, high-pressure roles, or earlier life experiences may influence present-day symptoms and functioning. These factors are considered only when relevant to current concerns, without forced exploration of the past or an assumption that trauma must be the focus. The emphasis is on supporting meaningful, present-day change in a way that feels respectful and contained.

Criterion Counseling will provide mental health counseling within the ethical and professional scope of a Licensed Professional Counselor in Minnesota. Services are structured around symptom-based, psychologically informed care rather than diagnostic labeling, with the intention of helping adults better understand internal responses and build greater emotional flexibility over time.

In-person counseling will be offered in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with secure telehealth services available to clients located within Minnesota once the practice is fully open.

About the Founder

Nate Van Heuveln is the founder of Criterion Counseling and a Licensed Professional Counselor in Minnesota. He brings a calm, structured, and psychologically grounded approach to counseling, with particular attention to how anxiety, burnout, and chronic stress show up in adults who are managing real-world demands and responsibility.