Feeling overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, not good enough, stuck or lost? Maybe you just experienced loss, a life changing event, questioning your identity or there is something from your past you want to address. From the outside it may look like you have it all together but inside you feel empty and are barely making it through each day. You want to be the vibrant person who connects with others, is at peace with oneself and feels as though you have a purpose in life. I can help you find your path, process the past or overcome what you are currently facing.

FamilyMeans Counseling & Therapy programs have been providing care to adults, adolescents, children, families, and couples for many years. Our counselors are highly trained and experienced in their areas of expertise and truly enjoy helping people through the struggles they bring to counseling. Counselors provide a safe and open environment to make changes within areas of concern. Counseling experiences are unique to each person as are their situations. There is no “one fits all” in counseling and our skilled clinicians work with you to reach your goals.

Therapy helps define life. Therapy draws out facets of ourselves, our relationships, and the surrounding world toward individualized goals. Therapy gives strength and understanding to jettison behaviors and feelings that diminish who we wish to be. I'm a life-long learner. My clinical training illuminated therapeutic styles from a variety of cultures and walks of life. I have an affinity for those coping with health challenges, life-changing events, loss, and the re-discovery of hope and perspective. Along with evidenced-based practices, I use metaphor, humor, positive psychology and therapeutic writing to make therapy unique.

Are you discouraged or lonely? Do you find it difficult to be kind to yourself? Do your relationships feel unmanageable? Do you feel as if your creativity is stifled? You don't need to keep it all inside. I know how important it is to be heard without judgement. I am good at identifying hidden strengths... strengths you may discount due to self-criticism and emotional pain. We can work together to help you love yourself so that you may be able to fully experience the love of others and accomplish the things you hope to accomplish. I offer support and encouragement to help you gain a more positive perspective on your life.

I believe there is a wise self in all of us that finds ways to communicate distress, and we have it in us to recognize these troubling symptoms as powerful messages that can be transformed into becoming our greatest strengths. Once symptoms are recognized and patterns understood, they can illuminate a path and open the door to healing and improved function. With use of Art Therapy and narrative methods, I work with clients to externalize difficult emotions - creating a new way of thinking that facilitates the development of skills that can support individuals to navigate through life with a renewed sense of self and purpose.

Doug has many years of professional therapy experience and training working with individuals, couples and families. Specialities include: Family trauma, child abuse, depression, anxiety, discrimination, ADHD, family and relationship conflict, parent-child conflict, divorce, adoption, sexual compulsivity/addiction, sexual lifestyle, and life transitions. Clients appreciate his calm, reassuring and engaging presence and knowledgeable, empowering and creative approaches for understanding and overcoming these serious problems. Your values, ideas and preferences are fully respected and help create truly meaningful results. Doug has a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from St. Thomas University, a Certified Narrative Therapist and been in private practice for the last three years.

I genuinely give from my heart. When I offer honesty, humility and openness my clients' begin to trust. I connect with compassion to those experiencing trauma stress, substance use or addiction, family conflict and relationship concerns. I like to build a bridge in sessions that develops trust, understanding and safety. I easily connect to those who have been incarcerated or with those who are transitioning from substance use treatment centers. I love working with all people, all backgrounds and have strong relationship skills in building a sound therapeutic environment for change, healing and growth.

Even though I specialize in trauma, I work with individuals, couples, and families coming to therapy with a wide spectrum of issues. My goal is to help clients reduce, manage, and resolve their issues. Clients learn to increase their emotional IQs and emotional regulation skills, develop better communication skills, strengthen their most resourced self, and manage ego states (my anxious part, depressed part, my angry part, my traumatized part, my addiction part, etc.). I believe it is important for individual to receive tools they can use out of the therapy session. You deserve to get something for your hard work, time, and money.

Emily brings a thoughtful, open-minded, compassionate, and creative approach to her work with clients. She believes that counseling and therapy is a collaborative self-directed process, and operates as a guide to help her clients gain new perspectives, decrease symptoms, and increase personal strengths to have a more meaningful life experience. Emily encourages personal growth by supporting people to increase their self-esteem, awareness and sense of identity by finding meaning through art making.

***Katie is not taking new clients at this time*** Katie brings a warm, friendly, and understanding style in her work. Katie provides encouragement and support to individuals and couples who are coping with a wide variety of life’s changes and challenges. Katie sees her role as a therapist to guide clients through the process of greater self-understanding and help begin to take action toward healing the past, living in the present, and looking toward the future.

I believe that genuine presence, authentic connection, and a welcoming sense of curiosity, inspires each client to recover and overcome. I hold genuine and positive regard for my clients which enables me to encourage and support them as they come to understand the origins of their challenges and how to meet and transform them. I counsel individuals (ages 16 and up), couples, and families. My practice focuses on transitions, trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, loss, spirituality and meaning and highly sensitive persons. My commitment is to discover the strengths and gifts of each client so they may discover their true self.

I am an artist and therapist (she/her) who helps people create the lives they want to live using art and creative expression in therapeutic and educational ways. I help people develop meaningful relationships with their problems in order to transform difficulties into creative projects that move them towards preferred ways of living and being. I am passionate about co-creating a world of possibilities and positive growth to foster well-being. My work honors people's knowledge and perspectives and seeks to connect them with the things they give value to and treasure.

As a person struggling with substance use, you may have found yourself trying different treatment methods but not seeing the results you wanted. Maybe you're a person living with schizophrenia, and you haven't found a type of therapy that feels right. Or maybe you're new to this therapy thing, and you're wanting to hit the ground running? Whatever your experience has been, it can be scary to reach out and ask for help. You want to find someone you can connect with.

My clinical interests include working with individuals experiencing anxiety and depression, in particular, those who feel lost, alienated, or stressed about the world we live in.

*ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS* The most important thing to know about traumatic stress is that it is the response to the event and not the event itself, and the response we can change no matter how much time between “then” and now! Whether we felt “too much, too young”, “too much, too long”, or “too much, too fast”, it is possible to heal the physiological, psychological, spiritual, and relational challenges we face. We can feel fully present, engaged, and connected to ourselves and those around us. I see, hear, and believe you.

If solving these issues were easy you would have solved it already. Insecurity, perfectionism, anxiety or depression? Do you focus on on pleasing others more than yourself? Things may look good on the outside, but inside you don't feel enough. Maybe you feel damaged or unlovable, and the harder you try to fix it the more entrenched you feel.

I can help you develop the healthiest lifestyle possible for You. Learn to live with calm and courage. Rather than the -anxiety makes you afraid of living and depression takes you out of living- lifestyle. I believe that optimum mental health is for everyone.

Do you feel stuck and unsure how to move forward? We all have the ability to change our situations or the way we handle them, we just need a little hope. I love coming alongside people who are struggling and helping them to see the light at the end of the tunnel. From coloring and play therapy to exploring the past, challenging beliefs, or sitting with you in your pain--I have a passion for hurting people. I'd love to walk with you through shame and conflict in your life and help you find meaning and hope.

Marriage and raising a family may at times be stressful endeavors that can leave us feeling discouraged and in need of support. I offer a compassionate approach to families experiencing hardships such as thinking about or managing a divorce, blending of two households, school related problems, relationship difficulties, different learning styles and more. I can help you and your family bridge the communication gap by giving every one a chance to be heard while actively exploring solutions.

If you are ready to improve your life, then I am the one to lead you there. Having years of experience as both a client and a clinician, I am very familiar with the process of change and I am well equipped to make it happen. I've helped guide people through issues of simple depression all the way to complex PTSD. I have extensive experience dealing with criminality, all forms of abuse, addiction, and most mental disorders. My blend of psychodynamic education and life experience have suited me well in this field.