Andrea Wilson

Offer innovative research-based clinical therapeutic solutions which support clients to reframe their life stories, shift limiting beliefs, and create meaning and empowerment in their lives. Central to my practice is A Write Mind, a proprietary journal methodology I developed that integrates reflexive writing protocols into the therapeutic process. This writing technique supports clients in their personal transformation by facilitating self-reflection, meta-cognitive witnessing, deconstruction, and conscious re-authoring of their narratives, empowering them to rewrite their stories and foster a deeper connection to their own experiences. In addition to individual therapy, I offer group sessions and workshops that utilize A Write Mind to create therapeutic spaces for collective healing and growth.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements

• Facilitate evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to therapeutic clients, helping them to identify patterns, develop authentic value systems, shift limiting beliefs, empower decision-making and create meaning in their lives.
• Develop ongoing chapters and frameworks within A Write Mind Journal, a proprietary online journal methodology for collaborative writing with clients, integrating narrative therapy, psycho-education, and reflexive writing protocols.
• Provide psycho-education on mental health to clients, providing a holistic view of conditions and presenting problems, treatment options, and coping strategies to promote informed decision-making and self-advocacy.
• Support clients with trauma, identity struggles, relationship conflicts, and grief, facilitating the process of rewriting narratives and creating adaptive coping strategies.
• Lead workshops and group therapy to foster community-based therapeutic circles and collective healing within scalable therapeutic solutions.
• Maintain detailed client records, case notes, and communication strategies for relationship building and retention.

Selected as part of a team of regional women leaders in wellbeing to co-develop and deliver an Eastern Iowa Mental Health initiative with national reach that annually enrolls and empowers over 1,000 women across Iowa and the US. The program focuses on self-compassion, resilience, and emotional well-being.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements

• Co-develop and deliver a comprehensive mental health program curriculum and facilitation plan.
• Secured $40,000 in annual funding from the Eastern Iowa Mental Health and Disability Services Region for the 2022-2025 period to support and sustain the program's initiatives.
• Develop and facilitate the key programmatic components of narrative therapy including video modules, psycho-educational lectures, writing prompts, and interactive digital activities.
• Utilize a multi-disciplinary approach to healing by incorporating psychological insights, creative writing, and meditation practices into the program, promoting mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
• Write individualized therapeutic prompts and psychologically constructive activities and deploy dosing.
• Provide individualized support in group settings, empowering women to reconnect with their values, strengths, and personal narratives for sustained personal growth.
• In developing for the 4th edition of the program launching in April 2025, focused on fostering resilience and forward-thinking among participants.

Lead a research and development project department designing scalable mental health solutions for improved UI student wellbeing while serving as an embedded counselor within the Student Care and Assistance department.

• Leverage narrative therapy private practice foundation and existing Write Mind journal tools to develop Project InnerHawk, an innovation-based initiative to expand and scale student counseling experiences and mental health resources at the University of Iowa.
• Communicate the Project InnerHawk mission and goals to interested students, facilitating a Community-Based Participatory Research project framework and creating transparent space for integrating their feedback and counsel into the project's foundation.
• Develop adapted writing protocols & journal prompts based on the Write Mind methodology, tailored to student segmentation at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with a future focus on first-year students as a key segment.
• Use skills in Narrative Mapping and inherited trauma theory to guide students through visual genogram development and life story mapping. Utilize posters during session series to track the energetic movement of trauma and healing.
• Provide psycho-education integrated with journaling and mapping experiences, helping students understand mental health within the context of their own lives.
• Develop a framework for qualitative and quantitative measurement and evaluation.
• Communicate bi-weekly program updates for Project InnerHawk with leadership, sharing in-progress data and student feedback.

• Founded Iowa's first bicultural and bilingual writing fellowship, designed to support immigrants, refugees, and first- and second-generation Americans in their creative writing endeavors, and launched Iowa's first bicultural anthology book series representing thirteen cultures and languages in three volumes.
• Developed and implemented program curriculum, recruitment strategies, marketing, and public outreach, ensuring broad community engagement and program growth.
• Secured grant funding for three consecutive years from the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the National Endowment for the Arts, to support fellowship initiatives.
• Cultivated relationships with donors and stakeholders to secure financial support and ensure the fellowship’s long-term sustainability.
• Led developmental editing for We the Interwoven: A Bicultural Anthology Series, working with the writers and guiding the creation of their stories. Created the book concept and framework, wrote FOB content, collaborated with writers on cultural glossaries and personal statements, managed revisions and finally hired translators and managed the translation process, ensuring linguistic and cultural authenticity.
• Led end-to-end process for the Iowa Writers' House Publishing Imprint, overseeing all production elements, including layout, design, printing, marketing, and distribution.
• Designed and led marketing efforts regionally resulting in We the Interwoven being featured in 4 college curriculums including at the University of Iowa, Mount Mercy University, and Cornell College.

Created and launched Iowa City’s first nationally recognized community writing center, fostering a vibrant literary hub for writers and creatives of all backgrounds. I led all aspects of organizational development, including securing funding, building community partnerships, and establishing a physical center.

• Led organizational development, recruiting board members, securing funding, and establishing a physical presence.
• Cultivated community partnerships, including with the University of Iowa's International Creative Writing program, NWP, Writers' Workshop, Spanish Creative Writing Program, and UNESCO City of Literature.
• Designed and executed annual calendar of literary programming, featuring workshops, seminars, events, and collaborations with internationally acclaimed writers.
• Built a brand and digital footprint, growing a subscriber and social reach to 6,000+ followers.
• Executed weekly marketing launches announcing new workshops and events, driving membership and deepening brand engagement.
• Developed national and international literary partnerships, including with major literary centers and global festivals.
• Developed specialization in writing workshops that bridged personal narratives, cultural origin stories, and personal outcomes.
• Launched The Fail Safe literary podcast in collaboration with writer Rachel Yoder.
• Invited annually to present at the AWP conference alongside other U.S.-based literary center directors on community-building & literary center innovations.

Led digital communication strategy for top-tier brands such as AT&T, Dell, and Wendy’s, focusing on culturally relevant strategies to engage the U.S. Hispanic market. Researched market conditions and developed and executed comprehensive strategies for digital storytelling within cultural sensitive content frameworks. Directed cross-functional teams and managed client relationships to deliver integrated digital campaigns that drove measurable results.

• Developed and implemented strategies tailored to the U.S. Hispanic market, ensuring cultural relevance and sensitivity in all campaigns.
• Led teams of creatives designers, copywriters, and technology developers to create and launch integrated digital campaigns.
• Cultivated and maintained strong relationships with clients, providing strategic insights to expand their brand presence.
• Led integration of measurement and evaluation KPIs, demonstrating that campaigns generated measurable results, such as increased brand awareness, higher engagement rates, and improved customer loyalty among U.S. Hispanic consumers.

As a flagship employee representing the U.S.-based VML agency in Canada, I played a pivotal role in securing and managing high-profile client, Ford of Canada & was instrumental in building strategic relationships across a multi-tiered, multi-agency WPP group, driving cross-border and cross-cultural collaboration, and developing an agency partnership that became a template for VML's future international expansion.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements

• Secured and Managed $3M Ford of Canada Account: Led the development and execution of marketing strategies for Ford of Canada, successfully securing a $3M client account and driving impactful campaigns across multiple platforms.
• Strategic Relationship Development: Developed and maintained strong strategic relationships within the multi-tiered, multi-agency group responsible for serving Ford of Canada, ensuring cohesive and effective collaboration across all stakeholders.
• Unique Cross-Border Representation: Served as the only American representing a 500-person U.S. agency (VML) in Canada, offering a unique perspective that contributed to stronger cross-border integration and alignment between the agencies.
• New Business Development: Spearheaded new business pitches for major clients such as LG, Diageo, and others, helping to expand the agency's client roster and establish long-term partnerships.
• Launched Canadian Website with Multi-Lingual Segmentation: Led the launch of a new, comprehensive website for Ford of Canada, ensuring that the digital experience reflected Canada’s diverse population with a dedicated French Canadian portal for bilingual engagement.

Began career with a goal of blending foundational skills and knowledge in the creative arts with a career leveraging human psychology to drive behavior.

• Learned the foundations of market research & strategic planning. Built an understanding of the frameworks required in running a client-centered business and of the American corporate culture.
• Served as a key point of contact for new client relationships for VML small business group, v2.
• Developed regional marketing plans for Kansas City area clients. Worked with creative colleagues to develop small digital campaigns.
• Managed accounts and collaborated on billing.
• Sought mentorship from executive on growth and career development.
• Awarded the VML Spark Award, out of 500 employees, based on growth mindset.