Hanna Schaefer, LICSW

About

  • Pronouns: She/They

  • Occupation and Specialty: Mental Health Therapist

  • Location (Clinic/hospital): Interna Mental Health and Wellness

  • Location (City): Eagan, Minneapolis, Virtual

  • Offers Telehealth: Yes

  • Contact Information: https://www.internamentalhealth.com/

  • Bio: I am a fully licensed therapist that works with individual adults. I specialize in working with people that are neurodivergent, and also with people that struggle with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, agoraphobia, personal and/or systemic trauma, and other conditions. I am a member of the queer community and am passionate about providing care to LGBTQIA+ clients. I have many years of experience working with people under the trans umbrella.

Approach to care

  • What does it look like for you to provide care to patients in larger bodies? How is, or isn’t, your approach different from how you care for patients in smaller bodies? If you work with children, how is or isn’t your approach different when working with children?

    I am in a large body myself. It is important to me to be knowledgeable about the ways that clients' bodies may impact the ways that they experience self-esteem, as well as the social and systemic factors that affect them. I am mindful of these factors as I work with people with larger bodies. I enjoy supporting clients with deprogramming systemic harm, and forming a self-view that is more joyful and affirming.

  • What is your perspective on how weight is or is not related to health?

    I am aware of the non-biased research demonstrating that weight is not nearly as related to health as broader society tends to believe. I know that misinformation about this is financially beneficial to the industries that spread it. However, I also don't think that being "healthy" is a necessary component to living a meaningful life, and I certainly don't think it should have an impact on how much compassion/respect people receive from others.

  • Finish this sentence: “Fat people are…” 

    awesome.

  • How do you, your clinic, and the healthcare system you work in use BMI (i.e BMI cutoffs for accessing certain services, BMI on charts and printouts, etc)? Is this flexible?

    N/A

  • If a patient declines to be weighed, how do you and/or your staff proceed?

    N/A

  • If a patient declines to discuss weight loss, nutrition, and/or exercise, how do you proceed?

    N/A

  • Do you offer weight loss as a service, and if so, how much of your practice is this? What do you do if a patient requests your assistance with losing weight?

    I do not offer "weight loss" services. I can support clients if they want to use therapy to develop skills and strategies to form new habits, or to improve their relationship with things like food and exercise.

  • What does the physical accessibility of your office space look like? What kinds of accommodations are present for people in larger bodies? Are there things you wish were in place that are currently not? 

    My office is highly accessible. I am pleased to work in a place that values providing furniture that is comfortable for people with larger bodies.

  • What do you do to allow fat people to feel comfortable and welcome in your office? 

    I treat them with kindness and respect. I am not avoidant of any topics like weight. I am also mindful of providing a physical space that is comfortable.

  • If you’d like to use this space to talk about any identities (gender, race, size, sexuality, etc.) you hold and how this relates to your care, please do so. 

    I am queer and I absolutely love working with queer and trans individuals. I am also fat. I am knowledgeable about how gender and race can affect body image.

Profile last updated April 2026