Alex Subbaraman - NMU Social Work

Alex is a licensed clinical social worker and joins the department after twelve years of direct practice. She grew up becoming familiar with the in-betweens of culture, place, and belonging and spent her childhood & adolescence in Michigan, Kerala, and the UK.

Alex received her MSW from the University of Minnesota and completed her clinical training at Planned Parenthood and The Center for Victims of Torture. She has advanced training in trauma treatment modalities such as EMDR, Narrative Exposure Therapy, and TF-CBT. She has practiced in many areas including supportive housing case management, school-based mental health, social policy research, and hospitals.

The majority of her career has been spent working with children. Alex's dedication to clinical practice emerged from her experience providing play therapy and witnessing the way this work fortifies a person's innate curiosities and capacities for exploration, a principle she carries into her work with individuals across all ages. Her practice approach is grounded in critical inquiry of power imbalances and structural inequity, attuned to how systems that shape relational experiences are articulated and made legible within the therapeutic relationship.

After almost a decade in the Twin Cities, Alex moved to the UP in 2023 to be closer to family. She continues to practice as a psychotherapist. In her spare time, Alex is an avid cook and enjoys developing recipes. She also enjoys being outside as much as possible, walking in the woods and backcountry skiing. She lives in Gwinn with her husband and their beloved dog and cat.