Therapists in Missouri

Knowing we can be loved exactly as we are gives us the best opportunity to grow into the healthiest people. I believe relational psychotherapy helps to restore hope and connection, even during seasons of immense pain and suffering. Having a place where you can be heard and feel known is essential while working through heavy feelings, emotions, thoughts, and processing difficult experiences. As therapy deepens, individuals I work with gain insight into presenting symptoms and patterns of behavior that initially brought them to see me.

Since 2012 I have been working with adolescents and young adults navigating various different struggles of their life. Together, with their families (when appropriate) we work to develop a plan and a path towards health and healing. It isn't always easy, in fact it’s often counterintuitive and confusing. Healing isn't linear, but what I can offer is a chance to communicate better, connect, and return your home to a peaceful place. Whether you are struggling with relationships, yourself, school or work, I am ready to help you navigate whatever it is that is going on in your mind, and move you towards a more meaningful life.

Sometimes life is hard. We experience stress, difficult experiences, wounding in relationships, and trauma along with many other experiences. We carry these with us and they show up in our daily lives - in our thoughts, emotions, physical body, relationships with others, relationship with our self. Maybe you've noticed feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Weighed down. Maybe anxious. Maybe you've noticed patterns in your relationships. Maybe physical discomfort and pain. Tension in your body. Maybe you're curious about what you're noticing. Or maybe you’re curious about who YOU are – the authentic you.

There are many presenting issues that might bring you to counseling. Finding a therapist that you can connect with and build an alliance with is important to your success in therapy. I work very hard to create a relationship that will provide you the safety and warmth that you need to explore your experiences; I am very comfortable earning your trust. I use different treatment modalities, depending upon which is appropriate for you personally. Empathy is the primary tool used to give you the safety you need to explore your inner world while we begin to understand your experiences together.

I am extremely passionate about helping those in need and feel it is an honor to be a part of someone's journey through therapy. I truly enjoy supporting others in finding and becoming the very best version of themselves. I think it is important that my clients feel heard and understood and I strive to create a therapeutic environment where my clients can feel safe to be their authentic selves. I have spent the majority of my career working with children, youth, adults, and families in various capacities. I have a strong background in trauma, family dynamics, child development, foster care, adoption, and mental health of all ages.

For the past 35 years, I have truly enjoyed helping individuals who really want to get well and are willing to work hard to achieve full recovery. I Have a Heart for helping Trauma Victims get to the root of the pain that keeps them stuck in their lives and relationships. Victims of Trauma often spend a lifetime reenacting their trauma in one relationship after another, until they finally give up on trying to "get it right".

I pride myself on being a very “real” therapist. I am authentic and work hard to make you feel comfortable so that you can be your authentic self as well. I know if I’m not real, I can’t expect you to be either; and when you feel safe to be real with me, we can work on how that carries over to the rest of your life. We will unravel the complexities that make you exactly who you are and arrange each piece in a way that you take pride in, at a pace you are comfortable with. Being confident and calm in your body is your birthright; the journey to finding both begins with getting curious. Let's explore who you want to be and achieve it.

I have a passion for helping people find their way. I have been a therapist for over a decade, helped hundreds of individuals and their families, but I have a particular interest in supporting those that are in the "odyssey years". That period of searching and wandering that often starts in late adolescence and for many, lasts upwards of around a decade. Trying to figure out who you are and how that relates to or is impacted by your family, your friends, your job/career, and your life aspirations can be simultaneously exhilarating and overwhelming. You are in the driver's seat, I can just help you navigate the twists and turns.

I know reaching out for help can be daunting and overwhelming. I am here to make this process easier for you. I have worked with individuals and families from differing backgrounds, experiences, and concerns. My counseling style is strength-based, meaning I like to focus on the many positive traits you already possess and work collaboratively to reach the goals you would like to achieve. We are all searching for acceptance and understanding. I am here to help. I have extensive experience working with individuals that have experienced trauma, depression, anxiety, phobias, LGBTQIA+ related concerns, and non-monogamous relationships.

The relationship between therapist and client is instrumental in helping a person achieve their goals. In the therapeutic relationship, clients have the opportunity to feel their full range of feelings and become understood in deep and meaningful ways. When someone matches with the right therapist, therapy can be a life-changing experience. Transgenerational patterns, attachment experiences, and core beliefs formed in early childhood play a major role in current mental health. I pay close attention to emotional language, thoughts, and somatic symptoms.

If you are struggling with relationship challenges, stress and anxiety, depression and grief, trauma and PTSD, or other life challenges, I would like to help. Humans have an amazing capacity to heal, but we are not meant to do it alone. I provide support, education, short-term and long-term therapies, and other techniques that are customized to fit your needs and preferences. I have special expertise in the art and science of recovering from trauma, abuse, narcissistic abuse, and complex PTSD. I also have advanced training in attachment theory and therapy, expressive arts therapies, communication, CBT, mindfulness, yoga, etc.

Alicia Buck - Hall is passionate about providing informed and practical guidance / recommendations for improving social-emotional outcomes for all experiencing behavioral health challenges. Functioning from a culturally relevant lens, the goal is to reduce the stigmas surrounding mental health that will lead to a more informed and relevant practice of addressing problematic concerns from a clinically informed perspective. Focus is placed on attending to social emotional needs while learning to build healthy supportive relationships, encouraging early intervention, being able to adapt, self-regulate, and develop resilience.

Most people are doing the best they can in life with the skills they have available. When life becomes overwhelming, unbearable, or unfulfilling, counseling can help you find & experience the joy & love you desire - even in the face of adversity. Counseling can be helpful when you are ready to make changes in your life and when you desire someone to journey with you to realize your best self. In our work together, we will collaborate to set goals that you want to achieve. For some, this may be a change in how you are thinking and feeling. For others, you might be ready to work to find deeper healing through processing your trauma.

Ellie Mental Health in St. Louis-Hampton Avenue, Missouri isn’t your average therapy clinic. We’ve created a comfy, judgment-free zone where you can be authentic, get real about where you’re at in your mental health, and receive the compassionate care you deserve. We strive to break down treatment barriers and provide you with customized counseling services that meet your therapy needs.

No matter how hard you try, you feel like you aren't good enough. You are trying so hard to figure out how to make everything fall into place, but you just can’t find the solution. You try to be everything to everyone, but there is a part of you that knows this really isn’t working. You are scared there might be something wrong with you. You are ready for relief; you just really want life to feel easier. Yet, you aren’t sure if that is possible, or how others would react if you did change. You want a therapist who can provide a shelter of calm, and who knows a path to transformation.

I believe relationships are central to life. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I assist individuals and couples in developing intimate relationships, and in living a richer, fuller life. I work with adolescents, young adults, newly married and experienced adults. I am well prepared to help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and make the changes you are seeking.

I have specialized training in traumatic stress and addiction and use an attachment focused perspective taking special care to understand present difficulties in the context of early relational experiences. As a therapist I believe that symptoms resulting from stressful life experiences can be treated using validated scientific interventions. Addiction can often accompany traumatic stress. In an effort to cope, individuals frequently find themselves trapped by the comforting yet costly effects of addictive or compulsive behaviors.

I am a seasoned clinician who, for over 35 years, has empowered clients to lead more meaningful and productive lives. If you suffer from anxiety, trauma, or depression, or if you find interpersonal relationships to be challenging and unsatisfying, talking with an experienced psychotherapist can drastically improve the quality of your life. Therapy is an opportunity to gain insight into the workings of your mind, to better understand how your internal reality shapes your external one (and vice versa). If some introspection has opened you to the possibility of therapy, the chances are already very good that you would benefit from it.

Hello! Here you are with the imagination to find a different way of doing life using therapy as a guide, how amazing. Maybe I could be that guide. I am Licensed in Missouri, Kansas & Indiana for virtual services and in person at my office in Lees Summit, MO. It is my mission to remind you who you really are- joyful, abundant, whole, sacred, creative, and wise. And use that knowing to reclaim your magic, intuition, power and belonging. Together we will uncover the parts of you that feel too unclear to name, much less learn from. That is where the magic happens. I am here to help you feel like your life is unapologetically yours.